The 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 2004 college football season. They played their home games in Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz. Finishing the 2003 season with a 10–3 record and an Outback Bowl victory, the Hawkeyes began the season 2–0 with wins over Kent State and Iowa State. But after rocky performances at Arizona State and Michigan, the Hawkeyes sat at 2–2 going into their game with Michigan State.
The Hawkeyes handily defeated the Spartans 38–16, and turned their attention to Ohio State, a team whom the Hawkeyes had not beaten at home since 1983. Behind a strong defensive performance that allowed only 177 yards, the Hawkeyes easily defeated the Buckeyes by 26 points, the largest margin of victory over Ohio State in Iowa history. However, tragedy struck soon thereafter, when head coach Kirk Ferentz's father died. In the emotional game that ensued, the Hawkeyes narrowly defeated Penn State 6–4 on two Kyle Schlicher field goals.
The Hawkeyes then raised their record to 8–2 with victories over Illinois, Purdue, and Minnesota. With a share of the Big Ten championship on the line, the Hawkeyes met Wisconsin in the final regular season game of the year. Iowa won the game, and thousands of Hawkeye fans swarmed the field in celebration. Several weeks following the victory, Iowa accepted a bid to play the LSU Tigers in the 2005 Capital One Bowl.
In a game that was originally thought to be a defensive matchup, the Hawkeyes took a 24–12 lead early in the fourth quarter. But behind freshman quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the Tigers stormed back, and took a one-point lead with 46 seconds remaining. However, LSU's comeback was all for naught, as Iowa's Drew Tate completed a 56-yard touchdown pass to Warren Holloway as time expired, giving Iowa the 30–25 win and a 10–2 final record.
Read more about 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Team: Previous Season, Before The Season, Schedule, Team Players in The NFL
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“...I’m not money hungry.... People who are rich want to be richer, but what’s the difference? You can’t take it with you. The toys get different, that’s all. The rich guys buy a football team, the poor guys buy a football. It’s all relative.”
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“When I was growing up I used to think that the best thing about coming from Des Moines was that it meant you didn’t come from anywhere else in Iowa. By Iowa standards, Des Moines is a mecca of cosmopolitanism, a dynamic hub of wealth and education, where people wear three-piece suits and dark socks, often simultaneously.”
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“giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
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“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.””
—Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)