2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team The 2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2003 NCAA Division I - A football season . Following a 2002 season that saw the Hawkeyes finish 11 – 2 with a Big Ten Conference championship , expectations for a third straight bowl game were well warranted . With four offensive starters and seven defensive starters returning from the 2002 season , the Hawkeyes looked to be a primarily defensive team going into the season . The Hawkeyes opened the season strong , winning games over Miami , Buffalo , Iowa State and Arizona State en route to a 4 – 0 record . Undefeated and ranked ninth in the country , the Hawkeyes headed into East Lansing , Michigan for their Big Ten opener . Playing a Michigan State Spartans team that had just beaten Notre Dame a week earlier , the Hawkeyes turned the ball over four times and committed ten penalties in a 20 – 10 loss . However , with Michigan next up on the schedule , things would get no easier for the Hawkeyes . Before the game , Michigan held a 37 – 9 – 4 lead in the series between the two teams . Down by 14 in the first quarter for the second straight game , the Hawkeyes came back to take a 30 – 20 lead midway through the fourth quarter . Michigan threatened the Iowa lead late , but the Hawkeyes held on for the 30 – 27 victory . After the victory , Iowa lost on the road to Ohio State , but followed with home wins over Illinois and Penn State . With a loss to Purdue , Iowa ' s record was 7 – 3 with two regular season games remaining . Playing against Minnesota and the Big Ten ' s top - ranked offense , the Hawkeyes scored 33 points before the Gophers scored a touchdown . Following the 40 – 22 victory , the Hawkeyes fell behind unranked Wisconsin 21 – 7 during the second quarter . Needing a pass deflection in the end zone by Sean Considine with no time remaining , the Hawkeyes scored 20 straight points and escaped with a 27 – 21 win and a 9 – 3 regular season record . Playing in the 2004 Outback Bowl on January 1 , 2004 , the Hawkeyes won their first game in the state of Florida with a 37 – 17 victory over the Florida Gators . The win was also Iowa ' s first in the month of January since 1959 . Previous season . Behind strong performances by quarterback Brad Banks , who finished second in the Heisman voting , and the Hawkeye rushing defense , which finished fifth - best in the country , Iowa finished 11 – 2 and shared the Big Ten championship with undefeated Ohio State . Despite losses to Iowa State and Southern California , the Hawkeyes finished with an 8 – 0 conference record that included wins over Michigan and Penn State . Iowa ' s lopsided 34 – 9 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor was Michigan ' s worst home loss since 1967 . The eleven wins are , to date , an Iowa record for wins in a single season . Before the season . Recruiting class . On National Signing Day , February 5 , 2003 , the Hawkeyes signed 22 players on football scholarships . Rankings . Entering the season , Iowa was unranked by both major polls . However , the Hawkeyes would debut in the Coaches Poll as the 25th - ranked team before their first game against Miami University . Game summaries . Miami ( OH ) . Buffalo . Iowa State .