The 1986 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 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their eighth year under head coach Hayden Fry, the Hawkeyes compiled a 9–3 record (5–3 in conference games), tied for third place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 352 to 176. The Hawekeys defeated No. 17 Michigan State, but lost to No. 4 Michigan and No. 17 Ohio State. They concluded the season with a victory over San Diego State in the 1986 Holiday Bowl. They were ranked No. 15 in the final UPI poll and No. 16 in the final AP poll.
The team's statistical leaders were quarterback Mark Vlasic with 1,234 passing yards, running back Rick Bayless with 1,040 rushing yards, and wide receiver Jim Mauro with 28 receptions for 581 yards. Offensive tackle Dave Croston received first-team honors on the 1986 All-America college football team. Five Iowa players received first-team honors on the 1986 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Croston (AP-1, UPI-1); running back Rick Bayless (AP-1); guard Bob Kratch (UPI-1); and linebackers Jeff Drost (AP-1, UPI-1) and Dave Haight (AP-1).
The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries Iowa State
Source: Box Score and Game Story
IOWA: Hudson 20 Rush, 120 Yds IOWA: Mauro 5 Rec, 149 Yds The victory over Iowa State was Hayden Fry's 53rd at Iowa, making him the winningest coach in Iowa history. Jim Mauro had three receiving touchdowns and Rob Houghtlin kicked three field goals to lead the Hawks. The Hawkeye defense limited Iowa State to 125 yards of total offense.
Northern Illinois
Source: Box Score
Three Iowa running backs scored two touchdowns each as the Hawkeyes dominated the Huskies in this quick-moving game. For the second straight week, Iowa's opponent scored with just over a minute remaining in the game to avoid a shutout. Iowa held Northern Illinois to 159 yards of total offense.
UTEP
Source: Box Score
Three Hawkeyes scored two touchdowns each and the Iowa defense gave up just 150 yards in this route of UTEP.
Michigan State
Source: Box Score and Game Story
Wisconsin
Source: Box Score and Game Story
IOWA: Bass 22 Rush, 107 Yds
Michigan
Source: Box Score and Game Story
Northwestern
Source: Box Score and Game Story
Ohio State
Source: Box Score
Illinois
Source: Box Score and Game Story
Purdue
Source: Box Score and Game Story
Minnesota
Source: Box Score and Game Story
IOWA: Mauro 6 Rec, 100 Yds
Holiday Bowl
Roster
Statistics Team statistics. On offense, the Hawkeyes gained an average of 228.1 passing yards and 192.6 rushing yards per game. They led the Big Ten with an average of 32.6 points per game. On defense, they gave up an average of 172.9 passing yards and 102.6 rushing yards per game. They ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring defense, giving up an average of 17.8 points per game.
Passing. Quarterback duties were shared between Mark Vlasic and Tom Poholsky. Vlasic completed 93 of 152 passes (61.2%) for 1,234 yards, nine touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 143.7 passer rating. Poholsky completed 64 of 123 passes (52.0%) for 980 yards, five touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a 119.4 passer rating.
Rushing. Rick Bayless led the team with 1,040 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 197 carries, an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Bayless' 1,040 yards ranked second in the Big Ten. He was the third player in Iowa history to rush for 1,000 yards and the fourth to lead the team in both rushing and pass receptions. His 87-yard touchdown run against Northern Illinois was the fourth longest scoring run in school history.
David Hudson ranked second with 468 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 64 carries.
Receiving. Bayless also led the team with 30 receptions for 209 yards. Jim Mauro led in receiving yardage with 580 yards on 28 carries and five receiving touchdowns.
Scoring. Kicker Rob Houghtlin led the team with 81 points scored, converting 37 of 39 extra points and 13 of 20 field goals. Rick Bayless ranked second with 66 points on 11 touchdowns.
Awards and honors Offensive tackle Dave Croston received first-team honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and The Sporting News on the 1986 All-America college football team. He also received second team honors from the United Press International (UPI) and the Gannett News Service.
Junior running back Rick Bayless, who enrolled as a walk-on with no scholarship, received Iowa's Roy J. Carver most valuable player.
Five Iowa players received first-team honors on the 1986 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Croston (AP-1, UPI-1); Bayless (AP-1); guard Bob Kratch (UPI-1); defensive linemen Jeff Drost (AP-1, UPI-1) and Dave Haight (AP-1).Ten
1987 NFL draft
Chris Gambol Tackle3 58 Indianapolis Colts Dave Croston Tackle 3 61 Green Bay Packers Mark Vlasic Quarterback 4 88 San Diego Chargers Jeff Drost Defensive tackle 8 198 Green Bay Packers
References