1976 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

1976 Iowa Hawkeyes football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–6 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorLarry Coyer (3rd season)
MVPButch Caldwell, Tom Grine
CaptainButch Caldwell, Tom Grine
Home stadiumKinnick Stadium
Seasons
← 1975
1977 →
1976 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Michigan + 7 1 0 10 2 0
No. 6 Ohio State + 7 1 0 9 2 1
Minnesota 4 4 0 6 5 0
Illinois 4 4 0 5 6 0
Indiana 4 4 0 5 6 0
Purdue 4 4 0 5 6 0
Iowa 3 5 0 5 6 0
Wisconsin 3 5 0 5 6 0
Michigan State 3 5 0 4 6 1
Northwestern 1 7 0 1 10 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1976 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Iowa in the 1976 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third year under head coach Bob Commings, the Hawkeyes compiled a 5–6 record (3–5 against conference opponents) and finished in a three-way tie for seventh place in the Big Ten.[1]

Quarterback Butch Caldwell and tight end Tom Grine were selected as the team's most valuable players.[2] Caldwell led the team with 616 passing yards and 1,005 yards of total offense. Jon Lazar led the team in rushing with 392 yards.[3] Tom Rusk was selected by the conference coaches as a second-team linebacker on the UPI's 1976 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[4]

  1. ^ "1976 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  2. ^ Roy Damer (December 25, 1975). "Lytle named Big 10 MVP: Purdue's Dierking is runnerup". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1.
  3. ^ "1976 Iowa Hawkeyes Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  4. ^ "Illini place two on All-Big 10". The Pantagraph. November 24, 1976. p. A11.