Few teams have sustained the success that the Iowa Hawkeyes have over the last decade. Winning seasons, bowl trips, and a ton of wins to their name do not protect them from the inevitable.
Regardless of your wins and other successes, there are villains to every team that are their kryptonite for one reason or another. The Hawkeyes have met a handful of villains who have taken them down in important moments, had their number throughout their career, or changed the course of an entire season.
Advertisement
Check out the biggest villains of the Iowa Hawkeyes of the last decade.
LJ Scott, Michigan State RB
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) dives in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Big Ten Conference football championship game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The memorable, or rather unforgettable to Iowa fans, drive by Michigan State to end Iowa’s College Football Playoff bid and perfect record was capped off by the biggest villain Iowa has dealt with this decade.
The 22-play drive that lasted 9:04 ended dramatically. Spartans’ back LJ Scott was initially stopped behind the line of scrimmage at the three-yard line and then met by two more Iowa defenders at the two-yard line. After what looked like the play was going to be a Hawkeyes’ stop, Scott spun towards the goal line to extend the ball over the goal line to put the Spartans up 16-13.
The play ended Iowa’s perfect record, stopped their closest run to the College Football Playoff, and will live in infamy for Iowa fans.
David Bell, Purdue WR
Oct 16, 2021; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell (3) in action against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Forget Jerry Rice, David Bell against the Iowa Hawkeyes may be the single greatest wide receiver to walk this planet. What David Bell did to Iowa in his three games needs to be studied.
In 2019, he registered 13 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. In 2020, he tallied 13 receptions for 121 yards and three touchdowns. In 2021, Bell added another 11 catches for 240 yards and a touchdown. In total, the Purdue wide receiver eviscerated the Iowa defense for 37 receptions, 558 yards, and 5 touchdowns in his career, which surely gives defensive coordinator Phil Parker nightmares.
Punt return penalties
Oct 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; A referee signals for a touchdown on a late punt return by Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) as wide receiver Jacob Bostick (7) reacts against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. The touchdown was called back after a replay review due to a fair catch signal by DeJean. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest “what if” in Iowa football history fell to the fate of a subjective call from a group of referees who wiped away one of the greatest plays in Kinnick Stadium and Iowa football history.
Advertisement
Late in the fourth, trailing 12-10, Iowa legend Cooper DeJean fielded a bouncing punt amid a group of Golden Gophers. He scampered up the sideline, made a cut back to green grass, and sent Kinnick into a frenzy with what felt like a game-winning punt return.
Until it didn’t. The booth buzzed in and sent the play to review. DeJean’s pointing to the ball was deemed an illegal fair catch motion and ultimately wiped away the play, which will still live in Iowa lore forever.
Trey Palmer, Nebraska WR
Nov 25, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Trey Palmer (3) catches a touchdown in the first quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyesat Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Trey Palmer only played the villain once against the Hawkeyes, but he did it in extremely dramatic fashion with everything that was on the line. Iowa entered the season finale needing a win against the lowly Cornhuskers to advance to the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis.
Everyone felt good about the matchup, but Trey Palmer had other things to say. The Nebraska wide receiver went off against Iowa to the tune of 9 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns to stun a packed Kinnick and end the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten hopes in stone-cold fashion.
Premier running backs
Jan 1, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) scores on a 75-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2016 Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl. Stanford defeated Iowa 45-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa has met two of the NFL’s best running backs in the last decade in Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley. Neither has been kind to the Hawkeyes in their matchups.
Advertisement
Christian McCaffrey met Iowa once, and it happened to be in the Rose Bowl, which was unceremoniously started by him, creasing the Iowa defense on a reception right down the heart of the defense to start the 45-16 dismantling early. He ended the day with 18 carries for 172 yards, four receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown, and a 63-yard punt return touchdown.
A more regular Big Ten back Iowa could not contain was Saquon Barkley. In two games against the Hawkeyes, the Penn State back was unstoppable. Barkley went for 20 carries, 167 yards, a touchdown, 44 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown in a 41-14 victory in 2016. He chased that performance in a 2017 21-19 win by rushing for 211 yards, two touchdowns, plus 12 receptions for 94 yards.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Biggest villains to Iowa football over the last decade
