| Year: | 1939 |
| Team: | Iowa Hawkeyes |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Aprank: | 9 |
| Record: | 6–1–1 |
| Conf Record: | 4–1–1 |
| Head Coach: | Eddie Anderson |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Mvp: | Nile Kinnick |
| Stadium: | Iowa Stadium |
The 1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1939 Big Ten Conference football season. The team, nicknamed the Ironmen, was coached by Eddie Anderson and was led on the field by halfback Nile Kinnick.
Iowa was ranked at No. 26 (out of 609 teams) in the final Litkenhous Ratings for 1939.[1]
Iowa football was clearly struggling as 1939 began. In fact, the entire Iowa athletic department was in poor financial shape. The Great Depression had greatly impacted the small farming state, and Iowa's athletic receipts sharply declined throughout the 1930s. The debt on Iowa Stadium, which was built in 1929, grew by the year. The Hawkeyes had finished among the worst three teams in the Big Ten standings every year in the 1930s except 1933. Iowa had won just one Big Ten game in the last three years, and the team they beat, Chicago, announced that they would be dropping their football program following the 1939 season. Chicago soon withdrew from the Big Ten Conference.
After compiling a 2–13–1 record in two years at Iowa, head football coach Irl Tubbs was fired. Iowa athletic director E. G. Schroeder tried to inject some life into the program by hiring Dr. Eddie Anderson of Holy Cross. Anderson, a Mason City, Iowa native, played and coached under Knute Rockne at Notre Dame. He was the 1921 Notre Dame team captain, and Notre Dame went 28–1 in Anderson's last three years as a player. Ironically, the lone loss was to the 1921 Hawkeyes.
Around 85 players arrived for spring practice in 1939. About fifty of them did not return in the fall. Anderson installed a complicated new offense and conducted rigorous practices. The 1939 Hawkeye team would be severely lacking in depth. Anderson felt the Hawks could still be a good team in 1939, but only if the starters played significant minutes. A coach brought in temporarily to help with Iowa's spring practice was quoted as saying when he left, "Among 5000 male students at the University of Iowa, there are only five real football players."
Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Ohio State were the Big Ten favorites for the 1939 season, while many sportswriters liked Purdue. Notre Dame was also highly ranked nationally. Iowa was picked at the bottom of the Big Ten.
Before the season, Iowa's best player appeared to be Nile Kinnick. Kinnick was an all-Big Ten selection as a sophomore, when he led the nation in punting average, but he struggled through an injury-riddled junior season. As a result, end Erwin Prasse, an all-Big Ten selection in 1938, was elected as the team captain of the 1939 Hawkeyes. However, Kinnick had recovered from his injuries and was ready for a standout senior season.
# || Name || Position || Year || Hometown|-| 10 || Lawrence Ely || Guard || Sophomore || Des Moines, Iowa|-| 11 || Gerald Ankeny || Quarterback || Sophomore || Dixon, Illinois|-| 12 || Floyd Dean || Halfback || Senior || Atlantic, Iowa|-| 14 || Bruno Andruska || Center || Junior || Chicago, Illinois|-| 16 || Jack Edling || Center || Junior || Moorhead, Minnesota|-| 19 || George Frye || Center || Sophomore || Albia, Iowa|-| 20 || Edwin McLain || Halfback || Senior || Wauwatosa, Wisconsin|-| 21 || Jens Norgaard || End || Junior || Iowa City, Iowa|-| 23 || Carl Conrad || Tackle || Junior || Fonda, Iowa|-| 24 || Nile Kinnick || Halfback || Senior || Adel, Iowa|-| 25 || William Gallagher || Quarterback || Junior || Oskaloosa, Iowa|-| 27 || Charles Tollefson || Guard || Junior || Elk Point, South Dakota|-| 29 || William Diehl || Center || Sophomore || Cedar Rapids, Iowa|-| 30 || Albert Couppee || Quarterback || Sophomore || Council Bluffs, Iowa|-| 31 || James Robert Otto || Tackle || Sophomore || Fort Dodge, Iowa|-| 33 || Mike Enich ||Tackle|| Junior || Boone, Iowa|-| 35 || Richard Evans || End || Senior || Chicago, Illinois|-| 37 || Captain Erwin Prasse || End || Senior || Chicago, Illinois|-| 39 || Ken Pettit || End || Junior || Logan, Iowa|-| 43 || William Green || Fullback || Sophomore || Newton, Iowa |-| 44 || Wallace Bergstrom || Tackle || Sophomore || Winfield, Iowa|-| 45 || Robert Kelley || Tackle || Sophomore || Sioux City, Iowa|-| 49 || Henry Vollenweider || Fullback || Sophomore || Dubuque, Iowa|-| 50 || Burdell Gilleard || Halfback || Sophomore || New London, Iowa|-| 52 || Herman Snider || Guard || Junior || Iowa City, Iowa|-| 55 || Fred Smith || End || Senior || Cedar Rapids, Iowa|-| 60 || Russell Busk || Halfback || Senior || Clinton, Iowa|-| 63 || James Walker || Tackle || Sophomore || South Bend, Indiana|-| 64 || Max Hawkins || Guard || Junior || Philadelphia, Mississippi|-| 65 || Joseph Moore || End || Senior || Ida Grove, Iowa|-| 68 || Roger Pettit || Halfback || Sophomore || Logan, Iowa|-| 69 || James Murphy || Fullback || Junior || Great Neck, New York|-| 88 || Henry Luebcke || Guard || Junior || Chicago, Illinois|}Game summariesSouth DakotaAfter a few uneventful series, Iowa got its first touchdown of the year on a 65-yard touchdown run by Kinnick. The Hawkeyes broke the game open in the second quarter, as Kinnick scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in the period. Coach Anderson pulled many of his starters at halftime, but Vollenweider returned the second half kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Anderson, upset with the futility of the offense in the second half, reinserted Kinnick into the lineup with less than a minute remaining in the game. Kinnick quickly led Iowa down the field and passed for the touchdown, his fifth of the game.
IndianaIndiana jumped out to a quick 10–0 lead, but a 73-yard Kinnick punt changed field position to lead to Iowa's first touchdown. Kinnick then used a 55-yard run to set up Iowa's second touchdown. Prasse caught his second touchdown pass of the game to give Iowa 20 unanswered points, but Indiana countered with a touchdown pass of their own just before halftime. Indiana dominated play in the third period, taking a nine-point lead. Diehl got a crucial interception to stop another Indiana drive early in the fourth period, and Iowa responded with an 11 play drive to cut Indiana's lead to 3 points. Green came up with an interception that gave Iowa the ball in Indiana territory. Iowa advanced to the Indiana ten-yard line, but the Hoosiers drove Iowa five yards back in three plays to bring up fourth and goal from the fifteen. Rather than attempt a game-tying field goal with minutes to play, Iowa went for the win and got it, as Kinnick fired his third touchdown pass to Prasse.
MichiganAn early Kinnick touchdown pass was not enough for the Hawks, as Michigan scored the last 27 points of the game. Iowa outgained the Wolverines by over 100 yards, but turnovers and special teams woes doomed the Hawkeyes to their only defeat of the season. Kinnick fumbled a Michigan punt, which set up Michigan's game tying score. An Iowa drive to the Michigan 12-yard line was halted when Harmon intercepted a Kinnick pass attempt for Prasse in end zone. A long punt return led to Michigan's second score, and Kinnick's only blocked punt of the season gave Michigan position for a third touchdown. Iowa's best field position of the second half saw Iowa with the ball at the Michigan 18-yard line. Tom Harmon sealed the game for Michigan when he snatched Kinnick's pass for the end zone and returned it 90 yards for the Wolverines' fourth touchdown.
WisconsinIowa had yielded 34 unanswered points going back to the Michigan game after Wisconsin scored the game's opening touchdown. But Kinnick returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to the Wisconsin 35-yard line, and the Hawkeyes responded with a touchdown of their own. Iowa's missed extra point gave Wisconsin a one-point halftime advantage. Iowa briefly pulled ahead on a Kinnick touchdown pass before Wisconsin drove 79 yards to reclaim the lead at 13–12. A Dean interception early in the final period gave Kinnick the opportunity to complete another game-clinching, fourth-quarter touchdown. Hawkins and Dean each intercepted passes late to cut off Badger rallies.
PurdueThe Boilermakers had practiced all week to shut down Kinnick's passing, and Purdue's Jack Brown intercepted four Kinnick passes in the game. Iowa had an apparent touchdown negated by a false start on Ken Pettit in the first half, and turnovers killed the other Iowa drives. A fumble ended Purdue's only serious scoring threat of a scoreless first half. The defensive struggle continued until early in the fourth quarter, when Iowa forced a punt deep in Purdue territory. Enich blocked the kick, and Prasse recovered to give Iowa field position. Though Iowa turned the ball over on downs, the Hawkeyes soon forced another Purdue punt, this time from Purdue's end zone. A bobbled snap allowed Iowa to tackle Brown for the safety and the game's first points. A Kinnick punt late in the fourth quarter pinned Purdue deep in their own territory, and Iowa again forced Purdue to punt from their own end zone. Enich came crashing through the line for his second blocked punt of the game, and Brown recovered it in the end zone for another Iowa safety. Iowa then ran out the clock on one of the most bizarre final scores in Hawkeye football history.
Notre DameBoth teams played very conservatively in the first half, as the teams punted back and forth. Toward the end of the second quarter, Kinnick made a touchdown saving tackle on a Notre Dame run at the Notre Dame 41-yard line. On the next play, a Notre Dame pass was intercepted by Kinnick at the Iowa 45-yard line, and Kinnick dodged several tacklers to return the ball 20 yards with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. On the next play, Kinnick fired a pass for Dean in the end zone, but it was intercepted by Steve Sitko at the goal line. Sitko returned the ball for a few yards before being hit hard by Andruska, forcing a fumble. Dean and Evans recovered at the Notre Dame 4-yard line. Rushes by Kinnick and Dean for no gain brought up third down, and Notre Dame called a time out. Kinnick shifted to right halfback on third down and carried the ball over the goal line for the touchdown with forty seconds remaining in the half. Kinnick added the extra point under a heavy rush to give Iowa a 7–0 halftime lead. Most of the third quarter, like the first half, was just a long exchange of punts. But late in the period, Notre Dame put together their best sustained drive of the game. The third quarter ended with the Irish on the Iowa 10-yard line. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Notre Dame rushed ahead for the touchdown. But the critical extra point attempt missed wide left, and the Hawkeyes still held a one-point lead. Iowa's defense continued for force punts from the Notre Dame offense, while Kinnick's booming punts kept Notre Dame on the other side of the field. With under two minutes remaining in the game, Kinnick's 16th punt of the game traveled 63 yards and rolled out of bounds at the Notre Dame 6-yard line, effectively sealing the Iowa victory.
MinnesotaMinnesota missed a field goal in the first period, and Sonny Franck intercepted a Kinnick pass in Minnesota territory to end Iowa's first scoring threat. Minnesota converted in the second quarter on their second field goal try of the game, and Harold Van Every made a spectacular one-handed interception of a Kinnick pass deep in Gopher territory late in the first half to keep Iowa scoreless at halftime. A Minnesota punt pinned the Hawkeyes at their own four-yard line in the third quarter, and a 20-yard return of the ensuing Iowa punt gave the Gophers the ball at Iowa's 28-yard line. A series of running plays brought up fourth and goal from the Iowa six-yard line. Franck rushed toward the end zone, and officials ruled that Franck narrowly crossed the goal line, despite Iowa's protests. The controversial touchdown gave Minnesota a nine-point lead. But Kinnick rallied Iowa again. Early in the fourth quarter, Kinnick led Iowa on a quick five play, 79-yard drive for a touchdown to cut the Minnesota lead to two points. With five minutes remaining, Iowa took over possession at their own 21-yard line. After a few plays, Kinnick threw an interception, but Minnesota was flagged for interference, giving Iowa the ball at midfield. Three plays later, Kinnick threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Green with three minutes left in the game. Minnesota's final threat was eliminated when Kinnick came up with an interception at midfield.
NorthwesternIowa spent most of the first half in Northwestern territory, but five first half fumbles, including one at the Northwestern 3-yard line, stopped all Hawkeye scoring threats. A 74-yard Northwestern punt changed field position, and Northwestern put together a good drive late in the first half. The Wildcats scored on a touchdown run with twenty seconds remaining in the first half to take a seven-point halftime lead. Northwestern's third quarter drives were stopped by turnovers, but Iowa could not capitalize on many of them as Kinnick left the game with a separated shoulder. Enich recovered a Wildcat fumble, Northwestern's third turnover of the period, at the Iowa 22-yard line to give Iowa good field position going into the fourth quarter. Northwestern was called for interference on Prasse on a fourth down pass into the end zone, giving Iowa field position to score the game-tying touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Wildcats were able to drive to the Iowa goal line. But an Enich tackle stopped Northwestern for no gain on fourth and goal inside the Iowa one-yard line. Northwestern later missed a desperation field goal, and Iowa ran out the clock to end the game with a 7–7 tie.
Postseason
References
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