Previous Season
In 2003, Iowa began the season 4-0 and would eventually complete the regular season with a 9–3 record that included wins over Iowa State, Michigan (Iowa's second straight victory against Michigan), and Minnesota. However, the Hawkeyes lost to Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue. Finishing fourth in the Big Ten standings, the Hawkeyes accepted a bid to play the Florida Gators in the Outback Bowl. Despite falling behind early on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Chris Leak to Kelvin Knight, the Hawkeyes reeled off 27 straight points en route to a 37–17 victory. It was a milestone victory, as it gave Iowa its second consecutive 10-win season along with the first Hawkeye victory in a January bowl game since the Rose Bowl in 1959.
Following the season, five Iowa players were selected in the 2004 NFL Draft. Robert Gallery, the 2003 Outland Trophy winner, became the second-highest pick in school history when he was selected 2nd by the Oakland Raiders. Following Gallery in Iowa's draft order were Bob Sanders, taken 44th by Indianapolis, Nate Kaeding, taken 65th by San Diego, Jared Clauss, taken in the seventh round by Tennessee, and Erik Jensen, who was taken in the seventh round by St. Louis.
Read more about this topic: 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Team
Famous quotes containing the words previous and/or season:
“History is fond of her grandchildren, for it offers them the marrow of the bones, which the previous generation had hurt its hands in breaking.”
—Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky (1828–1889)
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Full well I served my master for more than seven year,
Till I took up poaching, as you shall quickly hear:
Oh, ‘tis my delight on a shining night, in the season of the year.”
—Unknown. The Lincolnshire Poacher (l. 1–4)