1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
American college football season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1985 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 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. In their seventh year under head coach Hayden Fry, the Hawkeyes compiled a 10–2 record (7–1 in conference games), won the Big Ten championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 304 to 184. They lost to UCLA in the 1986 Rose Bowl and were ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll and No. 9 in the final UPI poll.[3][4]
| 1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football | |
|---|---|
Big Ten champion | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 9 |
| AP | No. 10 |
| Record | 10–2 (7–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Bill Snyder (7th season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Bill Brashier (7th season) |
| MVP | 13 players[1]
|
| Captains |
|
| Home stadium | Kinnick Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Iowa $ | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Michigan | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Ohio State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chuck Long declared that he would return for his senior season. He became an instant Heisman Trophy candidate, and Iowa was a preseason top five team. After three weeks in 1985, the Hawkeyes ascended to No. 1 in the national rankings for the second time in team history (1960). Three weeks later, in the sixth game of the season, No. 1 Iowa faced No. 2 Michigan at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa trailed 10–9 as the Hawkeyes regained possession of the football at their own 22-yard line with just 5:27 remaining in the game. Long drove the Iowa team to the 12-yard line with two seconds remaining to set up kicker Rob Houghtlin's game-winning field goal as time expired. After a rout of Northwestern, the Hawkeyes were upset by the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. The loss to Ohio State cost Iowa their No. 1 ranking, but the Hawkeyes still won the Big Ten title outright for the first time in 27 years.[5]
Long won a number of major national awards, including the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's top player and the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the nation's top quarterback, and the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the top player in the Big Ten. He was a consensus first-team selection to the 1985 College Football All-America Team and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Bo Jackson of Auburn, losing by just 45 points.
Iowa lost Long's final game, the 1986 Rose Bowl, to UCLA by a score of 45–28. Long's Iowa teams compiled a 35–13–1 record. He graduated with 10,461 passing yards and 74 touchdowns on 782 completions.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14 | Drake* | No. 5 | W 58–0 | 66,135 | [6] | ||
| September 21 | Northern Illinois* | No. 4 |
| W 48–20 | 66,014 | [7] | |
| September 28 | at Iowa State* | No. 3 | ABC | W 57–3 | 53,202 | [8] | |
| October 5 | Michigan State | No. 1 |
| CBS | W 35–31 | 66,044 | [9] |
| October 12 | at Wisconsin | No. 1 | W 23–13 | 79,023 | [10] | ||
| October 19 | No. 2 Michigan | No. 1 |
| CBS | W 12–10 | 66,350 | [11] |
| October 26 | at Northwestern | No. 1 | W 49–10 | 47,269 | [12] | ||
| November 2 | at No. 8 Ohio State | No. 1 | CBS | L 13–22 | 90,467 | [13] | |
| November 9 | Illinois | No. 6 |
| W 59–0 | 66,120 | [14] | |
| November 16 | at Purdue | No. 5 | CBS | W 27–24 | 57,762 | [15] | |
| November 23 | Minnesota | No. 3 |
| TBS | W 31–9 | 66,020 | [16] |
| January 1 | vs. No. 13 UCLA* | No. 4 | NBC | L 28–45 | 103,292 | [17] | |
| |||||||
Rankings
Game summaries
Drake
Drake at #5 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 5 Hawkeyes | 0 | 14 | 37 | 7 | 58 |
- Date: September 14
- Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
- Game start: 1:05 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:55
- Game attendance: 66,135
- Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Partly cloudy, Wind SW 10–12 miles per hour (16–19 km/h)
- Referee: Jim Kemerling
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 2 | 10:37 | IOWA | Clark 6-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 7–0 |
| 0:02 | IOWA | Helverson 4-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 14–0 | |
| 3 | 11:28 | IOWA | R. Harmon 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 21–0 |
| 9:16 | IOWA | R. Harmon 6-yard run (kick failed) | Iowa 27–0 | |
| 5:50 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 46-yard field goal | Iowa 30–0 | |
| 4:37 | IOWA | K. Harmon 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 37–0 | |
| 3:40 | IOWA | Hudson 10-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 44–0 | |
| 1:50 | IOWA | Helverson 31-yard pass from Vlasic (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 51–0 | |
| 4 | 8:41 | IOWA | Bayless 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 58–0 |
| Drake | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 9 | 25 |
| Rushing yards | –36 | 167 |
| Passing | 19–37–1 | 25–37–0 |
| Passing yards | 184 | 324 |
| Total Offense | 148 | 491 |
| Fumbles Lost | 2–2 | 0–0 |
| Punts-Average | 9–35.5 | 4–36.5 |
| Penalties | 6–59 | 6–37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | Passing | Ed Cheatham | 12–17, 121 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Lawrence | 3 carries, 10 yards | |
| Receiving | Peterson | 6 receptions, 85 yards | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 21–31, 248 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 14 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Scott Helverson | 7 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD |
Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois at #4 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huskies | 0 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| • Hawkeyes | 14 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 48 |
- Date: September 21
- Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
- Game start: 1:05 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3:00
- Game attendance: 66,014
- Game weather: ~65 °F (18 °C), Cloudy
- Referee: Tom Quinn
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 4:52 | Iowa | Smith 8-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 7–0 |
| 3:08 | Iowa | Happel 36-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 14–0 | |
| 2 | 11:57 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 50-yard field goal | Iowa 17–0 |
| 9:08 | Iowa | Happel 39-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 24–0 | |
| 5:06 | NIU | Wooldridge 21-yard pass from Taylor (Forester kick) | Iowa 24–7 | |
| 3 | 6:31 | Iowa | Early 15-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 31–7 |
| 5:32 | NIU | Taylor 1-yard run (run failed) | Iowa 31–13 | |
| 3:32 | Iowa | Happel 12-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 38–13 | |
| 4 | 11:43 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 41-yard field goal | Iowa 41–13 |
| 5:46 | Iowa | Mauro 16-yard pass from Vlasic (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 48–13 | |
| 1:34 | NIU | Gerin 22-yard pass from Genatempo (Forester kick) | Iowa 48–20 | |
Senior WR Bill Happel had a big day with 207 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns. The yardage total marked the first time a Hawkeye had more than 200 yards receiving in a single game and stood as the school record for two years.
| NIU | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 8 | 25 |
| Rushing yards | 16 | 187 |
| Passing | 5–14–2 | 20–32–3 |
| Passing yards | 69 | 347 |
| Total Offense | 85 | 534 |
| Fumbles Lost | 4–3 | 3–3 |
| Punts-Average | 10–43.8 | 3–48.0 |
| Penalties | 2–10 | 7–55 |
| Time of Possession | 30:35 | 29:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Marshall Taylor | 3–9, 41 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Antonio Davis | 6 carries, 27 yards | |
| Receiving | Andy Wooldridge | 2 receptions, 37 yards, TD | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 18–28, 270 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 17 carries, 92 yards | |
| Receiving | Bill Happel | 9 receptions, 207 yards, 3 TD |
at Iowa State
#3 Iowa at Iowa State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 3 Hawkeyes | 7 | 34 | 16 | 0 | 57 |
| Cyclones | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
- Date: September 28
- Location: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa
- Game start: 2:30 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3:25
- Game attendance: 53,202
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), Wind NE 15 mph (24 km/h)
- Referee: Vance Carlson
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Lee Grosscup, and Al Trautwig
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 4:11 | Iowa | Fred Bush 4-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 7–0 |
| 2 | 14:05 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 47-yard field goal | Iowa 10–0 |
| 8:55 | Iowa | R. Harmon 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 17–0 | |
| 6:59 | Iowa | R. Harmon 23-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 24–0 | |
| 2:48 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 41-yard field goal | Iowa 27–0 | |
| 1:47 | Iowa | Mike Flagg 3-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 34–0 | |
| 0:47 | Iowa | Smith 9-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 41–0 | |
| 3 | 13:19 | Iowa | Scott Helverson 46-yard pass from Chuck Long (kick failed) | Iowa 47–0 |
| 9:37 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 27-yard field goal | Iowa 50–0 | |
| 2:33 | Iowa | Scott Helverson 26-yard pass from Vlassic (Cook kick) | Iowa 57–0 | |
| 4 | 5:21 | ISU | Frank 52-yard field goal | Iowa 57–3 |
The Hawkeyes earned the third of 15 consecutive wins over their in-state rivals. To date, this remains the largest margin of victory in the series. The convincing win vaulted Iowa to the #1 ranking in the country, a spot they would occupy for five consecutive weeks.
| Iowa | ISU | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 23 | 13 |
| Rushing yards | 138 | 73 |
| Passing | 24–40–0 | 16–33–1 |
| Passing yards | 357 | 157 |
| Total Offense | 495 | 230 |
| Fumbles Lost | 3–2 | 6–3 |
| Punts-Average | 3–38.7 | 8–35.1 |
| Penalties | 6–55 | 4–26 |
| Time of Possession | 28:33 | 31:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 19–32, 223 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 19 carries, 103 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Scott Helverson | 8 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TD | |
| Iowa State | Passing | Alex Espinoza | 16–33, 157 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Marques Rodgers | 12 carries, 55 yards | |
| Receiving | Danny Gantt | 4 receptions, 43 yards |
Michigan State
Michigan State at #1 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartans | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| • No. 1 Hawkeyes | 7 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
- Game start: 1:40 p.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 3:50
- Game attendance: 66,044
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Cloudy, Wind NW 20–25 mph (32–40 km/h)
- Referee: Tom Quinn
- TV announcers (CBS Sports): Brent Musburger and Ara Parseghian
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 10:23 | Iowa | Robert Smith 60-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 7–0 |
| 2 | 13:12 | Iowa | Mike Flagg 17-yard pass from Chuck Long (kick failed) | Iowa 13–0 |
| 11:34 | MSU | Chris Caudell 32-yard field goal | Iowa 13–3 | |
| 9:15 | MSU | Andre Rison 50-yard pass from Bobby McAllister (Caudell kick) | Iowa 13–10 | |
| 3 | 12:30 | MSU | Lorenzo White 23-yard run (Caudell kick) | MSU 17–13 |
| 7:01 | MSU | Lorenzo White 1-yard run (Caudell kick) | MSU 24–13 | |
| 6:16 | Iowa | Robert Smith 4-yard pass from Chuck Long (Flagg pass from Long for two-point conversion) | MSU 24–21 | |
| 3:21 | Iowa | Mike Flagg 12-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 28–24 | |
| 4 | 4:06 | MSU | Craig Johnson 25-yard run (Caudell kick) | MSU 31–28 |
| 0:27 | Iowa | Chuck Long 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 35–31 | |
In their first game since ascending to the #1 ranking, the Hawkeyes survived a wild, back and forth thriller. The teams combined for well over 1,000 yards of total offense. Chuck Long (30–39, 380 yards, 4 TD) scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard bootleg with 27 seconds remaining.
| MSU | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 28 | 25 |
| Rushing yards | 305 | 108 |
| Passing | 18–28–0 | 30–39–2 |
| Passing yards | 275 | 380 |
| Total Offense | 580 | 488 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Punts-Average | 6–37.0 | 5–45.2 |
| Penalties | 9–50 | 4–40 |
| Time of Possession | 36:15 | 23:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | Passing | Bobby McAllister | 18–27, 275 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Lorenzo White | 39 carries, 226 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Mark Ingram | 7 receptions, 148 yards | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 30–39, 380 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 20 carries, 84 yards | |
| Receiving | Scott Helverson | 9 receptions, 102 yards |
at Wisconsin
#1 Iowa at Wisconsin
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 1 Hawkeyes | 3 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
| Badgers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
- Date: October 12
- Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
- Game start: 1:08 p.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 2:51
- Game attendance: 79,023
- Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Cloudy, Wind SSW 10–20 mph (16–32 km/h)
- Referee: John Nealon
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 3:55 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 30-yard field goal | Iowa 3–0 |
| 2 | 11:42 | IOWA | Bill Happel 8-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | Iowa 10–0 |
| 3 | 5:52 | WIS | Joe Armentrout 3-yard pass from Bud Keyes (Todd Gregoire kick) | Iowa 10–7 |
| 3 | 3:53 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 40-yard field goal | Iowa 13–7 |
| 3 | 0:07 | WIS | Todd Gregoire 27-yard field goal | Iowa 13–10 |
| 4 | 10:52 | IOWA | Ronnie Harmon 12-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 20-10 |
| 4 | 6:01 | WIS | Todd Gregoire 24-yard field goal | Iowa 20–13 |
| 4 | 3:14 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 35-yard field goal | Iowa 23–13 |
| Iowa | Wis | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 15 | 17 |
| Rushing yards | 174 | 172 |
| Passing | 18–30–1 | 13–31–3 |
| Passing yards | 167 | 134 |
| Total Offense | 341 | 306 |
| Fumbles Lost | 2–2 | 0–0 |
| Punts-Average | 5–43.4 | 8–36.8 |
| Penalties | 7–49 | 5–35 |
| Time of Possession | 26:58 | 33:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 18–28, 167 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 20 carries, 175 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Ronnie Harmon | 8 receptions, 62 yards | |
| Wisconsin | Passing | Bud Keyes | 7–19, 88 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Larry Emery | 19 carries, 104 yards | |
| Receiving | Scott Sharron | 5 receptions, 47 yards |
No. 2 Michigan
#2 Michigan at #1 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Wolverines | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| • No. 1 Hawkeyes | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
- Date: October 19
- Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
- Game start: 2:50 p.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 3:00
- Game attendance: 66,350
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Chance of showers, Wind SW 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Hendrickson
- TV announcers (CBS Sports): Brent Musburger and Ara Parseghian
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 2 | 9:05 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 35-yard field goal | Iowa 3–0 |
| 6:06 | MICH | White 6-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Mike Gillette kick) | Mich 7–3 | |
| 0:04 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 27-yard field goal | Mich 7–6 | |
| 4 | 14:20 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 36-yard field goal | Iowa 9–7 |
| 10:55 | MICH | Mike Gillette 40-yard field goal | Mich 10–9 | |
| 0:00 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 29-yard field goal | Iowa 12–10 | |
The #1 Hawkeyes dominated the game statistically — holding major advantages in total yards (422–182), offensive plays (84–41), and time of possession (38:05-21:55) — but could not find the end zone. Rob Houghtlin kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to lift the top-ranked Hawkeyes to victory over the #2 "Wolverdinks", as Houghtlin referred to them.[25]
| Mich | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 9 | 26 |
| Rushing yards | 127 | 125 |
| Passing | 8–13–0 | 26–39–1 |
| Passing yards | 55 | 297 |
| Total Offense | 182 | 422 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Punts-Average | 6–39.8 | 3–31.7 |
| Penalties | 4–35 | 3–26 |
| Time of Possession | 21:55 | 38:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Passing | Jim Harbaugh | 8–13, 55 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Jamie Morris | 14 carries, 70 yards | |
| Receiving | Paul Jokisch | 2 receptions, 23 yards | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 26–39, 297 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 32 carries, 120 yards | |
| Receiving | Bill Happel | 9 receptions, 107 yards |
at Northwestern
#1 Iowa at Northwestern
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 1 Hawkeyes | 7 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: October 26
- Location: Dyche Stadium, Evanston, Illinois
- Game start: 1:37 p.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 2:44
- Game attendance: 47,276
- Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Sunny, Wind SW 14 mph (23 km/h)
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 8:48 | IOWA | Bill Happel 28-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 7–0 |
| 2 | 9:16 | NW | John Duvic 21-yard field goal | IOWA 7–3 |
| 2 | 7:14 | IOWA | Ronnie Harmon 44-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 14–3 |
| 2 | 3:44 | IOWA | Robert Smith 89-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 21–3 |
| 2 | 2:37 | IOWA | Bill Happel 35-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 28–3 |
| 3 | 11:22 | IOWA | Bill Happel 25-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 35–3 |
| 4 | 14:52 | IOWA | Craig Clark 4-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 42–3 |
| 4 | 12:51 | IOWA | Kevin Harmon 2-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 49–3 |
| 4 | 2:02 | NW | Marc Bumgarner 4-yard pass from Mike Greenfield (John Duvic kick) | IOWA 49–10 |
On a windy day in Evanston, Chuck Long went 19-26 for 399 yards and a Big Ten record-tying 6 TDs. Bill Happel hauled in three touchdowns, finishing with 117 yards on 5 receptions.
| Iowa | NW | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 20 | 18 |
| Rushing yards | 124 | 46 |
| Passing | 19–26–1 | 21–40–3 |
| Passing yards | 399 | 242 |
| Total Offense | 523 | 288 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Punts-Average | 4–36.3 | 7–42.6 |
| Penalties | 4–34 | 3–15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 19–26, 399 yards, 6 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 14 carries, 74 yards | |
| Receiving | Bill Happel | 5 receptions, 117 yards, 3 TD | |
| Northwestern | Passing | Mike Greenfield | 21–40, 242 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Mike Greenfield | 29 carries, 18 yards | |
| Receiving | George Jones | 4 receptions, 84 yards |
at No. 8 Ohio State
#1 Iowa at #8 Ohio State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Hawkeyes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| • No. 8 Buckeyes | 5 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 22 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Game start: 2:44 p.m. CST
- Elapsed time: 3:19
- Game attendance: 90,467
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), Rain, Wind S 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Referee: Gil Marchman
- TV announcers (CBS Sports): Brent Musburger and Ara Parseghian
- Source: Box score Archived 2015-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
| 1 | 11:03 | OSU | Rich Spangler 28-yard field goal | OSU 3–0 |
| 1 | 0:02 | OSU | Safety, Sonny Gordan blocked punt out of end zone | OSU 5–0 |
| 2 | 9:06 | OSU | John Woolridge 57-yard run (Spangler kick) | OSU 12–0 |
| 2 | 5:00 | OSU | Rich Spangler 26-yard field goal | OSU 15–0 |
| 2 | 0:28 | Iowa | Ronnie Harmon 3-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | OSU 15–7 |
| 4 | 11:39 | OSU | Vince Workman 4-yard run (Spangler kick) | OSU 22–7 |
| 4 | 8:19 | Iowa | David Hudson 2-yard run (run failed) | OSU 22–13 |
| Iowa | Ohio St | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 21 | 16 |
| Rushing yards | 186 | 233 |
| Passing | 17–34–4 | 10–17–2 |
| Passing yards | 169 | 151 |
| Total Offense | 345 | 370 |
| Fumbles Lost | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Punts-Average | 4–32.5 | 4–45.3 |
| Penalties | 3–16 | 7–57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 19–26, 169 yards, 4 INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 26 carries, 120 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Ronnie Harmon | 5 receptions, 19 yards | |
| Ohio State | Passing | Jim Karsatos | 10–17, 151 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | George Cooper | 17 carries, 104 yards | |
| Receiving | Cris Carter | 3 receptions, 65 yards |
Illinois
Illinois at #6 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 6 Hawkeyes | 35 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 59 |
- Date: November 9
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium,
Iowa City, Iowa - Game start: 1:05 p.m. CST
- Elapsed time: 3:20
- Game attendance: 66,120
- Game weather: ~45 °F (7 °C), Cloudy, rain, Wind NE 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
- Referee: Otho Kortz
- Source: Box score
| 1 | 11:54 | IOWA | R. Smith 49-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 7–0 |
| 1 | 10:16 | IOWA | Hudson 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 14–0 |
| 1 | 7:28 | IOWA | R. Smith 43-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 21–0 |
| 1 | 4:36 | IOWA | R. Harmon 46-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 28–0 |
| 1 | 0:59 | IOWA | Hudson 10-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 35–0 |
| 2 | 5:16 | IOWA | Flagg 1-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 42–0 |
| 2 | 2:31 | IOWA | Helverson 9-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 49–0 |
| 4 | 13:12 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 37-yard field goal | IOWA 52–0 |
| 4 | 8:21 | IOWA | Goodman 16-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 59–0 |
| Illinois | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 14 | 27 |
| Rushing yards | 5 | 232 |
| Passing | 30–58–5 | 27–41–1 |
| Passing yards | 227 | 316 |
| Total Offense | 232 | 548 |
| Fumbles Lost | 5–4 | 1–0 |
| Punts-Average | 9–34.8 | 6–42.2 |
| Penalties | 10–82 | 5–62 |
| Time of Possession | 27:09 | 32:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Passing | Jack Trudeau | 26–47, 208 yards, 4 INT |
| Rushing | Thomas Rooks | 7 carries, 26 yards | |
| Receiving | David Williams | 10 receptions, 70 yards | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 22–30, 289 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 32 carries, 120 yards | |
| Receiving | Robert Smith | 3 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD |
at Purdue
#5 Iowa at Purdue
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 5 Hawkeyes | 7 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Boilermakers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: November 16
- Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Game start: 3:42 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3:17
- Game attendance: 57,762
- Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), Cloudy, Wind WSW 23 mph (37 km/h)
- Referee: Tom Quinn
- TV announcers (CBS Sports): Brent Musburger, Ara Parseghian, and Pat O'Brien
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 9:21 | Purdue | Griffin 49-yard pass from Jim Everett (Briggs kick) | Purdue 7–0 |
| 1 | 0:08 | Iowa | Ronnie Harmon 2-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | Tied 7–7 |
| 2 | 14:02 | Iowa | Hudson 1-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 14–7 |
| 2 | 9:53 | Purdue | Medlock 1-yard run (Briggs kick) | Tied 14–14 |
| 2 | 5:55 | Iowa | Hudson 1-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 21–14 |
| 2 | 1:30 | Purdue | Briggs 37-yard field goal | IOWA 21–17 |
| 2 | 0:02 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 33-yard field goal | IOWA 24–17 |
| 4 | 6:35 | Purdue | Medlock 2-yard run (Briggs kick) | Tied 24–24 |
| 4 | 1:08 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 25-yard field goal | IOWA 27–24 |
| Iowa | Purdue | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 28 | 16 |
| Rushing yards | 206 | 36 |
| Passing | 20–33–1 | 23–32–1 |
| Passing yards | 268 | 315 |
| Total Offense | 474 | 351 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Punts-Average | 5–31.8 | 4–29.8 |
| Penalties | 4–19 | 2–10 |
| Time of Possession | 34:30 | 25:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 20–33, 268 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 25 carries, 122 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Ronnie Harmon | 9 receptions, 118 yards | |
| Purdue | Passing | Jim Everett | 23–32, 315 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ray Wallace | 10 carries, 21 yards | |
| Receiving | Steve Griffin | 4 receptions, 110 yards, TD |
Minnesota
Minnesota at #3 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Gophers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| • No. 3 Hawkeyes | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
- Date: November 23
- Location:
Kinnick Stadium,
Iowa City, Iowa - Game start:
11:40 a.m. CST - Elapsed time: 3:00
- Game attendance: 66,020
- Game weather: ~25 °F (−4 °C), Cloudy, Wind NNW 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
- Referee: John Nealon
- TV announcers (TBS Sports): Pete van Wieren (play-by-play) and Ron Kramer (analyst)
- Source: Box score and Game story
| 1 | 9:48 | Iowa | Ronnie Harmon 5-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 7–0 |
| 1 | 1:54 | Minn | Chip Lohmiller 35-yard field goal | IOWA 7–3 |
| 2 | 5:15 | Iowa | Rob Houghtlin 26-yard field goal | IOWA 10–3 |
| 2 | 1:40 | Iowa | Mike Flagg 4-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 17–3 |
| 3 | 9:39 | Iowa | Kevin Harmon 10-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 24–3 |
| 4 | 14:11 | Iowa | Rick Bayless 5-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 31–3 |
| 4 | 2:01 | Minn | Gailord 16-yard pass from Holt (conversion failed) | IOWA 31–9 |
In the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa beat the Golden Gophers in Lou Holtz's last game as Minnesota's head coach. Chuck Long, in his final game at Kinnick Stadium, became the first player in Big Ten history to eclipse 10,000 career passing yards.
| Minn | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 18 | 24 |
| Rushing yards | 154 | 177 |
| Passing | 9–18–0 | 21–31–1 |
| Passing yards | 118 | 268 |
| Total Offense | 272 | 445 |
| Fumbles Lost | 4–2 | 2–1 |
| Punts-Average | 6–32.8 | 2–39.5 |
| Penalties | 1–5 | 6–30 |
| Time of Possession | 30:10 | 29:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Passing | Rickey Foggie | 6–13, 69 yards |
| Rushing | David Puk | 13 carries, 61 yards | |
| Receiving | Eugene Gailord | 3 receptions, 57 yards, TD | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 21–31, 268 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 13 carries, 75 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Scott Helverson | 7 receptions, 86 yards |
vs. No. 13 UCLA (Rose Bowl)
#13 UCLA vs. #4 Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 13 Bruins | 10 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| No. 4 Hawkeyes | 7 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 28 |
- Date: January 1, 1986
- Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- Game start:
2:12 p.m. PST - Elapsed time: 3:18
- Game attendance: 103,292
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Overcast, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
- Referee: Tom Quinn
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen
| 1 | 7:02 | IOWA | David Hudson 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 7–0 |
| 1 | 3:23 | UCLA | Eric Ball 30-yard run (Lee kick) | Tied 7–7 |
| 1 | 1:11 | UCLA | John Lee 42-yard field goal | UCLA 10–7 |
| 2 | 7:43 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 24-yard field goal | Tied 10–10 |
| 2 | 6:19 | UCLA | Eric Ball 40-yard run (Lee kick) | UCLA 17–10 |
| 2 | 1:36 | UCLA | Eric Ball 6-yard run (Lee kick) | UCLA 24–10 |
| 3 | 12:19 | IOWA | Chuck Long 4-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | UCLA 24–17 |
| 3 | 6:25 | UCLA | Mike Sherrard 6-yard pass from Matt Stevens (J. Lee kick) | UCLA 31–17 |
| 4 | 13:25 | UCLA | Eric Ball 32-yard run (Lee kick) | UCLA 38–17 |
| 4 | 10:51 | IOWA | Rob Houghtlin 52-yard field goal | UCLA 38–20 |
| 4 | 6:38 | UCLA | Matt Stevens 1-yard run (Lee kick) | UCLA 45–20 |
| 4 | 3:11 | IOWA | Bill Happel 11-yard pass from Chuck Long (Harmon run) | UCLA 45–28 |
| UCLA | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 29 | 25 |
| Rushing yards | 55–299 | 34–82 |
| Passing | 16–26–1 | 29–38–1 |
| Passing yards | 189 | 319 |
| Total Offense | 488 | 401 |
| Fumbles Lost | 3–2 | 4–4 |
| Punts-Average | 2–38.5 | 2–32.5 |
| Penalties | 6–36 | 5–40 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | Passing | Matt Stevens | 16–26, 189 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Eric Ball | 12 carries, 67 yards | |
| Receiving | Mike Sherrard | 4 receptions, 48 yards | |
| Iowa | Passing | Chuck Long | 29–37, 319 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ronnie Harmon | 14 carries, 55 yards | |
| Receiving | Ronnie Harmon | 11 receptions, 102 yards |
Roster
| 1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards and honors
- Chuck Long, Quarterback – Big Ten Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award,[45] Maxwell Award,[45] and Runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Consensus First-team All-American.[46]
- Larry StationLinebacker $2 – Consensus First-team All-American.[46]
1986 NFL draft
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Long | Quarterback | 1 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| Ronnie Harmon | Running back | 1 | 16 | Buffalo Bills |
| Mike Haight | Tackle | 1 | 22 | New York Jets |
| Devon Mitchell | Defensive back | 4 | 92 | Detroit Lions |
| Larry Station | Linebacker | 11 | 287 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Future head coaches
| Name | 1985 Position | School | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Snyder | Offensive coordinator/QB Coach | Kansas State | 1989–2005, 2009–2018 |
| Barry Alvarez | Linebackers Coach | Wisconsin | 1990–2005 |
| Dan McCarney | Defensive line coach | Iowa State North Texas | 1995–2006 2011–2015 |
| Bob Stoops | Volunteer Coach | Oklahoma | 1999–2016 |
| Kirk Ferentz | Offensive line coach | Iowa | 1999–present |
| Don Patterson | Tight ends coach | Western Illinois | 1999–2009 |
| Chuck Long | Quarterback | San Diego State | 2006–2008 |
| Mark Stoops | Defensive back | Kentucky | 2013–present |
| Jay Norvell | Defensive backs | Nevada Colorado State | 2017–2021 2022–present |