Back when Iowa was tough is on BTN

[atemp]

1990 vs. Michigan....too bad most people 25 and under think that Drew Tate is the best Iowa player ever.

Melvin Foster, John Derby, Leroy Smith, Jim Johnson, Matt Ruhland, Ron Geater, Brian Wise, Merton Hanks, Mike Devlin, Danan Hughes, Nick Bell, Tony Stewart.....T U F F.....

now Iowa Football = thugs and softies.

[Dolomitey]

Don't have to be too old to remember Bob Sanders.

[PipeDaddy]

Don't have to be too old to remember Bob Sanders.

True, but the physical toughness and demeanor that the Hawks had in the recent past sure seems like light years ago right now.

[atemp]

Don't have to be too old to remember Bob Sanders.

True, but the physical toughness and demeanor that the Hawks had in the recent past sure seems like light years ago right now.

....in addition, Iowa had players like these guys almost every year from 1981 through 1991. Bob Sanders, Gallery, and Roth seem like an anomaly for a two or three year period.

...Iowa use to roll out people like Mark Bortz, Hilgenbergs, Alt, Tippett, Mel Cole, Jeff Drost, Joe Mott, Dave and Mike Haight, Dave Crosten, Hallstrom, Sistrunk, Ken Sims...for a decade.

[Verbal]

1984, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998

Those tough guys sure had their share of mediocre to awful seasons. A few great ones sprinkled in there, for sure. Not so very different than where the program is now, really.

[atemp]

1984, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998

Those tough guys sure had their share of mediocre to awful seasons. A few great ones sprinkled in there, for sure. Not so very different than where the program is now, really.

1984 Iowa team was very good, they lost their last two games and tied Wisconsin because Ronnie Harmon broke his leg and Chuck Long was hurt vs. Michigan State...didn't play until the second half....oh and that team finished 8-4-1 if that's mediocre to awful, what's 6-6, 6-7, and 7-5?

The program was a lot more consistent from 1979-1988 than 1999-2008. Iowa's teams in 1986 and 1987 would've been New Year's Day teams (just a little bit better than Iowa's 7-5 team a few years back) if the current setup that was in place now had been in affect.

Also,

Hayden Fry's first 9 years: 71-36 (107 games 66% winning pct.)
Kirk Ferentz's first 9 years: 61-49 (110 games 55%)

...10 more wins in three less games, I'd say his teams were tougher.

[FrankDrebin]

1984, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998

Those tough guys sure had their share of mediocre to awful seasons. A few great ones sprinkled in there, for sure. Not so very different than where the program is now, really.

1984 Iowa team was very good, they lost their last two games and tied Wisconsin because Ronnie Harmon broke his leg and Chuck Long was hurt vs. Michigan State...didn't play until the second half....oh and that team finished 8-4-1 if that's mediocre to awful, what's 6-6, 6-7, and 7-5?

The program was a lot more consistent from 1979-1988 than 1999-2008. Iowa's teams in 1986 and 1987 would've been New Year's Day teams (just a little bit better than Iowa's 7-5 team a few years back) if the current setup that was in place now had been in affect.

Also,

Hayden Fry's first 9 years: 71-36 (107 games 66% winning pct.)
Kirk Ferentz's first 9 years: 61-49 (110 games 55%)

...10 more wins in three less games, I'd say his teams were tougher.

Very true. However, what sticks in the mind of a lot of fans is 89-97. Some good teams, a couple great teams. Some teams that had a hard time finding what direction the goal line was on offense.

[PipeDaddy]

1984, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998

Those tough guys sure had their share of mediocre to awful seasons. A few great ones sprinkled in there, for sure. Not so very different than where the program is now, really.

1984 Iowa team was very good, they lost their last two games and tied Wisconsin because Ronnie Harmon broke his leg and Chuck Long was hurt vs. Michigan State...didn't play until the second half....oh and that team finished 8-4-1 if that's mediocre to awful, what's 6-6, 6-7, and 7-5?

The program was a lot more consistent from 1979-1988 than 1999-2008. Iowa's teams in 1986 and 1987 would've been New Year's Day teams (just a little bit better than Iowa's 7-5 team a few years back) if the current setup that was in place now had been in affect.

Also,

Hayden Fry's first 9 years: 71-36 (107 games 66% winning pct.)
Kirk Ferentz's first 9 years: 61-49 (110 games 55%)

...10 more wins in three less games, I'd say his teams were tougher.

Very true. However, what sticks in the mind of a lot of fans is 89-97. Some good teams, a couple great teams. Some teams that had a hard time finding what direction the goal line was on offense.

A solid offensive line made a lot of the teams, no doubt about it. It's hard to get things to come together though at a school like Iowa. How good would the team have been during the Dwight/Shaw/Banks years if they had had a decent QB?

[atemp]

1984, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998

Those tough guys sure had their share of mediocre to awful seasons. A few great ones sprinkled in there, for sure. Not so very different than where the program is now, really.

1984 Iowa team was very good, they lost their last two games and tied Wisconsin because Ronnie Harmon broke his leg and Chuck Long was hurt vs. Michigan State...didn't play until the second half....oh and that team finished 8-4-1 if that's mediocre to awful, what's 6-6, 6-7, and 7-5?

The program was a lot more consistent from 1979-1988 than 1999-2008. Iowa's teams in 1986 and 1987 would've been New Year's Day teams (just a little bit better than Iowa's 7-5 team a few years back) if the current setup that was in place now had been in affect.

Also,

Hayden Fry's first 9 years: 71-36 (107 games 66% winning pct.)
Kirk Ferentz's first 9 years: 61-49 (110 games 55%)

...10 more wins in three less games, I'd say his teams were tougher.

Very true. However, what sticks in the mind of a lot of fans is 89-97. Some good teams, a couple great teams. Some teams that had a hard time finding what direction the goal line was on offense.

Understandable, and Hayden probably stuck around a little bit longer than he should have. The one thing that sticks out from Hayden's first ten years though, is how active and energetic he was on the sideline, the Ferentz staff right now has the same personality, passive. Hayden had great staffs, but he was always in charge. Think when Hayden needed the staff more as he aged (mid 90's onward), it wasn't there...