It’s Iowa by a Foot Over San Diego St. : 41-Yard Field Goal as Time Expires Gives Hawkeyes Holiday Bowl Victory

SAN DIEGO —  Iowa Coach Hayden Fry, even while seething over reports that he was interested in the USC coaching position, delivered his quota of pre-Holiday Bowl hype extolling the virtues of San Diego State.

The Aztecs, according to Fry, were the most experienced and most balanced team Iowa would face this year. He also said they were as big and perhaps faster than their Big Ten rivals.

It turns out Fry was right on just about every count--but his team was one-point better.

Rob Houghtlin’s 41-yard field goal as time expired gave the Hawkeyes a 39-38 victory in front of 59,473 in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The Aztecs, seven-point underdogs despite Fry’s buildup, enjoyed a two-touchdown, fourth-quarter lead before Iowa rallied to go ahead by a point late in the game.

But Aztec receiver Alfred Jackson split two defenders to grab a 45-yard pass from quarterback Todd Santos, setting up a 21-yard Kevin Rahill field goal with 47 seconds left that gave SDSU a 38-36 lead.

Kevin Harmon returned Rahill’s kickoff 48 yards to the Aztec 37. After an incompletion by quarterback Mark Vlasic and runs of six yards by David Hudson and seven yards by Rick Bayless, Iowa reached the Aztec 24.

After a timeout, Houghtlin, who had earlier missed two kicks, delivered the victory margin in what may have been Fry’s final game at Iowa.

“San Diego State called timeout to try to ice me,” Houghtlin said.

During the timeout, he said a prayer. His thoughts turned to his grandfather, who had died of a heart attack Dec. 22.

Holder Chuck Hartlieb pulled down a high snap and Houghtlin’s kick went through the uprights as time ran out.

“I doubt seriously you’ll see another bowl game that exciting this year,” Fry said. “San Diego had us so confused we couldn’t move in the first half, but we regrouped in the second half.”

Fry then addressed questions about his interest in the USC vacancy.

“I got mad at some Iowa writers who kept bugging me before the game,” he said. “It bothered the heck out of me. I wanted my players and coaches concentrating on the game.”

Fry said he took a vote of his staff and decided to consider a move to USC.

For his counterpart, Denny Stolz, it was a bitter setback.

“It was a great game, but a horrible, horrible loss,” he said. “It was great for the spectators, but awfully hard on our young men.

“I don’t think anyone back in Iowa is laughing at us now. We played well and we deserved to be in a major bowl.”

The Aztecs forged a surprising 21-13 halftime lead after Santos regained his equilibrium following a harsh introduction to the Iowa defense.

On his first pass, he was sacked by Jeff Drost for a nine-yard loss.

His second throw was incomplete, but his third was intercepted and returned 25 yards to the Aztec five by Hawkeye cornerback Keaton Smiley. Bayless then scored on a five-yard run to give Iowa a 6-0 lead.

The Aztec defense got even when Duane Pettitt sacked Vlasic, causing a fumble, which Milt Wilson recovered at the Iowa eight.

The Aztecs scored as Santos delivered a six-yard scoring pass to Chris Hardy, but Rahill’s point-after attempt struck the upright, leaving the Aztecs a point behind, 7-6, with 4:52 left in the quarter.

Rahill had to make the tackle on the ensuing kickoff as Iowa’s Robert Smith broke a 37-yard return to the Aztec 49.

The Hawkeyes advanced to the seven before the SDSU defense came through again as cornerback Mario Mitchell intercepted a pass intended for Quinn Early at the two.

While the defense continued to thwart the Iowa offense, SDSU gained a 14-6 lead midway through the second period when Santos threw a 44-yard scoring pass to Alfred Jackson and Hardy ran a sweep for a two-point conversion.

An interception by J. J. Puk helped the Hawkeyes get within a point late in the half.

Iowa covered 49 yards in 7 plays, thanks mostly to a 34-yard gain by receiver Mike Flagg, who broke two tackles before being stopped at the one. Vlasic’s sneak put Iowa in position to gain a tie, but Houghtlin’s kick failed, and SDSU led 14-13.

The Aztecs gave an exemplary demonstration of the two-minute offense to built an eight-point halftime lead.

Santos directed a 5-play, 68-yard drive centered around passes of 23 and 28 yards to Monty Gilbreath. The second of those throws netted a touchdown.

San Diego State took the advantage in the third quarter.

The defense sacked Vlasic twice on the first series of the second half, and a short punt left the Aztecs 45 yards from the Iowa goal.

Driving to the one-foot line, SDSU faced a fourth down and elected to go for the touchdown, which Gilmore scored by leaping into the end zone. The Aztecs led, 28-13.

For the second time, however, the Aztec kickoff coverage broke down, permitting Harmon a 34-yard return before Rahill made a saving tackle at the SDSU 47.

With Bayless pounding the Aztec line, Iowa rallied. Hudson scored on a one-yard run, and Vlasic hit Smith on a slant pattern for two extra points, bringing the Hawkeyes within a touchdown, 28-21.

San Diego State made a more daring fourth-down try on its next series.

But Stolz, normally a conservative coach, didn’t hesitate, directing Santos to pitch the ball back to Gilmore, who advanced two yards to the Iowa 36.

Bolstered by that conversion, Santos threw a 22-yard pass to Gilmore. Then, as the fourth quarter began, Hardy swept left end from six yards to give the Aztecs a 35-21 advantage.

Iowa reached the SDSU 32 before sacks by Wilson and Brown ended the threat and forced a punt. Gary Kostrubula’s kick left the Aztecs backed at their two.

Unable to get a first down, the Aztecs returned the ball on a 45-yard Wayne Ross punt.

Fry then called for a pass on fourth and four at the 29, and Vlasic responsed with a touchdown throw to Marv Cook.

But that was not the end of Iowa’s gambling. On the extra point, the Hawkeyes lined up as if they intended to kick, but holder Hartlieb fooled the San Diego State defense with a pass to Mike Flagg, making it a six-point difference, 35-29.

The Aztec pass defense suddenly began to look tempting to Vlasic.

He threw passes of 18 and 20 yards to Early, softening the line for a 12-yard run by Hudson to the SDSU 20.

A swing pass to Harmon yielded 14 yards, setting up a three-yard touchdown throw to Flagg. This time, the Hawkeyes asked Houghtlin to kick the extra point, which he did to give Iowa a 36-35 lead with 4:26 remaining.