A win against Stanford will take a masterful performance for Iowa.

By Ryan Rodriguez
[email protected]

With Iowa football back in the national spotlight after a historic 12-0 run in the regular season and a trip to the Big Ten Championship against Michigan State, the Hawkeyes are hoping their season ends on a higher note than it did against the Spartans Dec. 5.

Playing in its first Rose Bowl since 1991, No. 5 Iowa will go for its first win in Pasadena since knocking off Cal way back in 1959. The Hawkeyes will play a team they’ve never faced — Stanford.

As was the case against the Spartans, the Hawks will have to prepare for a team that looks a lot like they do.

“It’s been 30 years almost on the button since the last time I was there,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “So to finally get that invitation and have a chance to play is really exciting for us.”

Ferentz was the offensive line coach during Iowa’s two trips to Pasadena in the 1980s, losing to Washington in 1982 and UCLA in 1986. Another trip in 1991 yielded a similar result, with the Hawks falling to Washington, 46-34. 

This time it will be the Cardinal standing between Ferentz and Iowa’s first Rose Bowl victory in 57 years. While the Hawkeyes have not fared well against Pac-12 competition  in this game, Stanford is in many ways not your typical Pac-12 competition.

“Ever since [Stanford head coach] David Shaw has taken over, they’ve been a quality football team,” Ferentz said. “They’re an excellent team, and an excellent program that’s traditionally always been that way.”

For playing in a conference that utilizes pass-happy, spread-style offenses, Stanford runs the ball as hard as any team in the nation. 

Led by star running back Christian McCaffery, Stanford punched in more rushing touchdowns than any other team in the Pac 12 this season with 32.

Part of that was McCaffery, but a lot of that credit also falls on the Cardinal offensive line, which has been one of the most impressive in all of college football.

Led by former five-star recruit Kyle Murphy, Stanford has dominated the competition in the trenches, allowing the second-fewest sacks of any Pac-12 team with 19. 

“They were actually my other choice of where I would have gone if I wouldn’t have come to Iowa,” center Austin Blythe said. “I visited a couple of times and even stayed with David DeCastro. They’ve obviously been very good at developing linemen.”

Add in a quarterback in Kevin Hogan who is effective as both a pocket-passer and on his feet, and this is all starting to sound very familiar. 

To beat Stanford, Iowa is going to have to beat a better version of itself. Better in terms of pedigree, at least.

If Michigan State was Iowa with a higher level of recruiting, much the same could be said for Stanford. A similar style combined with a roster full of four- and five-star recruits overtook Iowa with just under a minute to go in Indianapolis.

In order for that outcome to change, the Hawks will have to be the best version of themselves.

“We’re playing a great opponent,” safety Jordan Lomax said. “It should be a great time.”