Tomorrow, when Iowa takes the field at TCF Bank Stadium to take on Minnesota, the two teams will be playing for more than a Big Ten victory. The classic Floyd of Rosedale pig trophy is on the line in Minneapolis!
This is definitely one of the coolest trophies in sports! The classic pig trophy is awarded each year to the winner of this game. Minnesota currently holds the trophy after an upset of Iowa last season. Minnesota also holds the all time lead in the series (40-34-2)
When I first saw this trophy as a kid, two questions came to mind; who thought of a pig trophy, and how did it acquire its name?
I'll attempt at answering these questions with the help of some facts from Wikipedia (yes, it's not a "reputable source," but it's right).
The Story of the Floyd of Rosedale (with help from Wikipedia):
It all started back in 1934, with the Minnesota football team engaging in yet another incident of racist behavior (Iowa State fans will remember the Jack Trice story). Iowa running back Ozzie Simmons, who was black, was the victim of some nasty cheap hits by the Gophers, who won the game handily. There was definitely some tension among The University of Iowa and its fans, because the next season, Minnesota head coach Bernie Bierman received threatening letters from Iowa fans who were still ticked off about the previous year's occurrences. Iowa Governor Clyde Herring said that if the refs stood for any foul play, the Iowa fans would not. This statement incited many Minnesotans, who took the statement as a threat for a riot. Bierman suggested that Minnesota stop playing against Iowa.
Here is where the pig comes in: the morning of the game, Minnesota governor Floyd Olson sent this telegram to Governor Herring;
"Minnesota folks are excited about your statement about the Iowa crowd lynching the Minnesota football team. I have assured them that you are a law abiding gentleman only trying to get our goat...I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog that Minnesota wins."
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| The Floyd of Rosedale trophy |
Iowa fans learned of this before the game, and they settled down to watch a clean game between the two teams, which the Gophers won 13-6, and Ozzie Simmons was treated fairly.
After the game, Iowa had to hold its end of the bet, so Governor Herring found a pig from Rosedale Farms, which was close to Fort Dodge, Iowa. Herring delivered it to Governor Olson, and the Floyd of Rosedale was born. The original Floyd of Rosedale died a few years later, which led to the creation of a bronze pig statue by St. Paul sculptor Charles Brioscho. That trophy has been used ever since.
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Now, back to the game!
Iowa is definitely the favorite in this season's game, but that means absolutely nothing. Recall last season, when a highly talented Hawkeye team was taken down in Minneapolis by the lowly 2010 Gophers (3-9 on the year). This is a history filled Big Ten rivalry game, and both teams will come out fighting.
Minnesota has one of the worst defenses in the conference, and has the worst offense in the B1G. They are arguably one of the worst teams in FBS. The Gophers rank 113th out of 120 FBS teams in total yards on offense. Minnesota averages a measly 17.4 ppg and allows 35.9 a game. So, on average, Minnesota loses 40-17. That is terrible.
Expect the final score of the game to be close to that average of 40-17. James Vandenberg has proven that he can pick apart weak defenses, and the Gophers definitely fall into that category. The Big 3 (Vandenberg, Marcus Coker, and Marvin McNutt) should be expected to explode on the Gopher defense. Coker has some added motivation after fumbling the ball on what could have been Iowa's game winning drive against Minnesota last season.
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| Minnesota QB MarQueis Gray averages 73 rush yards per game |
The biggest concern for Iowa will be stopping MarQueis Gray. He is a mobile QB, and an athletic talent. His passing stats are subpar (124.5 yards/game, 48.7 completion percentage), but he can run, and that skill can hurt the Hawkeyes. Gray is 7th in the B1G in rushing, and averages 73 yards/game. If Iowa can contain Gray, there isn't much else to deal with.
Prediction:
Iowa-38 Minnesota-20
Iowa should put up big numbers on offense, but they still have to prove that they can do it on the road. Vandenberg and the Hawkeye offense will pull through. This game needs to be the game when Iowa's defense gets it together. The defense, as pointed out in this Des Moines Register article today, has been terrible at stopping opponents on third down. With this Big Ten road game, Iowa's defense needs to prove that it can put together a solid game. I still think they'll struggle a bit, but hold the Gophers under 3 TDs. Iowa brings home the pig!!
Go Hawks!!
-IS
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