Iowa History Daily: On October 1, 1894, Iowa and Iowa State met for the first time on the gridiron. Over 550 spectators took in the first meeting in an iconic college football rivalry, as the men from Ames took the first contest 16-8. Iowa leads the all-time series 46-23.
The 1894 Iowa Agricultural Cardinals football team of Ames entered the 1894 season as an independent. Boasting a 5-1 record by the end of the season, the team shutout three of six opponents. A lone loss to Grinnell kept the squad from a perfect season as they racked up wins over Fort Dodge, Iowa, Simpson, Pandora, and the Des Moines YMCA.
The State University of Iowa Hawkeyes in their ‘Old Gold’ sweaters finished the season with a 4-4-1 record. Competing in the Western Interstate University Football Association under 1st year head coach Roger Sherman, the Hawkeyes hung tough at Iowa Stadium all year. With wins over Cornell, Augustana (Rock Island), Kansas, and Grinnell, the Hawks turned in a solid season. Losses to Iowa Agricultural, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Nebraska, as well as a tie with Chicago rounded out the schedule.
Marking the first contest of many over the late-19th and early 20th centuries, the series took a pause after Iowa Athletic Director Ossie Solem quit scheduling the Cyclones in 1935. Back on in 1977 with new stakes, a shiny Cy-Hawk Trophy awarded by the governor, the rivalry continues to simultaneously bring together and push apart Iowans throughout the state. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
