The world looked a little different in the fall of 1989.
“Major League”, “Uncle Buck”, and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” were still in the midst of their theatrical runs, Madonna and Michael Jackson were topping the music charts, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures donned the desk of nearly every kid in the neighborhood.
1989 also marks the most recent time the Iowa Hawkeyes have welcomed the Oregon Ducks to Kinnick Stadium. None of the current Hawkeyes were alive to remember that game, a 44-6 Oregon win, but head coach Kirk Ferentz was. Ferentz was Iowa’s offensive line coach back then, and remembers the sound beating the Ducks handed his Hawkeyes on that September day.
“I remember it didn’t go well,” Ferentz said at media availability on Tuesday.
Thirty-six years later, Iowa has the chance to avenge that defeat. It will be far from easy, as Oregon comes in ranked No. 6 in the AP poll and is the defending Big Ten campion. A win could vault the Hawkeyes into the College Football Playoff conversation, while a loss would be another painful reminder of what could have been.
Oregon was a bottom-tier program in the late 1980s, having made just five bowl games in its history prior to a breakthrough 1989 campaign. Ferentz admitted that he and his staff didn’t know much about the Ducks program back then, but his perception has certainly changed today. Oregon has been one of the sport’s premier programs since the early 2000s, winning nine conference titles and appearing in two national championship games.
“They’re really an impressive outfit,” Ferentz said. “There’s a reason they’ve lost two games the last two years. They’re good.”
Beating a national powerhouse like the Ducks seems daunting on paper, but Iowa nearly pulled out a win against current-No.2 Indiana earlier this year. The Hawkeyes had the ball with a chance to take the lead late, but a late field goal miss by Drew Stevens gave the ball back to the Hoosiers, who scored the game-winning touchdown on their next possession to steal the victory.
While Iowa fans expressed frustration with their fourth-year kicker, special teams coordinator LeVar Woods never lost hope in his kicker, saying “I believe in Drew Stevens,” during his bye week press conference days after the Indiana game. Aside from a blocked 66-yard field goal against Penn State, Stevens has missed just one field goal since.
Despite the improved numbers, Stevens isn’t satisfied.
“I’d be lying if I said I was super happy with my performance,” Stevens said.
If there’s any Hawkeye with a reliable history, it would probably be Stevens. The senior has been Iowa’s starting kicker since the third game of his freshman campaign, and even passed legendary kicker Nate Kaeding for most field goals in Iowa history during that Penn State game. The two have had lunch together on several occasions, and Stevens hopes to use the connection to pursue his dream of becoming an NFL kicker.
“Just talking about, just random, technical things,” Stevens said. “I am trying to play at the next level and just the mindset of going from your senior season into, like, potentially an NFL team, and he’s [Kaeding] done it.”
But the opportunity to play in the NFL is still months away. Iowa’s showdown against Oregon is just days from now. For Stevens, the extra week of preparation was chance for a self-evaluation process both on and off the field.
“In terms of a technical standpoint, I can kind of tinker with a few things, maybe not like huge tinkers, but you get to go back and revisit film,” Stevens said.
Can Gronowski keep his historic streak alive?
Gronowski is the only player in college football to score a touchdown in every game this season, which is also the longest all-time streak by a quarterback in Big Ten history. That streak will be put to the test against the Ducks, who boast a strong defense that has allowed just 13.5 points per game this season.
Fourth-year linebacker Bryce Boettcher leads Oregon with a jaw-dropping 63 sacks, and the Ducks have plenty of strong personnel to shut down Gronowski and the Hawkeye offense.
“They’re [Oregon] always trying to make it a little more confusing for the quarterback. Try to give quarterback different looks throughout the game, and we’ll see what they end up doing.
Despite the stiff challenge in front of him, Gronowski is ready for it. The quarterback is no stranger to playing in and winning big games, having won consecutive national championships during his illustrious tenure at South Dakota State.
“This is a game growing up you dream of is playing in as a kid, and I’m looking forward to it, Gronowski said. “It’s going to be a fun game in Kinnick, especially with a sold-out crowd.”
Injury notes
For the first time this season, Ferentz didn’t mention any injuries in his opening statement. The coach was later asked about the status of fourth-year offensive lineman Beau Stephens, who was dinged up in Iowa’s win over Minnesota and was seen entering the medical tent during the game.
Ferentz confirmed Stephens was “good” and that he will play against Oregon.
Game information
Saturday’s game is set for a 2:30 kickoff on CBS, marking Iowa’s second straight game on the network. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will also be on-site, with its morning show taking place from 9-11 at the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City.
Fans are encouraged to show up to the show one-hour early at 8:00 a.m. to eat free food and participate in giveaways.