1973 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
American college football season
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The 1973 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Iowa as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1973 Big Ten football season. In their third and final year under head coach Frank Lauterbur, the Hawkeyes compiled a 0–11 record (0–8 in conference game), finished in last place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 401 to 140.[1][2]
- Frank Lauterbur (3rd season)
| 1973 Iowa Hawkeyes football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 0–11 (0–8 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Howard Vernon (1st season) |
| MVP | Brian Rollins |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Kinnick Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Ohio State + | 7 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Michigan + | 7 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 0 | – | 8 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 0 | – | 8 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1973 Hawkeyes gained 1,599 rushing yards and 1,126 passing yards. On defense, they gave up 3,848 rushing yards and 716 passing yards. The team had both worst rush defense and the best pass defense in program history. They gave up 349.8 rushing yards per game, while holding opponents to average of only 65.1 passing yards per game.[3]
The team's statistical leaders included Butch Caldwell (36-of-99 passing for 549 yards), Jim Jenson (509 rushing yards, 44 points scored), Brian Rollins (33 receptions for 408 yards), and Dan LeFleur (127 total tackles).[4] Jim Caldwell set an Iowa single-season record (still standing) with five blocked kicks.[5] Rollins, center Roger Jerrick, and defensive end Dan Dickel were the team captains.[6] Rollins was also selected as the team's most valuable player.[7]
Despite the team's winless record, the 1973 Hawkeyes included players that experienced significant success in their football careers. Rod Walters was a first round draft pick, Joe Devlin was a second round pick and started 179 games in the NFL, and Jim Caldwell was an assistant coach on two Super Bowl champions and reached the Super Bowl as a head coach.[8]
The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Home attendance totaled 217,846, an average of 43,569 per game. It was Iowa's lowest per-game attendance since 1951.[9]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 15 | No. 5 Michigan | L 7–31 | 52,105 | [10] | |
| September 22 | at No. 18 UCLA* | L 18–55 | 34,546 | [11] | |
| September 29 | at No. 6 Penn State* | L 8–27 | 59,980 | [12] | |
| October 6 | Arizona* |
| L 20–23 | 40,365 | [13] |
| October 13 | at Northwestern | L 15–31 | 25,194 | [14] | |
| October 20 | Minnesota |
| L 23–31 | 55,137 | [15] |
| October 27 | at Illinois | L 0–50 | 46,864 | [16] | |
| November 3 | Purdue |
| L 23–48 | 39,120 | [17] |
| November 10 | at Wisconsin | L 7–35 | 55,560 | [18] | |
| November 17 | at No. 1 Ohio State | L 13–55 | 87,447 | [19] | |
| November 24 | Michigan State |
| L 6–15 | 31,119 | [20] |
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Game summaries
No. 5 Michigan
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 5 Wolverines | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
- Date: September 15, 1973
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, IA - Game attendance: 52,105
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), Cloudy, Wind W 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | 12:50 | Mich | Lantry 39-yard field goal | Mich 3–0 |
| 6:53 | Mich | Heater 1-yard run (Lantry kick) | Mich 10–0 | |
| 2 | 9:28 | Iowa | Earl Douthitt 47-yard interception return (Kokolus kick) | Mich 10–7 |
| 3:51 | Mich | Thornbladh 3-yard run (Lantry kick) | Mich 17–7 | |
| 3 | 9:33 | Mich | Chapman 12-yard run (Lantry kick) | Mich 24–7 |
| 4 | 7:38 | Mich | Franklin 11-yard run (Lantry kick) | Mich 31–7 |
at No. 18 UCLA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
| • No. 18 Bruins | 3 | 21 | 10 | 21 | 55 |
- Date: September 22, 1973
- Location:
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, CA - Game attendance: 34,456
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | UCLA | Herrera 24-yard field goal | UCLA 3–0 | |
| Iowa | Kokolus 45-yard field goal | Tied 3–3 | ||
| Iowa | Rollins 11-yard pass from Skogman (Kokolus kick) | Iowa 10–3 | ||
| 2 | UCLA | James McAlister 1-yard run (Herrera kick) | Tied 10–10 | |
| UCLA | Harmon 1-yard run (Herrera kick) | UCLA 17–10 | ||
| UCLA | John Sciarra 2-yard run (Herrera kick) | UCLA 24–10 | ||
| 3 | UCLA | Johnson 9-yard run (Herrera kick) | UCLA 31–10 | |
| UCLA | Herrera 44-yard field goal | UCLA 34–10 | ||
| 4 | UCLA | Tyler 4-yard run (Lantry kick) | UCLA 41–10 | |
| Iowa | Skogman 5-yard run (Jenson pass from Skogman) | UCLA 41–18 | ||
| UCLA | Raymond Burks 46-yard pass from John Sciarra (Herrera kick) | UCLA 48–18 | ||
| UCLA | John Sciarra 7-yard run (Herrera kick) | UCLA 55–18 | ||
at No. 6 Penn State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| • No. 6 Nittany Lions | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 27 |
- Date: September 29, 1973
- Location:
Beaver Stadium
University Park, PA - Game attendance: 59,980
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | 11:36 | PSU | Cappelletti 16-yard run (Bahr kick) | Penn State 7–0 |
| 5:20 | PSU | Herd 9-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick) | Penn State 14–0 | |
| 3:08 | PSU | Bland 32-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick) | Penn State 21–0 | |
| 3 | PSU | Herd 12-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick failed) | Penn State 27–0 | |
| 4 | Iowa | Jensen 7-yard pass from Caldwell (Caldwell run) | Penn State 27–8 | |
Arizona
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Wildcats | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
| Hawkeyes | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
- Date: October 6, 1973
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, IA - Game attendance: 40,365
- Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), Cloudy, Wind S 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | Iowa | Jensen 1-yard run (Kokolus kick) | Iowa 7–0 | |
| Ariz | Hamilton 20-yard run (Gorham kick) | Tied 7–7 | ||
| 2 | Iowa | Gorham 33-yard field goal | Ariz 10–7 | |
| Iowa | Kokolus 41-yard field goal | Tied 10–10 | ||
| 3 | 10:32 | Ariz | Upchurch 7-yard run (Gorham kick) | Ariz 17–10 |
| 6:44 | Iowa | Kokolus 20-yard field goal | Ariz 17–13 | |
| 0:34 | Ariz | Gorham 28-yard field goal | Ariz 20–13 | |
| 4 | 12:54 | Iowa | Butch Caldwell 39-yard run (Kokolus kick) | Tied 20–20 |
| 2:09 | Ariz | Gorham 23-yard field goal | Ariz 23–20 | |
at Northwestern
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 15 |
| • Wildcats | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
- Date: October 13, 1973
- Location:
Dyche Stadium
Evanston, IL - Game attendance: 25,194
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | 9:19 | NW | Jim Trimble 1-yard run (Blazevich kick) | NW 7–0 |
| 7:51 | NW | Boykin 12-yard run (Blazevich kick) | NW 14–0 | |
| 2 | 14:57 | NW | Blazevich 21-yard field goal | NW 17–0 |
| 10:16 | NW | Key 3-yard run (Blazevich kick) | NW 24–0 | |
| 5:41 | Iowa | Jensen 1-yard run (pass failed) | NW 24–6 | |
| 3 | 8:56 | Iowa | Schultz 35-yard pass from Skogman (Kokolus kick) | NW 24–13 |
| 0:28 | NW | McNamara 29-yard pass from Anderson (Blazevich kick) | NW 31–13 | |
| 4 | 7:26 | Iowa | Safety, punt snap out of end zone | NW 31–15 |
Minnesota
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Golden Gophers | 6 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 31 |
| Hawkeyes | 14 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 23 |
- Date: October 20, 1973
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, IA - Game attendance: 55,137
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Clear, Wind SE 5–7 mph (8.0–11.3 km/h)
- Source: Box Score
at Illinois
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Fighting Illini | 6 | 13 | 3 | 28 | 50 |
- Date: October 27, 1973
- Location:
Memorial Stadium
Champaign, IL - Game attendance: 48,864
- Game weather: Light rain, 54 °F (12 °C)
- Source: Box Score
Purdue
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Boilermakers | 14 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 48 |
| Hawkeyes | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
- Date: November 3, 1973
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, IA - Game attendance: 39,120
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), Cloudy, Wind N 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Source: Box Score
Purdue freshman Mike Northington ran for 146 yards and tied a Big Ten-record with five touchdowns on 31 carries. Also of note, the Boilermakers scored their final touchdown with just 39 seconds remaining, attempting a failed two-point conversion after the score.[31]
at Wisconsin
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| • Badgers | 21 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: November 10, 1973
- Location:
Camp Randall Stadium
Madison, WI - Game attendance: 55,560
- Game weather: Clear, 35 °F (2 °C)
- Referee: Otho Kortz
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | 13:45 | Wisc | Marek 45-yard run (Lamia kick) | Wisconsin 7–0 |
| 10:20 | Wisc | Marek 5-yard run (kick blocked) | Wisconsin 13–0 | |
| 0:18 | Wisc | Marek 32-yard run (Bohlig run) | Wisconsin 21–0 | |
| 2 | 2:09 | Wisc | Rhodes 31-yard pass from Bohlig (Lamia kick) | Wisconsin 28–0 |
| 3 | 9:47 | Iowa | Fetter 6-yard run (Kokolus kick) | Wisconsin 28–7 |
| 4 | 5:20 | Wisc | Marek 1-yard run (Lamia kick) | Wisconsin 35–7 |
Wisconsin sophomore Billy Marek ran for 203 yards and 4 touchdowns.
at No. 1 Ohio State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| • No. 1 Buckeyes | 14 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 55 |
- Date: November 17, 1973
- Location:
Ohio Stadium
Columbus, OH - Game attendance: 87,447
- Game weather: Clear, 42 °F (6 °C)
- Source: Box Score
| 1 | 10:21 | OSU | Bruce Elia 1-yard run (Blair Conway kick) | Ohio State 7–0 |
| 4:30 | OSU | Elia 1-yard run (Conway kick) | Ohio State 14–0 | |
| 2 | 2:27 | OSU | Cornelius Greene 1-yard run (kick failed) | Ohio State 20–0 |
| 0:07 | OSU | Dave Hazel 41-yard run pass from Cornelius Greene (Conway kick) | Ohio State 27–0 | |
| 3 | 7:38 | OSU | Elia 3-yard run (Conway kick) | Ohio State 34–0 |
| 2:49 | OSU | Archie Griffin 8-yard run (Conway kick) | Ohio State 41–0 | |
| 0:34 | OSU | Elia 3-yard run (Conway kick) | Ohio State 48–0 | |
| 4 | 14:48 | Iowa | Bill Schultz 78-yard pass from Butch Caldwell (Kokolus kick) | Ohio State 48–7 |
| 8:22 | Iowa | Rod Wellington 2-yard run (pass failed) | Ohio State 48–13 | |
| 6:44 | OSU | Elmer Lippert 12-yard run (Tom Klaban kick) | Ohio State 55–13 | |
Ohio State sophomore Archie Griffin ran for 246 yards on 30 carries, establishing single-game and single-season school records for rushing yardage. Junior fullback Bruce Elia had 4 rushing touchdowns for the Buckeyes.[32]
Michigan State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Spartans | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 15 |
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
- Date: November 24, 1973
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, IA - Game attendance: 31,119
- Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Cloudy, Wind NW 6–12 mph (9.7–19.3 km/h)
- Source: Box Score
Roster
| 1973 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Team players in the 1974 NFL draft
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Dickel | Linebacker | 7 | 170 | Baltimore Colts |