Dec. 30, 2006
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
Today’s attendance of 65,875 is an Alamo Bowl attendance record, besting the previous mark of 65,380 established in 1999 (Penn State vs. Texas A&M). Additionally, the bowl game reached sellout status the fastest in its 14-year history. Today is the Alamo Bowl’s third sellout in the last five years and the fifth in the 14-year history of the game.
Today was Iowa’s fourth game against a ranked opponent this season. Iowa lost to top-ranked Ohio State (38-17), third-ranked Michigan (20-6), 16th-ranked Wisconsin (24-21) and 16th-ranked Texas (26-24).
Iowa led 14-10 at halftime today. Texas became the first team to win the Alamo Bowl when trailing at the half. Iowa fell to 4-2 when leading at intermission this season and 37-5 the last five years.
Iowa falls to 11-10-1 in bowl games, including a 2-2 mark in the Alamo Bowl. Today’s win evens the series between the two teams at 1-1. The Hawkeyes fall to 66-64-3 in games vs. the Big XII Conference. Today was the second time in three years that Iowa played the defending national champions in its bowl game (LSU in the 2005 Capital One Bowl).
Today’s 26-24 loss for Iowa marked the fourth time in six years the Alamo Bowl final score was decided by four points or less. The Big XII has now won the last two Alamo Bowls.
Iowa falls to 10-8 overall (7-6 Metrodome, 2-2 Alamodome, 1-0 Carrier Dome) in games played in domes, including a 4-3 record under Ferentz.
Senior offensive lineman Mike Elgin was named the Alamo Bowl’s Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winner. Elgin will join teammate QB Drew Tate in the Hula Bowl next month.
Sophomore WR Andy Brodell had 159 receiving yards, six receptions and two touchdowns. He entered today’s bowl game with three career touchdown receptions, he had two today (63 yards and 23 yards). The 159 receiving yards is an Alamo Bowl record, besting Michigan’s Amani Toomer’s 135 yards set against Texas A&M in 1995. Brodell posted 159 yards receiving in his last two games. He had 159 receiving yards on seven receptions at Minnesota in the regular season finale. The 159 yards equals the 13th-best single-game receiving record at Iowa and was nine yards shy of Dave Moritz’s Iowa bowl record of 168 set in the 1982 Peach Bowl.
Iowa finished its season completing 248-423 passes for 3,118 yards. Iowa’s 240.0 passing average, ranks seventh-best in Iowa single-season history.
LB Mike Klinkenborg, who entered the bowl season ranked eighth in the country in tackles (129), was not able to play today due to an injured foot he sustained in practice a couple weeks ago. Klinkenborg started all 12 regular season games for Iowa at middle linebacker. LB Zach Gabelmann replaced Klinkenborg, receiving his first career start. Gabelmann was credited with a career-high seven tackles (5 solo). Returning from injuries today were DB Adam Shada and DL Kenny Iwebema, both of whom started. Shada and Iwebema each had three tackles each. Senior DB Miguel Merrick had a team-high eight stops for the Hawkeyes today.
Senior LB Ed Miles had seven tackles today, raising his career total to 207. The 207 tackles tie Brian Wise and Jon LaFleur for 50th in Iowa career history.
Iowa scored a touchdown on its first possession on a RB Albert Young one-yard scoring run, marking the first time this year it scored on its opening possession. During the Young had a 26-yard run to Texas’ one-yard line on Iowa’s opening possession. The 26-yard run is his longest rush of the season, besting a 21-yarder at Syracuse. Iowa’s defense forced Texas into three-and-out on its first drive. Five of Iowa’s opponents (Syracuse, Iowa State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Minnesota) opened games with touchdown drives this season.
Texas won the toss and deferred to the second half. Iowa chose to receive and has started on offense in 84 of its last 92 games. The Hawkeyes have started the game on offense in 86-of-98 games under Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has started on offense in 12 of 13 games in 2006.
WR Andy Brodell caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from QB Drew Tate on the first play of Iowa’s second offensive possession. The 63-yard touchdown pass is the longest in Iowa bowl history, surpassing 57-yard scoring passes twice (1982 Peach Bowl and 2005 Capital One Bowl) and is the fifth-longest reception in Alamo Bowl history. The 63-yarder is the longest of Brodell’s career, besting a 52-yard catch vs. Purdue this season. The 63-yard pass play was Iowa’s second longest of the year and longest touchdown pass of the year. TE Scott Chandler had a 64-yard catch vs. Wisconsin.
Texas started the game 0-4 on third-down conversions, but converted all four third-down conversions on its touchdown drive late in the second period. The touchdown drive occurred after an Iowa QB Drew Tate interception in the end zone. Iowa opponents scored 69 points following turnovers this year.
DB Charles Godfrey recovered a muffed punt in the third period. The fumble recovery is the third of his career and first of the season. Iowa was unable to score any points after the Texas turnover as PK Kyle Schlicher missed a 45-yard field goal wide left.
No plays were reviewed by Instant Replay in today’s bowl game.
In the third quarter, Texas QB Colt McCoy, who was named the game’s offensive MVP, completed a 72-yard touchdown pass to Jamaal Charles. It is the longest play allowed by Iowa this season and the second over 50 yards. The 72-yard touchdown is the second-longest in Alamo Bowl history. Kansas State’s Darnell McDonald had an 88-yard touchdown catch in 1998.
In the third quarter, PK Kyle Schlicher converted a 38-yard field goal for his 51st-career field goal. Schlicher finished his career ranked third on Iowa’s all-time list, three behind Rob Houghtlin (54) for second. Schlicher finished the season with 71 points (13 FG, 32 PAT). The 71 points rank 19th in Iowa single-season history. Schlicher concludes his career ranked fourth in Iowa career scoring with 260 points.
Junior RB Albert Young rushed 13 times for 64 yards and a score. His 64 yards moved his career total to 2,205 yards, which ranks eighth in career rushing at Iowa. Young finished the 2006 season with 779 yards on 178 carries, a total that ranks 24th-best in a single-season at Iowa.
Senior QB Drew Tate completed 15-of-25 passes for 274 yards, two scores and one interception in his final game as a Hawkeye. He threw at least two scoring passes in 23 games in his career, including 20 of the last 28 games, dating back to 2004. Tate tossed two touchdowns or more six times this season, including the last three contests. Tate’s scoring passes raises his career total to 61, which ties Michigan State QB Jeff Smoker (2000-03) for eighth in career touchdown passes in Big Ten history. Tate completed at least two touchdown passes in Iowa’s last three bowl games.
QB Drew Tate finished this season completing 207-352 passes for 2,623 passing yards, a total that ranks seventh in Iowa single-season history. His 2,747 yards of total offense rank sixth in Iowa single-season annals. For his career, he completed 665-1090 passes for 8,292 yards and collected 8,427 yards of total offense. All the before mentioned career statistics rank second at Iowa.
Iowa recorded six offensive plays of 20 yards or more, one shy of a season-high. Iowa had seven plays of 20-yards or more vs. Purdue.
Iowa held Texas without a touchdown in the first quarter. Iowa’s defense has not yielded a first-quarter touchdown in its four-game Alamo Bowl history.
WR Dominique Douglas tops the Iowa freshman receiver charts in both receptions and yards. Douglas caught three passes for 40 yards today. The Detroit native finished the season with 49 receptions for 654 yards, both of which rank first on the team. The 654 yards rank 26th-best in Iowa single-season history. Kahlil Hill held the previous record of receptions (35), while Danan Hughes had the record for receiving yards (471). Both Hill and Hughes were redshirt freshmen.
TE Scott Chandler caught two passes for 36 yards. He raised his career total to 117 receptions for 1,467 yards. The 1,467 yards rank 17th-best in Iowa career receiving history.
QB Jake Christensen played in his fifth game of the season, replacing Drew Tate for an offensive series midway through the third quarter. Christensen had no passing statistics and rushed for one yard on two attempts.
Iowa had three true freshmen see action in today’s bowl game: WR Dominique Douglas, LB A.J. Edds and WR Anthony Bowman.
Iowa finished its season 6-7, marking the first time since 2000 (3-9) it finished its season with a winning percentage below .500. Iowa has appeared in six consecutive bowl games under Coach Ferentz.