FEATURED GAME
Beat #10 Oregon State
35
vs
19
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA) — defining win on the season's biggest stage
Football History
Season Snapshot 1956 at a glance
1956 Iowa Football
9-1
Overall
5-1
Big Ten
Bowl
Postseason
Won 35-19 · Rose Bowl
#3
Final AP rank
Forest Evashevski
Head coach
By the Numbers
Shutouts
4
Indiana, Hawaii, (6) Minnesota, (6) Ohio State
Power rating
+19.5
Simple Rating System — #6 nationally
Memorable Games
Highest score
48
vs Notre Dame on Nov 24
Best defensive game
held them to 0
vs Indiana (27-0)
Closest game
1-point win
vs Oregon State (14-13)
Biggest win
by 40
vs Notre Dame (48-8)
Rankings & Streaks
Final AP rank
#3
end-of-season Associated Press poll
Longest win streak
5
consecutive wins during the season
Home record
5-1
at Carver / Kinnick / home court
Road record
3-0
true road games (excludes neutral sites)
Season Defining Games ranked wins, overtime battles, and heartbreakers
Signature Wins
VS FLOYD OF ROSEDALE
Beat #6 Minnesota
7
vs
0
Trophy game — beat #6 Minnesota
RANKED WIN
Beat #6 Ohio State
6
vs
0
Took down #6 at home
VS HEARTLAND TROPHY
Beat Wisconsin
13
vs
7
Kept the Heartland Trophy — won by 6
Heartbreakers & Tough Tests
HEARTBREAKER
Lost by 3 to Michigan
14
vs
17
Lost by just 3 in the final minutes
Compare This Team
See how the 1956 Hawkeyes stack up against another Iowa season.
1956 Schedule 10 games
| Date | Opponent | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29 | Away Indiana | 27–0 | W |
| Oct 6 | Home Oregon State | 14–13 | W |
| Oct 13 | Home Wisconsin | 13–7 | W |
| Oct 20 | Home Hawaii | 34–0 | W |
| Oct 27 | Away Purdue | 21–20 | W |
| Nov 3 | Home (17) Michigan | 14–17 | L |
| Nov 10 | Away (6) Minnesota | 7–0 | W |
| Nov 17 | Home (6) Ohio State | 6–0 | W |
| Nov 24 | Home Notre Dame | 48–8 | W |
| Jan 1 | Neutral (10) Oregon State Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA) | 35–19 | W |
Team & Player Stats
Per-Game Averages
Points per game
21.9
vs
8.4
Iowa scored versus Iowa allowed per game.
+13.5 points per game
Total yards
—
vs
—
How many yards Iowa moved the ball, versus how many they let the other team move.
Pass yards
52.8
vs
87.0
Yards from passing per game — Iowa versus opponents.
-34.2 difference per game
Rush yards
230.3
vs
142.8
Yards on the ground per game — Iowa versus opponents.
+87.5 difference per game
First downs
—
vs
—
A first down means a fresh set of four tries — earning more is good.
Turnovers
—
vs
—
Times Iowa lost the ball (lower is better) versus times the defense took it back (higher is better).
Top Performers
Team Stats per Game
Stat
Offense
Defense
Diff
Pass Cmp
4.6
7.1
-2.5
Pass Att
11.4
15.4
-4.0
Pass Cmp %
39.8
46.0
-6.2
Pass Yds
52.8
87.0
-34.2
Pass TD
0.9
0.6
+0.3
Rush Att
50.2
47.8
+2.4
Rush Yds
230.3
142.8
+87.5
Rush Y/A
4.6
3.0
+1.6
Rush TD
2.1
0.6
+1.5
Plays
—
—
—
Total Yds
—
—
—
Yds/Play
—
—
—
1st Downs
—
—
—
Penalties
—
—
—
Penalty Yds
—
—
—
Fumbles
—
—
—
Interceptions
—
—
—
Turnovers
—
—
—
Player Stats
Passing
| Player | G | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Y/A | AY/A | Y/C | Y/G | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken PloenQBH-9 | 9 | 24 | 54 | 44.4 | 303 | 4 | 3 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 12.6 | 33.7 | 104.9 |
| Randy DuncanQB | 9 | 15 | 37 | 40.5 | 144 | 2 | 3 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 9.6 | 16.0 | 74.9 |
| Eugene VeitQB | 9 | 1 | 11 | 9.1 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1.6 | 3.5 | 18.0 | 2.0 | 52.8 |
| John NoceraRB | 9 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 30.0 | 10.0 | 1.1 | 514.0 |
Rushing & Receiving
| Player | G | Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Y/A | TD | Y/G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Y/G | Plays | Yds | TD | ||
| Ken PloenQBH-9 | 9 | 78 | 428 | 5.5 | 5 | 47.6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 78 | 428 | 5 |
| Bill HappelRB | 9 | 93 | 403 | 4.3 | 3 | 44.8 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 93 | 403 | 3 |
| Don DobrinoRB | 9 | 83 | 373 | 4.5 | 1 | 41.4 | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 0 | 3.2 | 87 | 402 | 1 |
| Fred HarrisRB | 9 | 68 | 334 | 4.9 | 3 | 37.1 | 6 | 67 | 11.2 | 1 | 7.4 | 74 | 401 | 4 |
| Collins HaglerRB | 9 | 36 | 220 | 6.1 | 3 | 24.4 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 1 | 1.2 | 37 | 231 | 4 |
| Jim GibbonsWR | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 12 | 184 | 15.3 | 3 | 20.4 | 12 | 184 | 3 |
| John NoceraRB | 9 | 26 | 77 | 3.0 | 1 | 8.6 | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 1.1 | 28 | 87 | 1 |
| Frank GilliamWR | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 79 | 13.2 | 1 | 8.8 | 6 | 79 | 1 |
| Bill GravelRB | 9 | 19 | 68 | 3.6 | 0 | 7.6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 19 | 68 | 0 |
| Delmar KloewerRB | 9 | 14 | 48 | 3.4 | 0 | 5.3 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 1 | 1.7 | 16 | 63 | 1 |
| Jeff LangstonWR | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 47 | 7.8 | 0 | 5.2 | 6 | 47 | 0 |
| Jon JandaRB | 9 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 45 | 0 |
| Kevin FurlongRB | 9 | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 1 | 4.2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 38 | 1 |
| Bob PrescottWR | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 33 | 16.5 | 1 | 3.7 | 2 | 33 | 1 |
| Eugene VeitQB | 9 | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 1 | 3.4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 31 | 1 |
| Randy DuncanQB | 9 | 10 | -14 | -1.4 | 0 | -1.6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0.0 | 10 | -14 | 0 |
Scoring
| Player | G | Rush | Rec | PR | KR | Int | FR | Oth | TD | XPM | XPA | FGM | FGA | 2PM | Sfty | Pts | Pts/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken PloenQB | 9 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 4.0 |
| Fred HarrisRB | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2.7 |
| Collins HaglerRB | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2.7 |
| Jim GibbonsWR | 9 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2.7 |
| Bill HappelRB | 9 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2.7 |
| John NoceraRB | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1.3 |
| Kevin FurlongRB | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0.7 |
| Bob PrescottWR | 9 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0.7 |
| Don DobrinoRB | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0.7 |
| Eugene VeitQB | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0.7 |
| Frank GilliamWR | 9 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0.7 |
Game Logs
| Date | Opp | Rslt | Passing | Rushing | Total | Penalties | TO | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | Rate | Att | Yds | TD | Plays | Yds | Y/P | No | Yds | FL | Int | TO | |||
| Sep 29 | @ Indiana | W 27–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 6 | Oregon State | W 14–13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 13 | Wisconsin | W 13–7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 20 | Hawaii | W 34–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 27 | @ Purdue | W 21–20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 3 | Michigan | L 14–17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 10 | @ Minnesota | W 7–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 17 | Ohio State | W 6–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 24 | Notre Dame | W 48–8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan 1 | vs Oregon State Rose Bowl | W 35–19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1956 Roster 16 players
| Player | Class | Pos | Season summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene Veit | — | QB | 1 Cmp, 12 Att, 18 Yds, 1 TD |
| Ken Ploen | — | QB | 33 Cmp, 64 Att, 386 Yds, 5 TD |
| Randy Duncan | — | QB | 17 Cmp, 41 Att, 168 Yds, 2 TD |
| Bill Gravel | — | RB | 27 Att, 95 Yds, 3.5 Avg |
| Bill Happel | — | RB | 103 Att, 430 Yds, 4.2 Avg |
| Collins Hagler | — | RB | 46 Att, 305 Yds, 6.6 Avg |
| Delmar Kloewer | — | RB | 15 Att, 51 Yds, 3.4 Avg |
| Don Dobrino | — | RB | 87 Att, 437 Yds, 5.0 Avg |
| Fred Harris | — | RB | 69 Att, 341 Yds, 4.9 Avg |
| John Nocera | — | RB | 29 Att, 101 Yds, 3.5 Avg |
| Jon Janda | — | RB | 6 Att, 45 Yds, 7.5 Avg |
| Kevin Furlong | — | RB | 8 Att, 44 Yds, 5.5 Avg |
| Bob Prescott | — | WR | 2 Rec, 33 Yds, 16.5 Avg |
| Frank Gilliam | — | WR | 7 Rec, 94 Yds, 13.4 Avg |
| Jeff Langston | — | WR | 6 Rec, 47 Yds, 7.8 Avg |
| Jim Gibbons | — | WR | 17 Rec, 255 Yds, 15.0 Avg |
1956 AP Poll Movement
AP Poll
Final
#3
Final Ranking
Season Summary
- Highest Rank
- #3
- Lowest Rank
- #20
- Weeks in Poll
- 9
- Total Weeks
- 12
Week-by-week rankings
10/1
#20
10/8
NR
10/15
#12
10/22
#12
10/29
#7
11/5
#15
11/12
#7
11/19
#3
11/26
#3
12/3
NR
12/10
NR
Final
#3
History Library
Chapters of Iowa football history
Explore Iowa football history by chapter. Dive into legendary seasons, unforgettable rivalries, and the program's rich tradition.
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The squads that defined greatness in Iowa history.
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Iowa's iconic bowl performances.
Rivalries
Historic matchups that shaped tradition.
Best Defenses
The stingiest units to ever wear black & gold.
Player Leaders
Single-season stars in passing, rushing, and tackles.
AP Poll History
Iowa's standing through the national rankings.
Updated Jun 1, 5:30 AM