Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry
First meeting | November 2, 1891 Minnesota, 42–4 |
---|---|
Latest meeting | October 21, 2023 Minnesota, 12–10 |
Next meeting | September 21, 2024 |
Trophy | Floyd of Rosedale |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 117 |
All-time series | Minnesota leads, 63–52–2 (.547)[1] |
Trophy series | Iowa leads, 44–43–2 (.506) |
Largest victory | Minnesota, 75–0 (1903) |
Longest win streak | Minnesota, 12 (1891–1916) |
Current win streak | Minnesota, 1 (2023–present) |
The Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry is an American
History
The 1934 game between the Hawkeyes and Golden Gophers had been filled with controversy over the treatment of Iowa star halfback Ozzie Simmons. Simmons was also one of the few black football players of that era, and several rough hits by the Gophers on Simmons forced him to leave the game multiple times in Minnesota’s 48–12 victory. “What it amounted to was that they were piling on – late hits,” Simmons recalled. “I had bruised ribs...they came at me with knees high, and some of it was pretty obvious.”[2]
The following year, Coach
The day before the game,
The news quickly reached Minnesota. Coach Bierman threatened to break off athletic relations.
To lighten the mood,
The Iowa governor accepted, and word of the bet reached Iowa City as the crowd gathered at the stadium. The situation calmed, and the game proceeded without incident. Minnesota won 13–6, and Iowa star Ozzie Simmons played an injury-free game. Afterward, Minnesota players went out of their way to compliment Simmons, and Simmons praised the Gophers for their clean, hard-fought play. Minnesota went on to win their second straight national championship.
Governor Herring obtained an award-winning prize pig which had been donated by Allen Loomis, the owner of Rosedale Farms near Fort Dodge, Iowa. Dubbed Floyd after Minnesota Governor Olson, the pig was the brother of Blue Boy from Will Rogers' movie State Fair. A few days later, Governor Herring collected "Floyd of Rosedale" and personally walked him into Governor Olson’s carpeted office.[4]
Iowa social crusader Virgil Case swore out a criminal warrant in
Aftermath
Governor Olson later offered Floyd up as the grand prize in a statewide essay-writing contest, which was won by 14-year-old Robert Jones. However, Floyd ended up on Donald Gjerdrum’s family farm. Unfortunately, the living “Floyd of Rosedale” wasn’t vaccinated, something that came as a surprise to Gjerdrum’s father, who assumed since it came from the university it would be up-to-date on its shots. Floyd died of cholera just eight months after making headlines, but the “Floyd of Rosedale” trophy tradition lives on.
Since the two schools could not continue wagering a live pig, Governor Olson commissioned Saint Paul sculptor Charles Brioschi to capture Floyd's image. The result is a 98 lb (44 kg) bronze pig trophy, 21 in (53 cm) long and 15 in (38 cm) high.[8] Iowa and Minnesota have played for the Floyd of Rosedale every year since then. The winner of the game is entitled to keep the trophy until the following year's contest.
One of the rivalry's most notable games was in the 1960 NCAA University Division football season when undefeated #3 Minnesota met undefeated #1 Iowa in Minneapolis. The game was for the Big Ten Championship, the 1961 Rose Bowl berth, and the #1 ranking. Minnesota won 27–10.
Game results
Iowa victories | Minnesota victories | Tie games |
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See also
- List of NCAA college football rivalry games
- List of most-played college football series in NCAA Division I
References
- ^ a b "Winsipedia - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers football series history". Winsipedia.
- ISBN 0-7627-3819-7), Pages 107-108
- ^ a b "MPR: The origin of Floyd of Rosedale". news.minnesota.publicradio.org.
- ^ a b c "Floyd of Rosedale - Minnesota vs. Iowa". Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
- ISBN 0-7627-3819-7), Page 108
- ^ a b c d "Herring Arrest is Made Just Another Joke," Oelwein Daily Register, November 14, 1935 at p. 1,3.
- ^ "The Roosevelt Week," Time Magazine, November 18, 1935.
- ^ Associated Press staff (November 7, 2014). "College football: Gophers-Hawkeyes play for pig". Saint Cloud Times. Retrieved November 8, 2014.