| 2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Outback Bowl champion | |
Outback Bowl, W 37–17 vs. Florida | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 8 |
| AP | No. 8 |
| Record | 10–3 (5–3 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Ken O'Keefe (5th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Norm Parker (5th season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| MVP | Robert Gallery Bob Sanders |
| Captain | Robert Gallery Howard Hodges Nate Kaeding Fred Russell Bob Sanders |
| Home stadium | Kinnick Stadium (Capacity: 70,397)[2] |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Michigan $ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Ohio State % | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Purdue | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Iowa | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Minnesota | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. Following a 2002 season that saw the Hawkeyes finish 11–2 with a Big Ten Conference championship, expectations for a third straight bowl game were well warranted.[3] With four offensive starters and seven defensive starters returning from the 2002 season, the Hawkeyes looked to be a primarily defensive team going into the season.[3]
The Hawkeyes opened the season strong, winning games over Miami (OH), Buffalo, Iowa State and Arizona State en route to a 4–0 record.[4] Undefeated and ranked ninth in the country, the Hawkeyes headed into East Lansing, Michigan for their Big Ten opener.[5] Playing a Michigan State Spartans team that had just beaten Notre Dame a week earlier, the Hawkeyes turned the ball over four times and committed ten penalties in a 20–10 loss.[5] However, with Michigan next up on the schedule, things would get no easier for the Hawkeyes. Before the game, Michigan held a 37–9–4 lead in the series between the two teams.[6]
Down by 14 in the first quarter for the second straight game,[7] the Hawkeyes came back to take a 30–20 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Michigan threatened the Iowa lead late, but the Hawkeyes held on for the 30–27 victory.[8] After the victory, Iowa lost on the road to Ohio State, but followed with home wins over Illinois and Penn State. With a loss to Purdue, Iowa's record was 7–3 with two regular season games remaining.[4] Playing against Minnesota and the Big Ten's top-ranked offense, the Hawkeyes scored 33 points before the Gophers scored a touchdown.[9]
Following the 40–22 victory, the Hawkeyes fell behind unranked Wisconsin 21–7 during the second quarter. Needing a pass deflection in the end zone by Sean Considine with no time remaining, the Hawkeyes scored 20 straight points and escaped with a 27–21 win and a 9–3 regular season record.[10] Playing in the 2004 Outback Bowl on January 1, 2004, the Hawkeyes won their first game in the state of Florida with a 37–17 victory over the Florida Gators. The win was also Iowa's first in the month of January since 1959.[11]
- ^ "Kirk Ferentz". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ "Kinnick Stadium". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ a b "Iowa Hawkeyes 2003 Preview". SI.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2003. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ a b "Iowa 2003 Football Schedule/Results". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ a b "Iowa vs. Michigan State". USA Today. September 27, 2003. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ "Iowa Returns Home to Host Michigan on Homecoming". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. September 29, 2003. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ^ "No. 19 Iowa 30, No. 9 Michigan 27". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. October 4, 2003. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
- ^ "Michigan vs. Iowa". USA Today. October 4, 2003. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
- ^ "Minnesota vs. Iowa". USA Today. November 15, 2003. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
- ^ "Iowa vs. Wisconsin". USA Today. April 22, 2003. Retrieved October 19, 2003.
- ^ "Iowa vs. Florida". USA Today. January 1, 2004. Retrieved October 19, 2007.