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Iowa becomes first team to achieve wild feat in nearly 90 years

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Iowa ends the season with a 10-4 record after getting shutout in the Citrus Bowl. That disastrous finish overshadows what was an improbably historic year for the Hawkeyes.

After getting shut out, the Hawkeyes finish the season with 15.4 points per game on offense. That is horrific on many levels, but it also puts the program in historical company.

According to Matt Brown with The Athletic, Iowa is the first football team since Centenary to achieve the feat of winning 10 games while averaging less than 16 points per game on offense. For context, Centenary discontinued the football program in 1941 due to World War II but achieved the 10-win distinction in the 1934 season — nearly 90 years ago.

For further context, Monday’s loss was Iowa’s third time being shutout this season. They join a shortlist of Power 5 teams to be shut out 3+ times in a season since 2000. The Hawkeyes are 1 of 8 Power 5 teams to reach that mark, and the best record from the previous teams to be shut out 3+ times was a 3-9 mark by Baylor’s 2002 team.

That is certainly a season for the record books, but one ultimately has to wonder what could have been if Iowa had a functioning offense in Iowa City.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.