American college football season
The 1991 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference . The team was coached by Hayden Fry and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium .
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance September 7 11:30 am Hawaii * No. 15 ESPN W 53–1070,044[ 1]
September 14 11:30 am at Iowa State * No. 14 ABC W 29–1054,469[ 2]
September 28 1:00 pm Northern Illinois * No. 9 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, Iowa W 58–770,220[ 3]
October 5 2:30 pm No. 7 Michigan No. 9 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, Iowa ABC L 24–4370,220[ 3]
October 12 1:00 pm at Wisconsin No. 17 W 10–675,053[ 4]
October 19 2:30 pm No. 13 Illinois No. 15 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, Iowa ABC W 24–2170,220[ 3]
October 26 11:30 am at Purdue No. 11 ESPN W 31–2132,932[ 5]
November 2 2:30 pm at No. 13 Ohio State No. 11 ABC W 16–995,357[ 6]
November 9 2:30 pm No. 25 Indiana No. 10 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, Iowa ABC W 38–2170,220[ 3]
November 16 1:00 pm at Northwestern No. 9 W 24–1033,478[ 7]
November 23 1:00 pm Minnesota No. 9 W 23–869,500[ 8]
December 30 7:30 pm vs. BYU * No. 7 ESPN T 13–1360,646[ 9]
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time
[ 10]
1991 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Pos.
#
Name
Class
K
11
Jeff Skillett
Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Carl Jackson – Offensive Coordinator
Bill Brashier – Defensive Coordinator
Milan Vooletich – Defensive ends
Mike Stoops – Linebackers/Defensive backs
Bo Pelini – Graduate assistant
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final AP 18 15 14 10 9 9 17 15 11 11 10 9 9 7 7 10 Coaches 18 17 14 10 8 7 17 11 8 8 8 7 8 7 7 10
[ 11]
Hawaii at #15 Iowa
1
2 3 4 Total
Rainbow Warriors
0
3 0 7
10
• No. 15 Hawkeyes
27
14 6 6
53
Scoring summary 1 13:49 IOWA Hughes 18-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0
IOWA Bradley 10-yard blocked punt return (Skillett kick) IOWA 14–0
IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 21–0
IOWA Filloon 8-yard pass from Rodgers (kick blocked) IOWA 27–0
2 Hawaii Jason Elam 35-yard field goalIOWA 27–3
IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 34–3
IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 41–3
3 IOWA Hilliard blocked punt for safety IOWA 43–3
IOWA Saunders 27-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 50–3
4 12:53 IOWA Skillett 30-yard field goal IOWA 53–3
Hawaii Lewis 35-yard pass from Jasper (Elam kick) IOWA 53–10
This game was essentially over at halftime as Iowa cruised to start the season 1-0.
[ 12]
#14 Iowa at Iowa StateCy-Hawk Trophy
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 14 Hawkeyes
17
3 2 7
29
Cyclones
0
3 0 7
10
Scoring summary 1 IOWA Hughes 46-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0
1 IOWA Kujawa 2-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 14–0
1 IOWA Skillett field goal IOWA 17–0
2 ISU Stewart 35-yard field goal IOWA 17–3
2 IOWA Skillett 20-yard field goal IOWA 20–3
3 IOWA Safety Hilliard blocked punt out of the end zone IOWA 22–3
4 ISU Spencer 7-yard pass from Pedersen (Stewart kick) IOWA 22–10
4 IOWA Whitaker 28-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 29–10
Iowa had little trouble getting their ninth consecutive victory in this in-state rivalry contest.
[ 13]
Northern Illinois at #9 Iowa
1
2 3 4 Total
Huskies
0
0 0 7
7
• No. 9 Hawkeyes
7
24 7 20
58
Scoring summary 1 1:10 IOWA Montgomery 15-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 7–0
2 Iowa Martens 8-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) Iowa 14–0
2 Iowa Skillett 21-yard field goal Iowa 17–0
2 Iowa Leroy Smith fumble recovery in end zone Iowa 24–0
2 Iowa Hughes 15-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) Iowa 31–0
3 Iowa Saunders 11-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 38–0
3 Iowa Kujawa 3-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 45–0
4 Iowa Jones 12-yard pass from Burmeister (Skillett kick) Iowa 52–0
4 Iowa Jones 52-yard pass from Hartlieb (kick blocked) Iowa 58–0
4 0:34 NIU Patterson 11-yard pass from Rugal (Roy kick) Iowa 58–7
[ 14]
#7 Michigan at #9 Iowa
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 7 Wolverines
7
12 7 17
43
No. 9 Hawkeyes
0
18 0 6
24
Scoring summary 1 8:26 Mich 21-yard blocked punt return (Carlson kick) Michigan 7–0
2 14:31 Iowa Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick failed) Michigan 7–6
2 12:35 Iowa Matt Rodgers 8-yard run (Pass failed) Iowa 12–7
2 6:16 Iowa Danan Hughes 17-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Run failed) Iowa 18–7
2 3:21 Mich Powers 2-yard run (Pass failed) Iowa 18–13
2 0:31 Mich J. Johnson 28-yard pass from E. Grbac (Pass failed) Michigan 19–18
3 8:25 Mich D. Howard 20-yard pass from E. Grbac (Carlson kick) Michigan 26–18
4 13:47 Mich D. Howard 2-yard pass from E. Grbac (Carlson kick) Michigan 33–18
4 9:39 Mich Carlson 25-yard field goal Michigan 36–18
4 6:52 Iowa Matt Rodgers 8-yard run (Pass failed) Michigan 36–24
4 0:34 Mich J. Johnson 17-yard run (Carlson kick) Michigan 43–24
In the 1991 Big Ten opener, the Hawkeyes led 18–7 midway through the second quarter, but could not stop the Michigan ground game as the Wolverines rolled up 371 yards rushing on 50 attempts. This game essentially decided the conference championship as both teams won the remainder of their Big Ten games.
Prior to kickoff, 1957 Outland Trophy winner Alex Karras was presented with a plaque from the College Football Hall of Fame .[ 15]
#17 Iowa at Wisconsinrivalry Game
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 17 Hawkeyes
0
3 0 7
10
Badgers
6
0 0 0
6
Scoring summary 1 WIS Troy Vincent 65-yard interception return (kick blocked) WIS 6–0
2 IOWA Skillett 29-yard field goal WIS 6–3
4 0:44 IOWA Saunders 14-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 10–6
[ 16]
#13 Illinois at #15 Iowa
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 13 Fighting Illini
7
14 0 0
21
• No. 15 Hawkeyes
10
7 0 7
24
Scoring summary 1 Illinois Kameno Bell 4-yard run (Richardson kick) Illinois 7–0
1 6:41 Iowa Alan Cross 10-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) Tied 7–7
1 Iowa Jeff Skillett 24-yard field goal Iowa 10–7
2 Illinois 5-yard pass from Jason Verduzco (Richardson kick) Illinois 14–10
2 5:52 Illinois K. Bell 1-yard run (Richardson kick) Illinois 21–10
2 1:56 Iowa Mike Saunders 6-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) Illinois 21–17
4 2:39 Iowa Matt Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 24–21
The Hawkeyes ended up having a happy homecoming in a game where they were outplayed in the first half in this top 15 showdown.
[ 17]
#11 Iowa at Purdue
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 11 Hawkeyes
7
0 24 0
31
Boilermakers
6
9 0 6
21
At No. 13 Ohio State [ edit ]
#11 Iowa at #13 Ohio State
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 11 Hawkeyes
0
13 3 0
16
No. 13 Buckeyes
0
9 0 0
9
Scoring summary 2 IOWA Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0
2 OSU Carlos Snow 2-yard run (kick) Tied 7–7
2 IOWA Alan Cross 61-yard pass from Rodgers (kick blocked) IOWA 13–7
2 OSU Simmons 85-yard blocked PAT return IOWA 13–9
3 0:27 IOWA Skillett 30-yard field goal IOWA 16–9
The Hawkeyes played without decals on their helmets in honor of the fallen from an on-campus shooting the day before. Leroy Smith recorded a school-record 5 sacks in the road victory over the Buckeyes.[ 18] [ 19] [ 20]
#25 Indiana at #10 Iowa
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 25 Hoosiers
0
6 3 12
21
• No. 10 Hawkeyes
21
10 7 0
38
Scoring summary 1 5:54 Iowa Saunders 1-yard pass from Jim Hartlieb (Skillett kick) Iowa 7–0
1 5:09 Iowa Saunders 14-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 14–0
1 2:37 Iowa Saunders 19-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 21–0
2 10:28 Iowa Skillett 26-yard field goal Iowa 24–0
2 4:46 Indiana Thomas Lewis 24-yard pass from Trent Green (kick failed)Iowa 24–6
2 0:26 Iowa Danan Hughes 26-yard pass from Hartlieb Iowa 31–6
3 11:27 Indiana Bonnell 33-yard field goal Iowa 31–9
3 8:17 Iowa Saunders 7-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 38–9
4 13:44 Indiana Lewis 11-yard pass from Trent Green (run failed) Iowa 38–15
4 10:39 Indiana Vaughn Dunbar 11-yard run (run failed)Iowa 38–21
Mike Saunders became the fifth Iowa player to score four touchdowns in a game, tying the school record. The Iowa defense forced four interceptions from Indiana quarterback Trent Green .
#9 Iowa at Northwestern
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 9 Hawkeyes
3
7 14 0
24
Wildcats
0
10 0 0
10
Scoring summary 1 IOWA Skillett 25-yard field goal IOWA 3–0
2 NW Leahy 30-yard field goal Tied 3–3
2 IOWA Hughes 1-yard pass from Hartlieb (Skillett kick) IOWA 10–3
2 NW Williams 3-yard run (Leahy kick) Tied 10–10
3 IOWA Saunders 7-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 17–10
3 IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 24–10
[ 21]
Minnesota at #9 Iowa
1
2 3 4 Total
Golden Gophers
0
0 0 8
8
• No. 9 Hawkeyes
0
3 7 13
23
Scoring summary 2 0:00 Iowa Jeff Skillett 32-yard field goal Iowa 3–0
3 Iowa Alan Cross 12-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) Iowa –-0
4 Iowa Danan Hughes 45-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) Iowa 17–0
4 Iowa Danan Hughes 32-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (kick failed) Iowa 23–0
4 1:33 Minn Paul Hopewell 19-yard pass from Scott Schaffner (two-point conversion) Iowa 23–8
The Hawkeyes closed the regular season with a win in the snow, giving Coach Fry his 100th victory at Iowa.
[ 22]
Vs. BYU (Holiday Bowl)[ edit ]
#7 Iowa vs. BYU
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 7 Hawkeyes
6
7 0 0
13
Cougars
0
6 0 7
13
Scoring summary 1 Iowa Mike Saunders 13-yard run (extra point missed) Iowa 6–0
2 Iowa Mike Saunders 5-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 13–0
2 BYU Tuipulotu 9-yard pass from Ty Detmer (extra point missed) Iowa 13–6
4 11:36 BYU Tyler Anderson 29-pass from Ty Detmer (Kauffman kick) Tied 13–13
[ 23]
The following Hawkeyes were selected in the 1992 NFL draft after the season.[ 24]
^ "Iowa 53, Hawaii 10" . Gainesville Sun . September 8, 1991.
^ Miller, Rusty (September 15, 1991). "Ohio State Beats Louisville, Michigan Tops Notre Dame" . The Daily Sentinel .
^ a b c d "Kinnick Stadium Attendance" . University of Iowa. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011.
^ Chaptman, Dennis (October 13, 1991). "Offensive woes leave Badgers Shaking Their Heads" . Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel .
^ Ambrogi, Mark (October 27, 1991). "Iowa Rallies to Deflate Purdue Upset Bid" . The Indianapolis Star . Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
^ "Iowa 16, Ohio State 9" . Gainesville Sun . November 3, 1991.
^ Ziehm, Len (November 17, 1991). "Conquest of NU No Holiday for Iowa" . Chicago Sun-Times .
^ "Iowa 23, Minnesota 8" . Eugene Register-Guard . November 24, 1991.
^ "1991" . Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2015 .
^ "1991 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results" . sports-reference.com . Retrieved November 11, 2015 .
^ "Iowa 1991 AP Football Rankings" . collegepollarchive.com . Retrieved November 9, 2015 .
^ "Wipeout! Iowa calls Hawaii's bluff" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . September 9, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "What else is new? Hawks crush Cyclones" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . September 16, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "Iowa stomps NIU; Michigan awaits" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . September 30, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "U-M: Big Ten season opens with victory" . Detroit Free Press . October 6, 1991. Retrieved January 7, 2017 .
^ "Hawkeyes escape from Wisconsin" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . October 14, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "Hawkeyes sneak past Illinois 24–21" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . October 21, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "Iowa Wins It 'for People Back Home' " . Los Angeles Times . November 3, 1991. Retrieved August 23, 2019 .
^ "Roses Are Red, Columbus Is Angry" . The New York Times . November 3, 1991. Retrieved August 23, 2019 .
^ "Recalling the dark scene surrounding last win at Ohio State" . The Gazette . November 13, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2019 .
^ "Second half charge propels Hawkeyes over NU" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . November 18, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "Hawks win Floyd for Fry's 100th" (PDF) . The Daily Iowan . November 25, 1991. p. 1B. Retrieved August 19, 2018 .
^ "Game History: The 1991 Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl" . sandiegobowlgames.com . December 30, 1991. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2015 .
^ "1992 NFL Draft Listing" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved November 20, 2023 .
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