1957 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
| 1957 Iowa Hawkeyes football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 5 |
| AP | No. 6 |
| Record | 7–1–1 (4–1–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| MVP | Bob Commings |
| Captain | Bob Commings |
| Home stadium | Iowa Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Ohio State $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Michigan State | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Wisconsin | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1957 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 1957 Big Ten football season. In their sixth season under head coach Forest Evashevski, the Hawkeyes compiled a 7–1–1 record (4–1–1 in conference games), finished in third place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 263 to 112.[1][2] They defeated No. 13 Wisconsin (21–7) and No. 9 Notre Dame (21–13), tied No. 12 Michigan, and lost to No. 6 Ohio State. They also scored 70 points against Utah State, the highest score tallied by an Iowa team since 1914.[3] The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 6 in the final AP poll and No. 5 in the final UPI poll.[4]
The 1957 Hawkeyes gained 2,170 rushing yards and 1,303 passing yards. On defense, they gave up 1,014 rushing yards and 967 passing yards.[5] Their total defense of 220.1 yards per game remains the second best mark in school history.[6] They also set a school record (since broken) with 656 yards of total offense against Minnesota.[7]
The team's statistical leaders included halfback Collins Hagler (456 rushing yards), quarterback Randy Duncan (70-of-119 passing for 1,124 yards), end Jim Gibbons (36 receptions for 587 yards), and kicker Bob Prescott (42 points). Tackle Alex Karras won the Outland Trophy, finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, and was a consensus All-American. Gibbons, who set a school record with nine receptions for 164 yards against Minnesota, was the team captain and also received first-team All-America honors. Guard Bob Commings was selected as the team's most valuable player.
The team played its home games at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Home attendance totaled 203,709, an average of 50,927 per game.[8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 28 | Utah State* | No. 12 | W 70–14 | 40,125 | [9] | ||
| October 5 | Washington State* | No. 8 |
| W 20–13 | 47,334 | ||
| October 12 | at Indiana | No. 8 | W 47–7 | 23,000 | |||
| October 19 | No. 13 Wisconsin | No. 6 |
| W 21–7 | 58,147 | ||
| October 26 | at Northwestern | No. 3 | W 6–0 | 42,719 | |||
| November 2 | at No. 12 Michigan | No. 3 | NBC | T 21–21 | 90,478 | [10] | |
| November 9 | Minnesota | No. 5 |
| W 44–20 | 58,103 | ||
| November 16 | at No. 6 Ohio State | No. 5 | L 13–17 | 82,935 | |||
| November 23 | at No. 9 Notre Dame* | No. 8 | NBC | W 21–13 | 58,734 | ||
| |||||||
Rankings
| Week | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final |
| AP | 9 (4) | 12 (1) | 8 (3) | 8 (4) | 6 (10) | 3 (16) | 3 (20) | 5 (12) | 5 (19) | 8 (2) | 6 (7) | 6 (7) |
| Coaches | 5 | |||||||||||
Game summaries
Ohio State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Hawkeyes | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| • No. 6 Buckeyes | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
- Date: November 16
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- Game attendance: 82,935
- Game weather: Clear, 60 °F (16 °C)
| 1 | OSU | Sutherin 18 yard field goal | OSU 3–0 | |
| IOWA | Duncan 8 yard pass to Prescott (kick failed) | IOWA 6–3 | ||
| 2 | OSU | Kremblas 1 yard run (Sutherin kick) | OSU 10–6 | |
| 3 | IOWA | Duncan 1 yard run (Prescott kick) | IOWA 13–10 | |
| 4 | OSU | White 5 yard run (Sutherin kick) | OSU 17–13 | |
Notre Dame
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 8 Hawkeyes | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| No. 9 Fighting Irish | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: November 23
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium
| 1 | 5:39 | IOWA | John Nocera 36-yard run (Prescott kick) | IOWA 7–0 |
| 2 | IOWA | Randy Duncan 24-yard interception return (Prescott kick) | IOWA 14–0 | |
| ND | Monty Stickles 45-yard pass from George Izo (kick blocked) | IOWA 14–6 | ||
| 3 | ND | Ron Toth 15-yard run (Stickles kick) | IOWA 14–13 | |
| 4 | IOWA | Don Norton 16-yard pass from Duncan (Prescott kick) | IOWA 21–13 | |
Personnel
Players
The following players received varsity letters for their performance on the 1957 Iowa football team:
- Frank Bloomquist, guard, senior, 6-2, 205 pounds, Waterloo, IA
- Donald Bowen, guard, senior, 6-2, 198 pounds, East St. Louis, IL
- John A. Burroughs Jr., tackle, junior, No. 72, 5-9, 173 pounds, Youngstown, OH
- Bob Commings, guard, senior, No. 50, 174 pounds
- Hugh Drake, guard, junior, 6-0, 190 pounds, Shenandoah, IA
- Randy Duncan, quarterback, junior, No. 25, 6-0, 180 pounds, Des Moines, IA
- Kevin Furlong, halfback, junior, 5-9, 167 pounds, Detroit
- Jim Gibbons, end, senior, No. 88, 6-3, 200 pounds, Chicago
- William Gravel, halfback, junior 5-8, 180 pounds, Hobart, IN
- Gary Grouwinkel, guard, junior, 6-1, 200 pounds, Wapello, IA
- Collins Hagler, halfback, senior, No. 44, 5-9, 163 pounds, Washington, DC
- William Happel, halfback, senior, 5-11, 163 pounds, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Fred Harris, fullback, senior, 6-1, 194 pounds, Ran'burn, IL
- Donald Horn, fullback, sophomore, 5-10, 183 pounds, Detroit
- Jon Janda, fullback, senior, 5-11, 175 pounds, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Ray Jauch, halfback, sophomore, 5-11, 175 pounds, Mendota, IL
- Jerry Jenkinson, end, senior, 6-2, 175 pounds, Des Moines, IA
- Bob Jeter, halfback, sophomore, 6-1, 185 pounds, Weirton, WV
- Alex Karras, tackle, senior, No. 77, 6-2, 233 pounds, Gary, IN
- Dick Klein, tackle, 251 pounds
- Delmar Kloewer, quarterback, senior, 6-0, 175 pounds, Manilla, IA
- Mel Knotts, halfback, junior, 5-9, 172 pounds, Burlington, IA
- Bill Lapham, center, sophomore, 6-3, 250 pounds, Des Moines, IA
- Mac Lewis, center, junior, 6-6, 280 pounds, Chicago
- Curt Merz, end, sophomore, 6-4, 220 pounds, Springfield, NJ
- John Nocera, fullback, junior, 6-1, 203 pounds, Youngstown, OH
- Don Norton, end, sophomore, 6-1, 175 pounds, Anamosa, IA
- Charles Pierce, center, senior, 6-2, 185 pounds, Sycamore, IL
- Robert Prescott, end, junior, 6-3, 200 pounds, Sioux City, IA
- Frank Rigney, tackle, senior, 6-4, 212 pounds, Pana, IL
- Geno Sessi, halfback, sophomore, 5-8, 170 pounds, St. Clairsville, OH
- Dominic Sgro, guard, senior, 5-11, 206 pounds, Hackensack, NJ
- Richard Theer, tackle, senior, 6-3, 204 pounds, Davenport, IA
- Olen Treadway, quarterback, junior, 5-10, 170 pounds, Muskogee, OK
- Gene Veit, quarterback, senior, 5-11, 177 pounds, Clinton, IA
Coaches and administrators
- Head coach - Forest Evashevski
- Assistant coaches - Jerry Burns
Awards and honors
Tackle Alex Karras won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football.[17] He also ranked second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy and was selected as a consensus first-team All-American.[18][19]
End Jim Gibbons was the team captain.[20] He was selected as a first-team All-American by the United Press (UP), Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News.[21][22]
Guard Bob Commings was selected after the season as the team's most valuable player.[23]
Tackle Dick Klein was selected by the UP as a third-team All-American.[21]
Seven Iowa players received recognition on the 1957 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Karras (AP-1, UP-1); Gibbons (AP-1, UP-1); Klein (AP-2, UP-2); guard Frank Bloomquist (Ap-1, UP-2); guard Bob Commings (AP-2); quarterback Randy Duncan (UP-2); and halfback Collins Hagler (AP-3).[24][25]
Five players from the 1957 were later inducted into the Iowa Letterwinners Club Hall of Fame: Randy Duncan; Jim Gibbons; Bob Jeter; Alex Karras; and Don Norton.[26]
1958 NFL draft
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Alex Karras | Defensive tackle | 1 | 10 | Detroit Lions |
| Frank Rigney | Tackle | 4 | 43 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Jim Gibbons | End | 5 | Cleveland Browns | |
| Bill Lapham | Center | 14 | 160 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Bill Van Buren | Center | 17 | 196 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| John Burroughs | Tackle | 18 | 208 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Frank Bloomquist | Guard | 26 | 306 | Washington Redskins |
References
- ^ "1957 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
- ^ "2022 Iowa Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Iowa. p. 241. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 276.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 194.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 161.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 277.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 276.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 260.
- ^ "Iowa power nets 70–14 win". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 29, 1957. Retrieved April 29, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tommy Devine (November 3, 1957). "Iowa Settles for 21-21 Tie with U-M". Detroit Free Press. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Iowa 1957 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ Game Statistics
- ^ "OHIO STATE RALLY HALTS IOWA, 17-13". The New York Times. November 17, 1957. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Irish Say Hawks As Good As Oklahoma" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 27, 1957. p. 5. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ 2022 Media Guide, pp. 250-258.
- ^ "Iowa University Football Roster". Waterloo Sunday Courier. September 1, 1957. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Outland Trophy to Karras; He, Gibbons on Look Team". Waterloo Daily Courier. December 6, 1957. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Heisman Award To John Crow: Iowa's Alex Karras 2nd in Voting". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. December 4, 1957. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media guide, p. 220.
- ^ a b "Widwest Lands Three On UP All-America". Lodi News-Sentinel. November 29, 1957. p. 10.
- ^ Ted Gangi (ed.). "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, pp. 222.
- ^ "1957 Associated Press All-Big Ten Team". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 26, 1957. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Coaches' All-Big Ten Team". The Sandusky Register. November 30, 1957. p. 8.
- ^ 2022 Iowa Media Guide, p. 211.
- ^ "Reference at www.pro-football-reference.com". Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2018.