1978 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

1978 Iowa Hawkeyes football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record2–9 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorLarry Coyer (4th season)
MVPBrad Reid
Captains
  • Jon Lazar
  • Tom Rusk
  • Tim Gutshall
  • Dave Becker
Home stadiumKinnick Stadium
1978 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Michigan + 7 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
No. 12 Michigan State + 7 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
No. 13 Purdue 6 – 1 – 1 9 – 2 – 1
Ohio State 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 1
Minnesota 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Wisconsin 3 – 4 – 2 5 – 4 – 2
Indiana 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
2 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Illinois 0 – 6 – 2 1 – 8 – 2
Northwestern 0 – 8 – 1 0 – 10 – 1
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1978 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 1978 Big Ten football season. In their fifth and final year under head coach Bob Commings, the Hawkeyes compiled a 2–9 record (2–6 in conference games), finished in eighth place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 291 to 125.[1][2]

The 1975 Hawkeyes gained 1,366 rushing yards and 1,083 passing yards. On defense, they gave up 2,054 rushing yards and 1,947 passing yards.[3]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Jeff Green (41-of-103 passing for 556 yards), fullback Jon Lazar (423 rushing yards, 18 receptions for 72 yards), Brad Reid (36 points scored), and linebacker Tom Rusk with 106 total tackles.[4] Lazar, Rusk, linebacker Tim Gutshall, and defensive back Dave Becker were the team captains.[5] Split end Brad Reid (168 rushing yards, 322 receiving yards) was selected as the team's most valuable player.[6]

Two days after the final game of the season, the program's 17th consecutive losing season, Commings was fired. He had compiled a 17–38 record in five years as the Hawkeyes' head football coach.[7] Less than two weeks later, Hayden Fry was introduced as the new head coach.[8]

The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Home attendance totaled 319,289, an average of 53,214 per game.[9]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16Northwestern
W 20–356,840[10][11]
September 23No. 20 Iowa State*
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA (rivalry)
L 0–3160,075[12][13]
September 30at Arizona*
L 3–2346,851[14]
October 7Utah*
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
L 9–1351,170[15]
October 14at Minnesota
L 20–2251,381[16][17]
October 21at Ohio State
L 7–3187,326[18]
October 28No. 17 Purdue
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
L 7–3457,640[19]
November 4No. 8 Michigan
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
L 0–3449,120[20]
November 11at Indiana
L 14–3433,167[21]
November 18Wisconsin
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA (rivalry)
W 38–2444,444[22][23]
November 25at No. 14 Michigan State
L 7–4257,007[24][25]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[26]

Game summaries

Northwestern

Northwestern at Iowa
Team 1 234Total
• Wildcats 7 760 20
Hawkeyes 0 300 3
Scoring summary
1IOWABrad Reid 55-yard pass from Rod Morton (Schilling kick)Iowa 7–0
24:44IOWATodd Simonsen 4-yard fumble return (Schilling kick)Iowa 14–0
2NWNick MirkopulosIowa 14–3
32:15IOWABrad Reid 5-yard run (kick failed)Iowa 20–3
See also: 1978 Northwestern Wildcats football team

[10]

Iowa State

See also: 1978 Iowa State Cyclones football team and Iowa–Iowa State football rivalry

[12]

At Arizona

See also: 1978 Arizona Wildcats football team

Utah

See also: 1978 Utah Utes football team

At Minnesota

See also: 1978 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team and Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry

[16]

At Ohio State

See also: 1978 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

Purdue

Purdue at Iowa
Team 1 234Total
• No. 17 Boilermakers 10 7017 34
Hawkeyes 0 070 7
Scoring summary
1PURSovereen 39-yard field goalPurdue 3–0
1PURPope 11-yard run (Sovereen kick)Purdue 10–0
2PURYoung 25-yard pass from Herrmann (Sovereen kick)Purdue 17–0
3IOWAReid 57-yard run (Schilling kick)Purdue 17–7
4PURBurrell 11-yard pass from Herrmann (Sovereen kick)Purdue 24–7
4PURSovereen 27-yard field goalPurdue 27–7
4PUREubank 3-yard pass from Herrmann (Sovereen kick)Purdue 34–7
See also: 1978 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Michigan

See also: 1978 Michigan Wolverines football team

At Indiana

See also: 1978 Indiana Hoosiers football team

Wisconsin

See also: 1978 Wisconsin Badgers football team and Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry

[22]

At Michigan State

See also: 1978 Michigan State Spartans football team

[24]

Roster

1978 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB   Bobby Commings Jr. So
QB 12 Pete Gales Fr
C 54 Jay Hilgenberg So
FB 44 Jon Lazar Sr
RB   Rod Morton Jr
RB 18 Dennis Mosley Jr
WR 87 Brad Reid Jr
QB 16 Phil Suess So
TE   Jim Swift Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB   Dave Becker Sr
DL 97 Doug Benschoter Sr
LB   Tim Gutshall Sr
LB 47 Tom Rusk Sr
DE 45 Steve Vazquez Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K   Scott Schilling So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

1979 NFL draft

Main article: 1979 NFL draft
Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Tom Rusk LB 9 227 New York Giants

[27]

References

  1. ^ "1978 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  2. ^ "2022 Iowa Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Iowa. p. 242. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  3. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 161.
  4. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, pp. 278-280.
  5. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 220.
  6. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 222.
  7. ^ Steve Nemeth (November 28, 1978). "The ax falls for 'fighter' Commings" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. p. 1. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  8. ^ Steve Nemeth (December 11, 1978). "Hayden Fry named head coach" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. p. 1. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  9. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide, p. 260.
  10. ^ a b "Iowa tops Northwestern, 20-3" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. September 18, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  11. ^ "Tricky Hawkeyes rip Northwestern". The Pantagraph. September 17, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b "Cyclones stun Hawkeyes" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. September 25, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  13. ^ "Sub quarterback sinks Hawkeyes". The Rock Island Argus. September 24, 1978. Retrieved October 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Arizona tramples Hawks". The Des Moines Register. October 1, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Lightly regarded Ute QB stings Iowa". The Sioux City Journal. October 8, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b "Hawkeyes'second half explosion falls short, 22-20" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. October 16, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  17. ^ "Gophers beat Iowa, 22–20". The Pantagraph. October 15, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Hayes dots I: Bucks club Iowa". Springfield News-Sun. October 22, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Purdue shows Iowa why it leads Big 10". Argus-Leader. October 29, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Curt Sylvester (November 5, 1978). "U-M puts the squeeze on Iowa, 34–0: Rick Leach passes for 191 yards, 2 touchdowns". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1E, 6E – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Even Iowa's rushing defense fizzles 34–14". The Gazette. November 12, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ a b "Iowa rolls past Badgers, 38-24" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 20, 1978. p. 7. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  23. ^ "Iowa stuns Wisconsin". The Sioux City Journal. November 19, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b "Michigan State explodes against Iowa in finale" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 27, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  25. ^ "Spartans' offense destroys Hawkeyes". The Daily Nonpareil. November 26, 1978. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "1978 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  27. ^ "1979 NFL Draft". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
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