1968 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

1968 Iowa Hawkeyes football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–5 (4–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPEd Podolak
Captains
  • Ed Podolak
  • Steve Wilson
Home stadiumIowa Stadium
1968 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Ohio State $ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 0 – 0
No. 12 Michigan 6 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
No. 10 Purdue 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Minnesota 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Indiana 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Michigan State 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Illinois 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
Northwestern 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
Wisconsin 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1968 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 1968 Big Ten football season. In their third year under head coach Ray Nagel, the Hawkeyes compiled a 5–5 record (4–3 in conference game), tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 322 to 289.[1][2]

The 1968 Hawkeyes gained 2,528 rushing yards and 1,876 passing yards. On defense, they gave up 2,819 rushing yards and 1,283 passing yards.[3] They broke Big Ten scoring and total offense records.[4]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Larry Lawrence (88-of-156 passing, 1,307 yards, 60 points scored), Ed Podolak (937 rushing yards), and Ray Manning (35 receptions for 426 yards).[5] Podolak set a new Iowa single-game record with 286 rushing yards on 17 carries against Northwestern.[4] Podolak and defensive back Steve Wilson were the team captains.[6] Podolak was selected as the team's most valuable player.[7]

The team played its home games at Iowa Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Home attendance totaled 294,126, an average of 49,021 per game.[8]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 21No. 8 Oregon State*
W 21–2046,892[9]
September 28at TCU*
L 17–2825,000[10]
October 5No. 5 Notre Dame*
  • Iowa Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
L 28–5158,043
October 12Indiana
  • Iowa Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
L 34–3854,633
October 19Wisconsin
  • Iowa Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA (rivalry)
W 41–045,651
October 26at No. 7 Purdue
L 14–4461,927
November 2at Minnesota
W 35–2857,703
November 9Northwestern
  • Iowa Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
W 68–34
November 16No. 2 Ohio State
  • Iowa Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
L 27–3344,131
November 23at Illinois
W 37–1335,055
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[11]

Game summaries

Oregon State

Oregon State at Iowa
Team 1 234Total
No. 8 Beavers 14 600 20
• Hawkeyes 7 707 21
  • Date: September 21
  • Location: Iowa Stadium
    Iowa City, IA
  • Game attendance: 46,892
Scoring summary
1OSUTD (Arnold kick)OSU 7–0
1OSUTD (Arnold kick)OSU 14–0
1IowaPodolak 2-yard run (Melendez kick)OSU 14–7
2IowaPodolak 10-yard run (Melendez kick)Tied 14–14
28:36OSURich 1-yard run (kick failed)OSU 20–14
4IowaDennis Green run (Melendez kick)Iowa 21–20
See also: 1968 Oregon State Beavers football team

[12]

At TCU

See also: 1968 TCU Horned Frogs football team

Notre Dame

See also: 1968 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

At Purdue

See also: 1968 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Northwestern

Northwestern at Iowa
Team 1 234Total
Wildcats 7 7146 34
• Hawkeyes 14 28719 68
  • Date: November 9
  • Location: Iowa Stadium
    Iowa City, IA
  • Game attendance: 44,876
Scoring summary
1IowaSullivan 3-yard run (Melendez kick)Iowa 7–0
1IowaPodolak 60-yard run (Melendez kick)Iowa 14–0
1NWKurzawski 32-yard pass from Shelbourne (Emmerich kick)Iowa 14–7
2IowaPodolak 32-yard run (Melendez kick)Iowa 21–7
2IowaLawrence 7-yard run (Melendez kick)Iowa 28–7
2IowaSullivan 9-yard run (Melendez kick)Iowa 35–7
2IowaManning 19-yard pass from Cilek (Melendez kick)Iowa 42–7
2NWEmmerich 1-yard run (Emmerich kick)Iowa 42–14
3IowaReardon 95-yard kick return (Melendez kick)Iowa 49–14
3NWSmeeton 1-yard run (Emmerich kick)Iowa 49–21
3NWTD (Emmerich kick)Iowa 49–28
4IowaSullivan 11-yard run (kick failed)Iowa 55–28
4IowaManning 6-yard pass from Cilek (pass failed)Iowa 61–28
4IowaGreen 19-yard pass from Cilek (Melendez kick)Iowa 68–28
4NWEmmerich 3-yard run (pass failed)Iowa 68–34
See also: 1968 Northwestern Wildcats football team

It was a record-setting day for the Hawkeyes. Iowa established a Big Ten record for total offense with 639 yards (431 rushing). Ed Podolak rushed for 286 yards (setting Iowa and Big Ten records) and two touchdowns on 17 carries. His performance still ranks #2 on Iowa's single-game rushing list.[13] [14]

Ohio State

No. 2 Ohio State at Iowa
Team 1 234Total
• No. 2 Buckeyes 6 6147 33
Hawkeyes 0 0621 27
  • Date: November 16
  • Location:
    Kinnick Stadium
    Iowa City, IA
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 44,131
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), Rain, Wind E 12 mph
Scoring summary
Q112:13OSUOtis 7 yard run (kick failed)OSU 6-0
Q26:42OSUKern 3 yard run (pass failed)OSU 12-0
Q310:40OSUOtis 1 yard run (Roman kick)OSU 19-0
Q36:45IOWALawrence 1 yard run (kick failed)OSU 19-6
Q31:19OSUKern 1 yard run (Zelina kick)OSU 26-6
Q48:59IOWAPodolak 3 yard run (Melendez kick)OSU 26-13
Q47:07OSUBrockington 22 yard run (Roman kick)OSU 33-13
Q44:02IOWAManning 12 yard pass from Lawrence (Melendez kick)OSU 33-20
Q4:09IOWAReardon 9 yard pass from Lawrence (Melendez kick)OSU 33-27
See also: 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

At Illinois

See also: 1968 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

After winning only 4 games combined over the previous three seasons, the Hawkeyes earned their 5th victory of the season.[15]

Roster

1968 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 10 Larry Lawrence So
RB 14 Ed Podolak Sr
RB 44 Dennis Green So
WR 22 Kerry Reardon So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K   Marcos Melendez
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured
    • Redshirt

    References

    1. ^ "1968 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
    2. ^ "2022 Iowa Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Iowa. p. 242. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
    3. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 161.
    4. ^ a b 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 151.
    5. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, pp. 278-280.
    6. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 220.
    7. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 222.
    8. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 260.
    9. ^ "Preece hurt, O-State upset by Iowa 21-20". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). September 22, 1968. p. 1B.
    10. ^ "Frogs vault over Iowa". Waco Tribune-Herald. September 29, 1968. Retrieved March 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
    11. ^ "1968 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
    12. ^ "Hawk Sophs Prove Determination Can Be Valued over Experience" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. September 24, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
    13. ^ "Podolak Captures Lead in Big 10 Rushing" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 12, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
    14. ^ "Iowa Sets Mark". The Times (Shreveport). November 10, 1968. p. 39. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
    15. ^ "Seniors Close Careers on a Happy Note" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 26, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
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