Purdue 24 Iowa 7Last weeks flashback was one of my favorite Hawkeye games.
It took place on Oct. 5, 2002 at Kinnick Stadium.
The was the day Dallas Clark put his name on the list of first-team, All Americans.
Dallas not only caught at record tying 95-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, he caught the game winning touchdown with 1:12 left in the game.
Clark would also win the John Mackey award as the best tight end in the nation.
The Hawks won 31-28 but had to block a field goal and return it for a touchdown.
Iowa also blocked a punt and scored.
Antwan Allen returned the blocked field goal and Jermire Roberts recovered the blocked punt in the end zone for the two scores.
Bob Sanders blocked the field goal and Sean Considine blocked the punt.
On Iowa’s final drive, which started on the Hawks 14 with 2:20 left, Brad Banks scrambled up the middle for a 44 yard gain.
One minute later, Brad found Dallas for the winning score.
The Hawks would go 8-0 in the Big Ten that season, 11-2 for the year including a 38-17 loss to USC in the Rose Bowl.
Think of the talent on that team.
You start with Bob Sanders, who was first team All Big Ten three years in a row. He was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and helped the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl in 2007
Then Dallas Clark, a former walk-on from Bode, Iowa. He started out as a linebacker and moved to tight end in 2001.
Clark won the John Mackey award as a senior and was a consensus All American in 2002.
Clark played 11 years in the NFL and was Sanders’ teammate on the Colts’ championship team.
Robert Gallery, who started as a tight end at Iowa at 6-7, 235 pounds. Gallery moved to tackle, gained 90 pounds and left the Hawks as the Outland Trophy winner, consensus All American and the Big Tens Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Gallery was the second pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders.
He played eight years in the pros with Oakland, Seattle and New England.
Eric Steinbach, who was first team All Big Ten in 2001 and 2002.
The Big Ten named him Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2002 and was also a consensus All American in 2002. He played eight years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.
Nate Kaeding, who won the Lou Groza award in 2002, was a consensus All American in 2002 and is Iowa’s all-time leading scorer.
Kaeding played 10 years in the NFL with San Diego (10 years) and Miami.
Matt Roth was a two time all Big Ten selection and played in the NFL five years.
Brad Banks only started one year for the Hawks but led Iowa to a 11-2 record, 8-0 in the Big Ten.
He was runner-up for the Heisman, Davey O’Brien winner, MVP of the Big Ten, All American and the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Fred Russell rushed for 1,264 yards and nine touchdowns in 2002.
Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge were special team players that season.
What a fun season!
“It Don’t Come Easy”“Got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues and you know it don’t come easy.”
That was a song from Ringo Starr in 1971 and the Hawks are singing the blues after being taken down by the Purdue Boilermakers last Saturday
The week before, if Iowa’s win over Penn State was the high point so far.
The Purdue loss was the low point.
The only good news about the loss is the Hawks won’t have to play David Bell again.
Next year, Bell should be making big money in NFL, maybe for the Chicago Bears
The senior from Indianapolis has torched the Hawks for three years.
In 2019, Bell caught 13 passes for 197 yards and a TD but Iowa won.
Last year he caught 13 passes for 121 yards and three scores and the Hawks lost.
Last Saturday Bell caught 11 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown.
Bell picked up 100 yards after contact.
The 240 yards receiving is a Kinnick Stadium record.
A couple of stats stick out.
Purdue controlled the clock with 34:46 to 24:14 for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa only had the ball for 3:56 in the third quarter.
The Boilermakers also converted on 9 of 16 third downs.
Purdue ran 76 plays, Iowa 62.
Purdue had a bye week and did a great job of shutting down Iowa’s offense.
It didn’t help that Spencer Petras threw four interceptions.
The Hawk defense did hold Purdue to 86 yards rushing (2.6 per carry) but gave up 378 yards in the air.
Wrap UpI didn’t think Iowa, who dropped to No. 11, would go undefeated but when they started 6-0, I thought they might have a chance.
There might have been a little letdown after the Penn State win but great teams overcome that.
Iowa might not be a great team but it’s still pretty good.
Hayden Fry used to say, “the sun don’t shine on the same old dog every day,”
The sun might have been shining at Kinnick last Saturday, but it didn’t shine on the Hawkeyes.
After a bye week Iowa travels to Wisconsin.
We’ll find out if Iowa is a good team.