2009 International Bowl, Team selection
The Meineke Car Care Bowl, which had the third selection, picked West Virginia. The fourth, fifth, and sixth selections of Big East teams belonged collectively to the International Bowl, PapaJohns.com Bowl, and St. Petersburg Bowl, which, in consultation with the Big East, decided which schools were the best fit for each bowl. There were three remaining bowl-eligible Big East teams: Connecticut, Rutgers, and South Florida.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection
The previous season, Rutgers had played in the International Bowl and South Florida had appeared in the PapaJohns.com Bowl; bowls in general dislike inviting the same team in consecutive years, on the theory that fans are less likely to want to travel to the same destination they were at the year before. Additionally, the St. Petersburg Bowl, in its inaugural year, sought to have local team South Florida play in their game to drive local attendance. Therefore, the teams were apportioned among the bowls as follows: South Florida to the St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers to the PapaJohns.com Bowl, and Connecticut to the International Bowl. On December 7, 2008, UConn formally accepted the bowl invitation, the third in their history.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection
Buffalo accepted an invitation to the International Bowl following their victory over then-undefeated Ball State in the 2008 MAC Championship Game. Although in past years the MAC champion had been invited to the Motor City Bowl, Buffalo preferred to go to the International Bowl due to Toronto being closer to the school than Detroit, the home of the Motor City Bowl. The game marked the first bowl for the Bulls after their first MAC Championship since moving to Division I-A and joining the MAC in 1999.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection
The Bulls and Huskies had been frequent opponents during the previous decade as both programs made the transition from Division I-AA to Division I-A. The two teams played each other in six consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2005, with Connecticut winning five of the six contents. The 2005 game, won by UConn 38–0, was the most recent meeting between the two teams. Overall, the Huskies and Bulls had played each other 16 times since their first meeting in 1939, with Connecticut holding a 12–4 advantage in the all-time series. Prior to the 2008 season, Buffalo and UConn had signed a contract to play a four-game, home-and-home series beginning in 2010.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
Entering 2008, the Bulls sought to build off of their 2007 season, where they shared the MAC East championship but did not appear in the championship game due to a 31–28 loss to fellow division co-champion Miami (Ohio). Their 5–7 final record, while not good enough to qualify for a bowl game, was still the best by a Buffalo team since they had moved up to Division I-A in 1999. With 10 starters returning on offense and eight on defense, the 2008 team was predicted to be perhaps the most talented team in Bulls history; however, due to their challenging schedule, their final record was predicted to be no better than 3–9.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
Buffalo opened the season stronger than expected, with a dominant home win over the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP), 42–17. This was followed by a closer-than-predicted loss at heavily favored Pittsburgh, 27–16. Buffalo's third game and conference opener, versus Temple, was a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final play of the game. Keeping the game within seven points for the first three quarters, the Bulls first took the lead with 2:27 left in the fourth quarter, on a 25-yard field goal by A.J. Principe.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
Temple responded with a nine-play, 74-yard drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Bruce Francis, his second score of the game, to take a 28–24 lead with only 38 seconds remaining. Taking over at their own 40-yard line after the kickoff went out of bounds, the Bulls drove down the field, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 35-yard desperation heave from Drew Willy to wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt with no time remaining on the clock. Buffalo's record following the last-second win was 2–1, marking the first time since 1969 that the Bulls had a record over .500 beyond Week 1 as a Division I-A team. The last time the Bulls had started a season 2–1 was 1998, while they were still playing in Division I-AA.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
The Bulls proceeded to lose their next three games. Buffalo was unable to keep up with No. 5-ranked Missouri, losing 42–21 in a game that Missouri saw as a tuneup for their later season. In the next contest, against MAC opponent Central Michigan, down nine points with under three minutes left Buffalo scored on a 65-yard pass to James Starks, recovered an onside kick to retain possession, and attempted a game-winning field goal—but A.J. Principe's 46-yard kick hit the right goalpost to give Central Michigan the victory. In the next game, against the Western Michigan Broncos, also in the MAC, Buffalo squandered a two-touchdown advantage with just over five minutes left, allowing the Broncos to win the game in overtime. Buffalo's overall record fell to 2–4, 1–2 in the MAC.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
Bouncing back, Buffalo won their next five games. Against Army, Buffalo reversed the result of the Western Michigan game, coming back from a two-touchdown deficit to win in overtime. Handling conference opponents Ohio and Miami (Ohio) with relative ease, Buffalo continued conference play by beating Akron in a four-hour, four-overtime slugfest, 43–40, in Akron's final football game at the Rubber Bowl. In their next game, against Bowling Green, the Bulls found themselves down 21–0 midway through the third quarter, but still managed to come back for their third overtime win of the season.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
With the win, Buffalo clinched the MAC East championship and ensured that they would have their first winning regular season since moving to Division I-A; the final regular season game, a 24–21 loss to Kent State, was only a formality. The Bulls finished the regular season with an overall record of 7–5, 5–3 within the conference.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
Buffalo's opponent in the 2008 MAC Championship Game would be the No. 12-ranked Ball State Cardinals, who had gone undefeated in winning the MAC West. Ball State was a two-touchdown favorite entering the game; Buffalo in its history was 0–5 against the Cardinals. The Bulls struck first with a touchdown late in the first quarter; Ball State responded with a touchdown and a field goal in the second quarter to take a 10–7 lead at the half. The two teams traded touchdowns early in the third quarter.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Buffalo
Disaster then struck for Ball State: on two consecutive possessions late in the third quarter, after having driven into the red zone, the Cardinals fumbled the ball. Buffalo returned both of these fumbles for touchdowns and took a lead they would not surrender. The Bulls won the game 42–24, earning their first-ever MAC Championship as well as their first-ever win over a ranked opponent in nine attempts.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Connecticut
The Huskies entered 2008 seeking to prove their success the previous season was no fluke. In 2007, Connecticut earned their first Big East co-championship, albeit after losing to their fellow co-champion, West Virginia, 66–21. A loss to Wake Forest in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl—the team's second bowl appearance all-time—gave the Huskies a final 2007 record of 9–4. In the Big East preseason media poll, UConn was picked to finish 6th overall in the conference.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Connecticut
UConn started the season strong, winning their first five games. The Huskies easily won their first game 35–3 against Division I-Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-FCS) opponent Hofstra. The second game, at Temple, was played as the remnants of Hurricane Hanna hit Philadelphia. UConn won 12–9 in overtime as Donald Brown ran for a then-career high 214 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. Connecticut next avenged their loss to Virginia from 2007, winning the rematch 45–10. Baylor was next on the schedule; the Huskies pulled out the win in a back-and-forth game, 31–28.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Connecticut
Connecticut opened Big East conference play in their next game against Louisville. The game was not decided until UConn linebacker Lawrence Wilson returned an interception for a touchdown with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Huskies a 26–21 lead they would not relinquish. This was the second straight season where Connecticut won their first five games; before 2007, they had not opened a season so successfully since 1995, when they won their first six straight.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Connecticut
Following the game, UConn achieved their first and only ranking of the year, appearing at No. 24 in the Associated Press (AP) and Harris polls and No. 23 in the Coaches' poll. However, starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen broke his foot in the Louisville game; the Huskies would be forced to rely on backup Zach Frazer for the next few games.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Connecticut
The Huskies were unable to match their early success in the second half of the season, losing five of their next seven games. Everything went wrong for UConn in their game at North Carolina, as Frazer was intercepted three times and three Connecticut punts were blocked; North Carolina won in a blowout, 38–12. Against Big East rival Rutgers, UConn lost 12–10 as kicker Tony Ciaravino missed three field goals, including one with 1:09 left in the game that hit the right goalpost.


2009 International Bowl, Team selection, Connecticut
The Huskies bounced back in their next game against eventual Big East champion Cincinnati, winning in a blowout 40–16. While not ranked in any of the polls, after the win Connecticut found itself No. 25 in the BCS standings. The Huskies would promptly give up that honor, losing to West Virginia 35–13 after leading 10–0 at the end of the first quarter and 13–7 at halftime. UConn would win the next week at Big East bottom-dweller Syracuse, 39–14, as Lorenzen returned from his injury. This would prove to be their last win of the regular season, as the Huskies finished with losses to South Florida (17–13) and No. 23-ranked Pittsburgh (34–10). Connecticut ended the regular season with a record of 7–5, 3–4 within the Big East conference.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup
In the weeks leading up to the game, media coverage focused on the achievements of the Buffalo Bulls. Buffalo had been one of the least successful programs in college football from their transition to Division I-A in 1999 to 2006, during which they had a cumulative record of 12–79.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup
In 2008, the Bulls had their first winning season since 1996, won five games in a row for the first time since 1986, beat a ranked team for the first time in program history with their upset victory over Ball State in the MAC Championship Game, and would be making the first bowl appearance in school history. The turnaround of the Buffalo program brought acclaim to Bulls head coach Turner Gill, who had taken over the team in 2007.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup
Comparatively, Connecticut was an afterthought heading into the game. Pre -bowl coverage of UConn focused on NCAA rushing leader Donald Brown, who was considering foregoing his senior season to enter the 2009 NFL Draft. Brown indicated before the game that he had decided to return to UConn for the 2010 season.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Coaching change rumors
Following the regular season, speculation surrounded whether Turner Gill would leave Buffalo for another school's head coaching position. He was identified as a candidate at two schools: Syracuse and Auburn. In neither case was Gill hired; Syracuse opted for New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone, while Auburn passed him over in favor of Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik, a move that prominent former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, Basketball Hall-of-Famer, and Auburn alumnus Charles Barkley claimed was due to racism. Gill ended up signing a contract extension with Buffalo.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Coaching change rumors
UConn head coach Randy Edsall, who had been with the Huskies since 1999, was also rumored to be a candidate for the Syracuse job. Edsall, a Syracuse alumnus, denied any interest. Offensive coordinator Rob Ambrose accepted the head coaching position at Towson, his alma mater; he would stay to coach UConn during the bowl game, however.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Legacy of the 1958 Buffalo Bulls
While the 2009 International Bowl marked the first appearance of the Buffalo Bulls in a bowl game, it was not the first time the school had been invited to a bowl. Fifty years earlier, the 1958 Buffalo Bulls team finished with a record of 8–1. They were awarded the Lambert Cup, given to the best small college team in the eastern US, and received a bid to play in the 1958 Tangerine Bowl, where they would face Florida State.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Legacy of the 1958 Buffalo Bulls
There was one catch: the team's African-American players—starting running back Willie Evans and backup defensive end Mike Wilson—would not be allowed to play. The Tangerine Bowl stadium was controlled by the Orlando High School Athletic Association, who prohibited integrated football games. University officials and the coaching staff decided to allow the team to vote on whether they would accept the bowl bid. Before secret ballots could be passed out, the players unanimously decided to reject the bid.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Legacy of the 1958 Buffalo Bulls
Surviving members of the 1958 Bulls team were invited to the 2009 International Bowl and were honored before the game. The Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at the kickoff luncheon prior to the game, paying tribute to the legacy of the 1958 team.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Buffalo offense
Buffalo featured a high-powered, high-tempo, balanced offense that was good at not committing turnovers. During the regular season the Bulls averaged 380.5 offensive yards per game, 45th best in the nation, and scored an average of 31.3 points per game, 31st best. Buffalo's turnover margin was 6th best in the nation, at +1.15.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Buffalo offense
The Bulls were led offensively by the triple threat of quarterback Drew Willy, running back James Starks, and wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt. The three combined to break 14 single-season school records, including most points scored in a season (404). Willy, heading into his final game as a Buffalo Bull, had already surpassed the 3,000-yard mark in passing on the season, throwing for 25 touchdowns against only five interceptions.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Buffalo offense
Starks, while not seen as the same caliber of player as UConn's Donald Brown, had run for over 1,300 yards and caught 41 passes for 340 yards, scoring 16 touchdowns on the year. Roosevelt was seen as the top playmaker, going over the 100-yard mark in each of Buffalo's last five games and scoring at least once in his last seven.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Connecticut offense
Especially compared to Buffalo, the UConn offense was extremely unbalanced; the Huskies ranked 19th in the nation in running, averaging 204.6 yards per game, but only 106th in the nation in passing, averaging 147.3 yards per game. Connecticut's offense was centered around running back Donald Brown. Described as "the ultimate workhorse", Brown led the NCAA in rushing going into the game with 1,822 yards. He had already tied the school single-season rushing touchdown record with 17 scores.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Connecticut offense
His dominant performance led to him being named the Big East offensive player of the year as well as an All-American by multiple organizations. Somewhat surprisingly, he was not a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, annually given to the best running back in college football; the award was eventually won by Shonn Greene of Iowa. UConn's rushing attack was supplemented by the efforts of quarterback Tyler Lorenzen and running back Jordan Todman.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Offensive matchups, Connecticut offense
The Huskies struggled to pass the ball all season, only completing four touchdown passes as a team heading into the International Bowl. Lorenzen completed under half of his passing attempts on the season. He threw for 820 yards with more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (two). Nevertheless, before the game Randy Edsall confirmed that Lorenzen would be the starting quarterback for UConn in the International Bowl. This would be his ninth appearance at quarterback on the season; he missed four games with a broken right foot.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Buffalo defense
The Buffalo defense was described as "among the worst in the MAC, meaning it's among the worst in college football". In Division I-FBS, the Bulls ranked 84th in total defense, allowing an average of 408 yards per game. Buffalo's run defense was 83rd in the country, allowing 141.1 yards per game; their pass defense was ranked 97th, allowing almost 250 yards per game. The Bulls allowed other teams to score an average of 27 points against them per game, which ranked 73rd in the country.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Buffalo defense
Buffalo did have one strength on defense: forcing turnovers. The Bulls recovered 20 fumbles and caught eight interceptions on the year. Buffalo's turnover margin of +1.15 was 6th best in the nation.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Connecticut defense
Conversely, UConn boasted one of the better defenses in the country. The Huskies allowed the 10th-fewest yards per game in the nation with 281 yards allowed. Connecticut was especially good against the pass; they allowed an average of only 165 yards per game, seventh-best in the country. No UConn opponent passed for more than 259 yards during the regular season.


2009 International Bowl, Pregame buildup, Defensive matchups, Connecticut defense
The Huskies had several standout players on defense. One was defensive end Cody Brown, who led UConn with 14 tackles for a loss (TFL) and nine sacks while also being named to the All-Big East first team. Cornerback Jasper Howard was another standout player: he had 37 tackles and four interceptions on the year while also leading the Big East in punt returns.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary
The  2009 International Bowl kicked off on January 3, 2009, at 12:00 PM in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Official attendance was listed at 40,184, the highest in the history of the International Bowl. The attendance record was largely due to Buffalo fans; an estimated 30,000 attended the game. John Saunders, Jesse Palmer, and Doug Flutie, all with ties to Canada, were the announcers for the television broadcast, which aired on ESPN2. The game was watched by over 2 million households with a rating of 2.12, both the highest in International Bowl history. Prior to the game, spread bettors favored Connecticut to win by four and a half points.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Buffalo received the ball first to begin the game, and returned the opening kickoff to their own 24-yard line. They were unable to move the ball in three plays, and punted the ball to Connecticut. The Huskies took possession on their own 18-yard line and drove down the field with alternating rushes by running back Donald Brown and quarterback Tyler Lorenzen, earning two first downs. On 2nd down and 5 from the UConn 49-yard line, Lorenzen was sacked by Buffalo's Sherrod Lott and fumbled; the ball was recovered by UConn right tackle Mike Hicks, allowing the Huskies to retain possession. A holding penalty on the next play called on UConn left tackle William Beatty set up 3rd-and-24. Donald Brown rushed for fifteen yards but was unable to reach the first-down marker, forcing UConn to punt.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Buffalo took over at their own 19-yard line and promptly earned their 1st first down of the game on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Drew Willy to wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt. The Bulls' drive stalled from there, forcing them to punt. The punt struck the ground and hit UConn's Jonathan Jean-Louis, who was attempting to block for the punt return; Buffalo recovered the loose ball, giving them back possession at the Connecticut 23-yard line. The Bulls were unable to move the ball any closer to the end zone, and settled for a 38-yard field goal by kicker A. J. Principe, giving them a 3–0 lead with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
The ensuing kickoff was returned by UConn running back Jordan Todman 45 yards to the Buffalo 45-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Donald Brown broke through the Buffalo defense and ran the length of the field for the first touchdown of the day. UConn kicker Dave Teggart's extra point attempt was good, giving UConn their first lead of the day, at 7–3.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Buffalo got the ball back at their own 21-yard line and were only able to advance it to their 34-yard line before punting the ball back to Connecticut. UConn cornerback Jasper Howard returned the ball 26 yards to the Bulls' 41-yard line. The Huskies handed the ball to Donald Brown for five straight running plays, advancing the ball to the Buffalo 19-yard line as the first quarter clock expired. At the end of the first quarter, UConn held a 7–3 lead and looked to be in position to score more when the second quarter began.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
UConn began the second quarter by having Tyler Lorenzen rush the ball for four yards. On 3rd and 7, Lorenzen attempted his first pass of the game, which was behind Husky wide receiver Michael Smith. Dave Teggart kicked a 32-yard field goal to increase Connecticut's lead to 10–3.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The Bulls began their next drive at their own 26-yard line, but went three-and-out. Buffalo punter Peter Fardon kicked the ball over the head of UConn returner Jasper Howard; rather than let the ball go, he ran backwards chasing after it. Trying to grab the ball over his shoulder, he muffed the catch, and the ball bounced into the end zone, where it was recovered by Buffalo's Ray Anthony Long for a Bull touchdown. The special-teams miscue by Howard allowed Buffalo to tie the game at 10–10 with 11:36 remaining in the second quarter.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
UConn's turnover woes continued on their next possession when, on their second play from scrimmage after receiving Buffalo's kickoff, Tyler Lorenzen was sacked, causing him to fumble the ball. The Bulls recovered and drove down the field to the UConn 12-yard line where they were stopped. Principe kicked a 29-yard field goal giving Buffalo back the lead, at 13–10.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The ensuing kickoff saw yet another Connecticut special-teams blunder. UConn running back Robbie Frey misplayed the ball off of the kickoff, letting it roll back into the end zone. Frey recovered the loose ball; if he had simply taken a knee, by rule it would have been a touchback and the Huskies would have gotten the ball at their own 20-yard line. Instead, Frey carried the ball out of the end zone, was hit at the 4-yard line, and fumbled. Buffalo recovered and promptly scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by Bull running back James Starks, giving themselves a 20–10 lead. UConn had committed its fifth fumble of the game, four of which were recovered by Buffalo. All of Buffalo's 20 points were directly off of UConn turnovers.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Connecticut fumbled the ball for the sixth time on the next possession; this time Donald Brown was responsible for dropping the ball. Buffalo recovered for the fifth time, but was unable to score, punting to ball back to UConn with 4:37 left in the half. Brown made up for his earlier mistake by breaking off a 75-yard run before being caught from behind. On the next play Tyler Lorenzen ran the ball into the end zone from 13 yards out. Neither team scored for the remainder of the first half, making the score 20–17 Buffalo going into halftime.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Connecticut received the ball to start the third quarter and drove down the field on rushing plays by Donald Brown, Jordan Todman and Tyler Lorenzen, before the drive stalled at the Buffalo 36-yard line. UConn punter Desi Cullen's punt was downed at the Buffalo 1-yard line, pinning them against their own end zone. The Bulls were unable to move the ball, punting the ball back to UConn after three plays.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Starting from their own 44-yard line, the Huskies drove to within the Buffalo 10-yard line; an offside penalty on Buffalo's Jerry Housey gave UConn a 1st-and-goal at the Buffalo 4-yard line. Connecticut used a play-action pass, only their second pass attempt of the game, to fool the Bulls; UConn tight end Steve Brouse was wide open in the end zone, catching the ball for the touchdown and giving Connecticut back the lead at 24–20 with 5:22 left in the third quarter.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Buffalo received the ball off the kickoff on their own 28-yard line. Losing eight yards on their three plays, Buffalo once again punted the ball to Connecticut. UConn drove to the Buffalo 25-yard line and attempted a 42-yard field goal; the kick by Dave Teggart was blocked. Buffalo got the ball back with less than a minute left in the quarter and completed two passes, moving the ball 13 yards down the field before the quarter expired. The score remained in Connecticut's favor, 24–20.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Buffalo began the final quarter with the ball in a 2nd-and-11 situation and were unable to convert the first down. UConn received Buffalo's punt and were also unable to move the ball, going three-and-out and punting back to the Bulls. On their next possession Buffalo managed to get a first down off of a Drew Willy pass to tight end Jesse Rack, but were unable to move the ball further than UConn's 49-yard line and punted again.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Connecticut took over at their own 32-yard line and, after throwing only two passes in the first three quarters, completed three passes over 10 yards apiece to move down the field. On a 2nd-and-5 from the Buffalo 15-yard line, Tyler Lorenzen scored his second rushing touchdown of the game. UConn's lead was extended to 31–20 with less than five minutes left in the game.


2009 International Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Receiving the ball at their own 8-yard line following a penalty on the kickoff return, Buffalo began to move down the field, with Drew Willy completing a 38-yard pass to wideout Brett Hamlin and a 29-yard pass to Naaman Roosevelt. On 3rd-and-4 from the Connecticut 19-yard line, Willy completed a ten-yard pass to James Starks, giving the Bulls a 1st-and-goal. Starks rushed for four yards on first down; on second down, Willy threw an incomplete pass intended for Roosevelt. On 3rd-and-goal from the Husky 5-yard line, Willy attempted a pass that was deflected and intercepted by UConn safety Dahna Deleston, who returned the ball 100 yards for the game-sealing touchdown. UConn won the game 38–20.


2009 International Bowl, Final statistics
For his performance in the 2009 International Bowl, Connecticut running back Donald Brown was named the player of the game. Brown rushed for 261 yards and one touchdown on 29 attempts. He finished the 2008 college football season with 2,083 rushing yards, which led the nation. Brown set several new UConn school records, including the single-season records for rushing yards (2,083), attempts (367), and yards per game (160.2), the career records for rushing yards (3,800) and attempts (698), and the record for consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing (8). His performance did not break the International Bowl rushing record, however; the previous year Rutgers running back Ray Rice ran for 280 yards and four touchdowns.


2009 International Bowl, Final statistics
Brown's dominant rushing performance was supplemented by RB Jordan Todman's 62 yards on seven attempts, QB Tyler Lorenzen's 32 yards on twelve attempts, including two touchdowns, and fullback Anthony Sherman's three yards on one attempt; in total Connecticut ran for 358 yards. The Huskies attempted to pass only six times during the game; Lorenzen completed four of them for 49 yards and a touchdown. Four different UConn receivers caught one pass each: wide receiver Kashif Moore (18 yards), cornerback and sometime wide receiver Darius Butler (16 yards), fullback Anthony Sherman (11 yards), and tight end Steve Brouse (4 yards and a touchdown).


2009 International Bowl, Final statistics
Buffalo's offensive performance was in some ways the opposite of Connecticut's: while UConn dominated on the ground and barely passed the ball, Buffalo struggled with the run but had a good day passing. The Bulls ran for a total of 24 yards on the game; James Starks accounted for 25 yards on thirteen carries and scored a touchdown, while RB Brandon Termilus ran three times for five yards. Their total was partially offset by Drew Willy, who lost six yards on three rushing attempts.


2009 International Bowl, Final statistics
Willy had a much more successful day passing, completing 29 out of 43 passes for 213 yards and one interception. Namaan Roosevelt led the Buffalo receivers with 90 yards on eight catches; of the five other Bulls who received passes, WR Brett Hamlin caught four passes for 54 yards, TE Jesse Rack caught three for 22 yards, RB Starks caught 11 for 21 yards, WR Ernest Jackson caught two for 17 yards, and WR Gary Rice caught one for 9 yards.


2009 International Bowl, Final statistics
Connecticut dominated Buffalo statistically in the first half, gaining 225 yards to the Bulls' 94, led by Donald Brown's 208 yards rushing. Buffalo won the turnover battle however, recovering five UConn fumbles. The Bulls scored 20 points off UConn turnovers in the first half, but were held scoreless in the second half when the Huskies stopped turning the ball over.


2009 International Bowl, Aftermath
Connecticut's win gave the team a final record of 8–5 and back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2003–04. Buffalo's final record fell to 8–6, which still marked the first winning season for the Bulls since transitioning to Division I-A football in 1999.


2009 International Bowl, Aftermath
In a press conference after the game, Brown announced that he would not return for his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, saying he told the media he said he was staying to take the focus off of himself prior to the game. Brown was drafted 27th overall by the Indianapolis Colts, becoming the first UConn player ever drafted in the first round.


2009 International Bowl, Aftermath
Three other UConn players were drafted in the second round: Darius Butler 41st overall by the New England Patriots, Will Beatty 60th overall by the New York Giants, and defensive end Cody Brown 63rd overall by the Arizona Cardinals. Tight end Martin Bédard was drafted 15th overall in the second round of the Canadian Football League's (CFL) 2009 Draft. Buffalo did not have any players drafted by either league in 2009; in the 2010 NFL Draft James Starks was selected in the sixth round, 193rd overall, by the Green Bay Packers. UConn cornerback Robert McClain was also drafted by the NFL in 2010, in the seventh round, 249th overall, by the Carolina Panthers.


2009 International Bowl, Aftermath
In the offseason Connecticut hired Joe Moorhead as their new offensive coordinator, replacing the departed Rob Ambrose. Turner Gill returned to coach Buffalo in 2009. Following that season, however, he left to take over the football program at the University of Kansas.


2009 International Bowl, Aftermath
Connecticut and Buffalo resumed their rivalry on September 25, 2010, playing a regular season game  at UConn's Rentschler Field. Although the score was tied 14–14 at halftime, the Huskies pulled away in the second half after changing quarterbacks, winning the rematch 45–21.


2009 International Challenge Cup
The 2009 International Challenge Cup (also called the AEGON Challenge Cup after its title sponsor) was held between March 4 and 8, 2009 at the De Uithof in The Hague. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, and pair skating, across the levels of senior, junior, novice, and the pre-novice discipline called "Debs".


2009 International Formula Master
The 2009 International Formula Master was the third International Formula Master season. The season consisted of eight double-header events, beginning on May 16 at Pau and ending on September 20 at Imola. The series supported the World Touring Car Championship at all European rounds except the Race of Portugal, and supported Formula One at the Hungarian Grand Prix and at the Belgian Grand Prix. Fabio Leimer claimed the title for Jenzer Motorsport, winning his seventh race of the season at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.


2009 International Formula Master, Prize Tests
Like the previous season, the top drivers in the International Formula Master series standings at the end of the year will be awarded with a wide range of prize tests in various other racing categories.


2009 International Formula Master, Prize Tests
As champion, Fabio Leimer received a GP2 Series test with French team DAMS, with Leimer, Sergey Afanasyev and Josef Král all earning the chance to use the chassis simulator of Formula One team Red Bull Racing for a day.


2009 International Formula Master, Prize Tests
In addition, tests have also been confirmed with Indy Lights team Sam Schmidt Motorsports and with the Chevrolet Cruze used in the World Touring Car Championship.


2009 International GT Open
The 2009 International GT Open season was the fourth season of the International GT Open. The season began on April 18 and ended on November 8, 2009. Joël Camathias and Marcel Fässler claimed both the Super GT title and the overall title, beating Autorlando Sport's Richard Lietz and Gianluca Roda in both standings. GTS champions were the Kessel Racing pairing of Michał Broniszewski and Philipp Peter.


2009 International GT Open, Championships
Points are awarded to the top five finishers in the order 10-8-6-4-3.


2009 International German Open
The 2009 International German Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It was the 103rd edition of the event known that year as the International German Open and was part of the ATP World Tour 500 series of the 2009 ATP World Tour. It took place at the Am Rothenbaum in Hamburg, Germany, from 20 July through 26 July 2009.


2009 International German Open, ATP entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw


2009 International German Open, Champions, Doubles
Simon Aspelin /  Paul Hanley defeated  Marcelo Melo /  Filip Polášek, 6–3, 6–3


2009 International German Open – Doubles
Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić were the defending champions, but chose not to participate that year.


2009 International German Open – Doubles
Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley won in the final, 6–3, 6–3, against Marcelo Melo and Filip Polášek.


2009 International German Open – Singles
Rafael Nadal was the defending champion, but chose not to participate that year.


2009 International German Open – Singles
Nikolay Davydenko won in the final, 6–4, 6–2, against Paul-Henri Mathieu.


2009 International German Open – Singles, Qualifying
The top two seeds received a bye into the qualifying competition


2009 International Islamic University bombing
At least six people, including three women, were killed, and as many as 29 people injured, 25 of them women, in twin suicide attacks at International Islamic University, Islamabad in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Police say the blasts at the university were caused by suicide bombers. This was the first-ever attack on students in the country since the start of 21st century terrorism in Pakistan in 2001.


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Background
The university is located in Islamabad's sector H-10. Eyewitnesses told DawnNews that there were between 3–4,000 students present at the time of the blast. The blasts took place at both the boys and girls campuses of the university.


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Background
The attack came as the Pakistani Army continued its offensive against militants in South Waziristan, in the country's north-west.


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Background
A string of attacks rocked Peshawar, Swat, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Islamabad dating back to 5 October, killing more than 250 people. The bombings have made October one of the bloodiest months since the beginning of the terrorist attacks.


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Attacks
The first attack occurred adjacent to the cafeteria near the girls' hostel, while the second attack occurred in the Sharia and Law Department a few minutes later.


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Attacks
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmad told news reporters that the deceased were identified as Sidra Khalid (student), Hina (student), Pervaiz Masih (sanitary worker), Shaukat Bhatti (security guard), Amna (worker) and Khalil-ur-Rehman (student). Students said Masih, prevented the bomber from entering the cafeteria of the girls school and saved many lives.


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Domestic reactions
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said, "These people have attacked Islamic University which proves their NO affiliation with Islam. They are neither sincere with Islam nor Pakistan's friends."


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Domestic reactions
Rehman Malik after a meeting on the security of schools and universities said, 'We have solid evidence that not only in Balochistan but India is involved in almost every terrorist activity in Pakistan.'


2009 International Islamic University bombing, Aftermath
The attacks prompted authorities to close schools and colleges throughout the country. The Sindh Education Department announced the closure of all government and private schools in the province until 25 October (Sunday), adding that universities would remain closed on 21 October (Wednesday) only. The NWFP and Balochistan governments have also announced the closure of all education institutions until Sunday. Educational institutions in the federal capital had already been shut down until 25 October. In Punjab, a private TV channel, it was reported that all government and private education institutions would remain closed until further orders.


2009 International League season
The 2009 International League season began on Thursday, April 9, with all fourteen teams competing on opening day. The regular season ended on Monday, September 7.


2009 International League season
In the semifinal playoff rounds, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees defeated the Gwinnett Braves 3-1 and the Durham Bulls defeated the Louisville Bats 3-2. The Bulls swept the Yankees 3-0 in the championship series to win the Governors' Cup.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, Affiliation changes
Before the 2009 season, three IL teams signed player development contracts (PDC) with different parent clubs.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, Affiliation changes
The Columbus Clippers signed a four-year PDC with the Cleveland Indians through 2012 on September 18, 2008. The Clippers had previously been affiliated with the Washington Nationals for two years after ending their 28-year partnership with the New York Yankees. The Indians become the Clippers' third affiliate in four years.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, Affiliation changes
The Syracuse Chiefs signed a two-year PDC with the Washington Nationals through 2010 on September 20, 2008. The Chiefs had previously been affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays since 1978 and had been the only Triple-A affiliate in Toronto's history.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, Affiliation changes
The Buffalo Bisons signed a two-year PDC with the New York Mets through 2010 on September 21, 2008. The Bisons had previously been affiliated with the Cleveland Indians for 14 seasons, winning three league championships (2 in the IL, 1 in the AA). The Bisons adopted a new logo and the Mets' team colors as their own to reflect the new partnership.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, Team changes
After 43 seasons and 5 Governor's Cup championships, the Richmond Braves moved to Lawrenceville, Georgia becoming the Gwinnett Braves. One factor in the franchise's decision to relocate was reportedly a failure to reach an agreement on building a new ballpark in Richmond.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, New stadiums
The Columbus Clippers moved from Cooper Stadium to Huntington Park in Columbus' Arena District. The stadium, which cost $56 million and will seat 10,000, opened on April 18 as the Clippers hosted their rival Toledo Mud Hens. Columbus-based bank holding company Huntington Bancshares Inc. bought the stadium's naming rights $12 million over 23 years.


2009 International League season, Before the Season, New stadiums
The newly relocated Gwinnett Braves (formerly Richmond Braves) moved into Gwinnett Stadium in Lawrenceville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. The 10,000 seat stadium is a focal point of a planned mixed-use entertainment district and opened on April 17 as the Braves host the Norfolk Tides. As of February 2009,the naming rights to the stadium have not been sold.


2009 International League season, Regular season, Opening Day
April 9 is the Opening Day of the 2009 International League season. The following games are scheduled:


2009 International League season, Regular season, All-star game
The 2009 Triple-A All-Star Game was the 22nd meeting between all-stars of the International and Pacific Coast leagues, with the game taking place on July 17 at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. For the twelfth time, the International League would field a team of its best players to compete against the host Pacific Coast League's best players. The International League would even up the All-Star Game series, with a 6-5 win over the Pacific Coast League all-stars. The PCL held a six games to five lead over the IL before the game.


2009 International League season, Playoffs
The 2009 International League playoffs will take place at the conclusion of the regular season in September.


2009 International Rally of Nations
The International Rally of Nations is an international Rally event held in México for the first time in 2009.


2009 International Rally of Nations
According to the organization, "the idea of this event is to bring the emotional side of the Olympic Games or the world cup to the automobile world with the possibility of several teams per country." The idea for the event came after the Rally Mexico was not included in the 2009 World Rally Championship due to the rotation system.


2009 International Rally of Nations
The event was won by Spain's Xavier Pons and Daniel Solà, with the two drivers amassing a total of 1067.5 points.


2009 International Rally of Nations, Format
This Rally has a special format since, unlike other rallies, time will not be added stage by stage. Each Special Stage will give points to the top 16 drivers. A team representing a nation will consist of two cars and the points scored by each driver will be added together to determine the Nations Champion.


2009 International Rally of Nations, Format
"Points will be awarded to each member of a Team per each Special Stage or Super Special Stage completed. The best-classified crew of each Team will be awarded points as Car 1, the second crew as Car 2. Each crew will be awarded points according to its overall position in the stage classification from the eligible crews (Competing for the Rally of Nations) in each Super Special Stage or Special Stage according to the following scale:"


2009 International Rally of Nations, Format
The Team scoring the most points at the end of the Rally will be declared theWinner of the Rally of Nations.


2009 International Rally of Nations, 2009 Entries
There are some very important drivers, including former and/or World Rally Championship, Production World Rally Championship and NACAM Rally Championship champions.


2009 International Rules Series
The 2009 International Rules Series (officially the 2009 Coca-Cola International Rules Series) was to have been the 15th International Rules Series football competition.


2009 International Rules Series
On 28 July 2009 the Australian Football League (AFL) informed the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) that due to economic conditions in Australia they would not be travelling to Ireland for the series in October. GAA President Christy Cooney and Ireland's international rules team manager Sean Boylan both expressed their disappointment at the AFL's decision. The AFL committed in writing that it would travel to Ireland for the series in 2010, and the Gaelic Grounds and Croke Park would host those two games.


2009 International Women's Football Tournament of City of São Paulo
The 2009 Torneio Internacional Cidade de São Paulo was the FIRST edition of the Torneio Internacional Cidade de São Paulo de Futebol Feminino, an invitational women's football tournament held annually in Brazil. It began on 9 December and ended on 20 December 2009.


2009 International Women's Football Tournament of City of São Paulo, Format
The four invited teams were in. In the first phase, the teams played each other within the group in a single round. The two teams with the most points earned in the respective group, were qualified for the next phase.


2009 International Women's Football Tournament of City of São Paulo, Format
In the final stage, the first and second teams placed in Group. Played only one match, becoming the champion, the winner team. If the match ends in a tie, will be considered champion, the team with the best campaign in the first phase.


2009 International Women's Football Tournament of City of São Paulo, Format
The third and fourth teams placed in the group. Played in one game, becoming the third-placed, the winner team. If the match ends in a tie, will be considered champion, the team with the best campaign in the first phase.


2009 Internationaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie
The 2009 Internationaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was part off the 2009 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Nouméa, New Caledonia between 5 and 11 January 2009.


2009 Internationaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 Internationaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie – Singles
Flavio Cipolla was the defending champion but chose not to defend his title. Brendan Evans won in the final 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, against Florian Mayer.


2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg
The 2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 23rd edition of the Internationaux de Strasbourg, and was part of the International-level tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour. It took place at the Centre Sportif de Hautepierre in Strasbourg, France, from 18 May until 23 May 2009. Aravane Rezaï won the singles title.


2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg, Finals, Doubles
Nathalie Dechy /  Mara Santangelo defeated  Claire Feuerstein /  Stéphanie Foretz, 6–0, 6–1


2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg – Doubles
In the doubles event at the 2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg women's tennis tournament played in Strasbourg, France, the winning pair was Nathalie Dechy of France and Mara Santangelo of Italy.


2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg – Singles
Anabel Medina Garrigues was the defending champion, but retired in the second round against Kristina Barrois.


2009 Internationaux de Strasbourg – Singles
Aravane Rezaï won the title, defeating Lucie Hradecká in the final 7–6(7–2), 6–1.


2009 Internationaux du Doubs – Open de Franche-Comté
The 2009 Internationaux du Doubs – Open de Franche-Comté was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was part of the 2009 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Besançon, France between 23 February and 1 March 2009.


2009 Internationaux du Doubs – Open de Franche-Comté, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 Internationaux du Doubs – Open de Franche-Comté, Champions, Men's Doubles
Karol Beck /  Jaroslav Levinský def. David Škoch /  Igor Zelenay, 2–6, 7–5, 10–7


2009 Internationaux du Doubs – Open de Franche-Comté – Doubles
Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya were the defending champions; however, they chose to not participate this year. Karol Beck and Jaroslav Levinský won in the final 2–6, 7–5, 10–7, against David Škoch and Igor Zelenay.


2009 Internationaux du Doubs – Open de Franche-Comté – Singles
Marc Gicquel was the defending champion; however, he didn't take part in these championships this year. Kristof Vliegen defeated 6–2, 6–7(6), 6–3 Andreas Beck in the final.


2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo
The 2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo is a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is the 22nd edition of the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo, and is part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour. It took place in Palermo, Italy, from July 13 through July 19, 2009.


2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo, WTA entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw


2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo, Champions, Doubles
Nuria Llagostera Vives /  María José Martínez Sánchez def. Mariya Koryttseva /  Darya Kustova, 6–1, 6–2


2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo – Doubles
Sara Errani and Nuria Llagostera Vives were the defending champions. Both were present that year, but chose to compete with different partners. Errani partnered with Lourdes Domínguez Lino, but lost in the quarterfinals to Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez. Llagostera Vives, partnered with Martínez Sánchez, defeated Mariya Koryttseva and Darya Kustova in the final, 6–1, 6–2.


2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo – Singles
Sara Errani was the defending champion, but Flavia Pennetta defeated her in the final 6-1, 6-2.


2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria
The 2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It was the third edition of the tournament which was part of the 2009 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Todi, Italy between 14 and 20 September 2009.


2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria, ATP entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria, ATP entrants, Other entrants
The following players received a Special Exempt into the singles main draw:


2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria, Champions, Doubles
Martin Fischer /  Philipp Oswald def. Pablo Santos /  Gabriel Trujillo-Soler, 7–5, 6–3


2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria – Doubles
Gianluca Naso and Walter Trusendi were the defending champions, but only Trusendi chose to compete this year. He partnered with Thomas Fabbiano. They reached to the quarterfinals, where he lost to Kevin Anderson and Harsh Mankad. Martin Fischer and Philipp Oswald defeated Pablo Santos and Gabriel Trujillo-Soler 7–5, 6–3 in the final.


2009 Internazionali di Tennis dell'Umbria – Singles
Tomas Tenconi was the defending champion; however, he was eliminated by Andrea Arnabold in the second round. Simon Greul won in the final 2–6, 6–1, 7–6(6), against Adrian Ungur.


2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo
The 2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo was a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was part of the 2009 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Bergamo, Italy between 9 and 15 February 2009.


2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following player received Special Exempt into the main draw:


2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo, Champions, Men's Doubles
Karol Beck /  Jaroslav Levinský def. Chris Haggard /  Pavel Vízner, 7–6(6), 6–4


2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo – Doubles
Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi chose to not defend their 2008 title. Karol Beck and Jaroslav Levinský won in the final 7–6(6), 6–4, against Chris Haggard and Pavel Vízner.


2009 Internazionali di Tennis di Bergamo – Singles
Andreas Seppi was the defending champion; however, he didn't take part in these championships this year. Lukáš Rosol won in the final 6–1, 4–6, 7–6(3), against Benedikt Dorsch.


2009 Intersport Heilbronn Open
The 2009 Intersport Heilbronn Open was a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was part of the Tretorn SERIE+ of the 2009 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Talheim, Germany between 26 January and 1 February 2009.


2009 Intersport Heilbronn Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 Intersport Heilbronn Open, Champions, Men's Doubles
Karol Beck /  Jaroslav Levinský def. Benedikt Dorsch /  Philipp Petzschner, 6–3, 6–2


2009 Intersport Heilbronn Open – Doubles
Rik de Voest and Bobby Reynolds were the defending champions. They chose to not defend their 2009 title. Karol Beck and Jaroslav Levinský won in the final 6–3, 6–2, against Benedikt Dorsch and Philipp Petzschner.


2009 Intersport Heilbronn Open – Singles
Evgeny Korolev was the defending champion. He didn't take part in these championships this year. Benjamin Becker defeated 6–4, 6–4 Karol Beck in the final.


2009 Interwetten Austrian Open Kitzbühel
The 2009 Interwetten Austrian Open Kitzbühel is a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is the 29th edition of the tournament and was part of the World Tour 250 series of the 2009 ATP World Tour. It was held at the Tennis stadium Kitzbühel in Kitzbuehel Austria from 16 May until 23 May 2009. Unseeded Guillermo García-López won the singles title.


2009 Interwetten Austrian Open Kitzbühel, Finals, Doubles
Marcelo Melo /  André Sá defeated  Andrei Pavel /  Horia Tecău, 6–7(9–11), 6–2, [10–7]


2009 Interwetten Austrian Open Kitzbühel – Singles
Juan Martín del Potro was the defending champion, but chose not to participate that year.


2009 Iowa Corn Indy 250
The 2009 Iowa Corn Indy 250 was the seventh round of the 2009 IndyCar Series season. The race was held on June 21, 2009 at the 0.894-mile (1.439 km) Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, United States. The race was broadcast on ABC. It received a 0.8 rating on the Nielsen ratings scale, down from a 1.1 rating from the 2008 Iowa Corn Indy 250.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa and the Iowa Hawkeyes athletic program during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 2009 marked Kirk Ferentz's 11th year as head coach of Iowa. The Hawkeyes finished the season as the 2010 Orange Bowl Champions.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The Hawkeyes came off a 9–4 season in 2008, including a win over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl and a 24–23 upset of Big Ten champion of Penn State.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Season, Schedule
The Hawkeyes played 13 opponents in the 2009 season, finishing 11–2 (6–2 in conference play) and defeated Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Northern Iowa
The Hawkeyes struggled early, gaining just 104 yards of total offense in the first half. After trading field goals, UNI took a 10–3 lead after quarterback Pat Grace threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Mahaffey. The Hawkeyes woke up in the second half, going 70 yards in six plays and getting an 11-yard touchdown run from Adam Robinson with under 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Iowa would regain the lead early in the fourth quarter when Tony Moeaki caught a touchdown pass from Ricky Stanzi.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Northern Iowa
After a Billy Hallgren field goal, the Panthers threatened late in the game, with Grace leading them down the field in the final minutes to set up a potential game-winning kick and an upset. Hallgren's first attempt was blocked, but the officials ruled the ball went behind the line of scrimmage and UNI recovered with one second left. Jeremiha Hunter blocked the second kick, sealing the victory for the Hawkeyes. This was the first time in FBS history that a team had blocked two field goals on consecutive plays.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Northern Iowa
Despite the win, Iowa's struggle against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent knocked them out of both the Associated Press and USA Today Top 25 polls until their upset of #5 Penn State at the end of the month.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Iowa State
The Cyclones scored first with a 46-yard field goal from Grant Mahoney in the first quarter. But Iowa was able to capitalize on good field position resulting from an onside kick attempt by Iowa State and took the lead for good on a one-yard pass from Ricky Stanzi to Brett Morse. The Hawkeyes benefitted from six turnovers, scoring four more touchdowns off Cyclone mistakes. Tyler Sash had three of Iowa's five interceptions, tying a school record.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Arizona
The Hawkeyes scored on the opening drive, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Adam Robinson. But Arizona tied the score at 7 after Trevin Wade returned a Ricky Stanzi interception 38 yards into the end zone. Iowa's defense would again prove to be the difference-maker in this game, not allowing a touchdown until 1:53 was remaining in the game, with the Hawkeyes well ahead. Tyler Sash also netted his seventh interception in five games (dating back to last year).


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Penn State
ESPN's College GameDay was in State College for the Saturday night Big Ten opener. The Hawkeyes fell behind early, 10–0, after a 79-yard pass from Daryll Clark to Chaz Powell on Penn State's first play from scrimmage and then a 20-play drive by the Nittany Lions that led to a Collin Wagner field goal. But Iowa would score 21 unanswered points after that to stun Penn State for the second consecutive year.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Penn State
The defense shut down the Nittany Lions in the final three quarters, forcing four turnovers, and the turning point in the game came when Penn State punted, clinging to a 10–5 lead in the fourth quarter, Adrian Clayborn blocked a punt and ran it back 53 yards for a touchdown to give the Hawkeyes the lead. With the momentum changed, they were more easily able to move the ball on their final two drives.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Penn State
For many Penn State fans, the way the game played out reminded them of the games from their dismal 3–9 (1–7) season with many close losses in 2003, but for many Iowa fans, the way the game played out also brought back memories of 2003, reminding them of their 2003 season where they finished #8 in the nation and beat Penn State 26–14 at home, during a span of three years (2002, 2003, 2004) where they were #8 for three consecutive years and won a share of the conference championship in two of those years (2002 and 2004).


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Penn State
The win at Penn State on prime-time network television catapulted Iowa to a number 13 ranking in the AP Poll and a number 17 ranking in the Coaches' Poll. At year's end, it would also prove to be a selling point for choosing the Hawkeyes over the Nittany Lions for an at-large bid in the Bowl Championship Series.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Arkansas State
Iowa jumped out to a 14–0 lead behind two touchdown passes by Ricky Stanzi. Unlike Stanzi, the offense would stall, however, which allowed the Red Wolves back into the game before the first half ended, with quarterback Corey Leonard connecting with Brandon Thompkins for a score. The Hawks would answer back in the second half, as Tyler Sash's fifth interception on the year set up a 43-yard TD pass from Stanzi to Marvin McNutt.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Arkansas State
Stanzi was then picked off twice, the second interception going 75 yards for a touchdown (Stanzi's 2nd pick-six this year). Daniel Murray extended the lead to 10 with a 20-yard field goal, but Arkansas State wouldn't go away. They took the ball 68 yards in a 17 plays and nearly 8 minutes to close the gap within 3. The Hawkeyes would hold on though to improve their record to 5–0, with Michigan coming to town in a prime-time national telecast next.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Michigan
The scoring began with Stanzi's third pick-six of the year, with cornerback Donovan Warren taking the intercepted pass 40 yards to give Michigan an early 7–0 lead. Iowa would respond, however, with Stanzi finding tight end Tony Moeaki for a touchdown to cap a nine-play, 57-yard drive. The Wolverines committed five turnovers to the Hawkeyes' one, the most crucial being an interception by Brett Greenwood with 46 seconds remaining in the game to seal Iowa's 10th consecutive victory, the second-longest winning streak in the nation behind Florida.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Wisconsin
After a scoreless first quarter, the Badgers jumped to a 10–0 lead after freshman running back Montee Ball scored from 10 yards out. Then, in a scene reminiscent of Iowa's effort at Penn State three weeks earlier, the Hawks rattled off 20 unanswered points, while the defense intercepted Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien three times. Also similar to the win over Penn State, Tolzien was picked off two times on Wisconsin's final drives that threatened to put Wisconsin in the game again.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Wisconsin
Unlike that night, Iowa was not trailing in the 4th quarter, they took a 17–10 lead early in the 4th and nearly scored once more up 20–10 in the red zone, but couldn't convert a 4th down. Despite this, the 10-point lead was more than enough for the Hawkeyes to win.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Wisconsin
The win, paired with Ohio State's loss at Purdue, gave Iowa sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Michigan State
It was a defensive battle for 58 minutes, with both teams getting very close to the goal line, only to come away with field goals. Down 9–6 in the fourth quarter, the Spartans scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Blair White with 1:37 left in the game. But the Hawkeyes would respond by taking the ball down the field. Finally, on 4th and goal at the 7-yard line with 2 seconds remaining, Ricky Stanzi connected with Marvin McNutt for the game-winning touchdown.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Michigan State
The win gave the Hawkeyes its best start in school history at 8–0.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Indiana
The Hawkeyes' perfect season and hopes at a national championship were in serious jeopardy for three quarters, as Indiana went into the locker room ahead 21–7 at the half thanks to an opening-drive score and special teams miscues by the Hawkeyes (a 9-yard punt and a fumble on a punt return deep in Iowa territory). The Hoosiers looked to extend the lead to three scores when Tyler Sash somehow managed to intercept a Ben Chappell pass and take it 86 yards the other way for a touchdown.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Indiana
Ricky Stanzi had perhaps his worst game as Iowa's quarterback, throwing five interceptions, four in the third quarter as the Hawkeye offense played into a strong wind from the north. He and his team were able to recover in the fourth quarter, however, as Stanzi found Marvin McNutt for a 92-yard touchdown pass then on the next offensive play, connected with Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for a score from 66 yards out that would put Iowa up for good.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Indiana
In all, the Hawkeyes scored 28 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes after trailing 24–14 to improve their record to 9–0.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Northwestern
In the first quarter, Ricky Stanzi quickly rattled off 10 points for the Iowa offense, putting them in the lead early. However, those would be the only points the Hawkeyes would score all day, and, as the second quarter drew to a close, the Hawkeyes would find themselves without their starting quarterback, as Stanzi went down with a high ankle sprain, effectively ending his season, and forcing untested backup, freshman James Vandenberg into the spotlight.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Northwestern
The spotlight would prove to be too much for Vandenberg, as he could never mount an effective enough drive to overcome the suddenly mounting score. Iowa would eventually lose the game and their number 4 ranking in the BCS poll.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Ohio State
Devin Barclay kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime to defeat the injured but spirited Iowa Hawkeyes 27-24. James Vandenberg would make his first start in place of injured Ricky Stanzi in this battle for the Big Ten championship and the conference's automatic bid, which would put the winner in the Rose Bowl. Vandenberg showed remarkable poise playing such a big game in a tough environment in Columbus, completing 20 of his 33 passes for two touchdowns, including the game-tying score to Marvin McNutt with 2:42 left in regulation. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos also helped in the Hawks' comeback with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown after Ohio State extended its lead to 24–10 on a 49-yard Brandon Saine run following a Vandenberg interception. Iowa would not score in its overtime possession however.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Minnesota
It was a battle of defenses on Senior Day in Iowa City, as both the Hawkeyes and Gophers combined for 372 total yards and 17 punts, more than the total number of points. The game's lone touchdown came on a 1-yard run by Brandon Wegher with 52 seconds left in the first half. The Hawkeye defense also turned the Gophers away after having four chances to make it a game with the ball on Iowa's 2-yard line.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Minnesota
With the win, Iowa finished the regular season at 10–2 and a final BCS ranking of number 10. On December 6, 2009, they were selected to play the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 5, marking the Hawkeyes' second postseason visit to South Florida in seven years.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Orange Bowl
The Hawkeyes came into the 76th Orange Bowl as underdogs to Georgia Tech, but were able to set the tempo at the very beginning. The Hawkeyes brought a piece of Iowa with them to South Florida, the temperature was 49 degrees at kickoff, making it the coldest Orange Bowl on record. After a Marvin McNutt fumble on the game's opening drive led to good field position for the Yellow Jackets' dangerous triple-option attack, the Iowa defense was able to force a 3-and-out.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Orange Bowl
On the next two offensive drives, quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who had surgery to repair a ligament tear that was a result of his injury against Northwestern, led the Hawkeyes into the end zone, throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt and a 21-yard pass to Colin Sandeman to give Iowa the early 14–0 advantage. But as he had done three times already in 2009, Stanzi also threw an interception that resulted in six points for the other team, with Jerrard Tarrant scoring from 40 yards on the return.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Orange Bowl
After getting manhandled in the first half, Georgia Tech's offense would wake up, getting into scoring position on their first drive but unable to put points on the board, then getting a one-yard score from Anthony Allen to cap an 11-play, 71-yard drive and bring the Jackets to within a field goal.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Orange Bowl
Norm Parker's defense, however, was once again able to stop Tech after that, and a 32-yard touchdown by Brandon Wegher with 1:56 remaining would seal Iowa's first major bowl victory since the 1959 Rose Bowl.


2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Orange Bowl
Defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who announced he would return to the Hawkeyes next season, was named the Orange Bowl's Most Valuable Player. He had 9 tackles and 2 sacks. The Iowa defense limited Georgia Tech to 143 yards rushing, less than half of their average for the season.


2009 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The 2009 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by first year head coach Paul Rhoads. They played their home games at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones finished the season 7–6, 3–5 in Big 12 play and beat Minnesota 14–13 in the Insight Bowl.


2009 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Nebraska
The Cyclones entered Memorial Stadium without their leading quarterback and rushing threat and subsequently played an error-free game. The solid effort was enough to put up 9 points in the first half to lead Nebraska by 2, which concluded the game's scoring. The 9 points turned out to be sufficient to win against the poor Cornhusker offensive effort, which turned over the ball a school-record eight times (including four inside of Iowa State's five-yard line). The turnovers negated Nebraska's 362–239 edge in yards gained.


2009 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Nebraska
The Cyclones enjoyed their first win in Memorial Stadium since 1977. First-year Head coach Paul Rhoads said about the game, "When you don't win in a stadium on the road since 1977, it's big."


2009 Iowa State Cyclones football team, After the season, Awards, Big 12 player of the week
Alexander RobinsonOn September 28, Alexander Robinson was declared the Big 12 Co-Offensive player of the week after recording 178 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in Iowa State's win over Army. Robinson is the first Iowa State running back since Ennis Haywood in 2000 to record three consecutive 100- yard games.


2009 Iowa special elections
The 2009 Iowa state special elections were held throughout 2009. These elections were to fill vacancies in various state and local positions, most notably in the Iowa House of Representatives. In 2009, neither special election had the potential to change partisan control of the Iowa House, though such races may nonetheless be viewed as predictors for future elections. As of November 4, 2009, there have been two resignations from the Iowa House in 2009, resulting in special elections in House Districts 33 and 90.


2009 Iowa special elections, Iowa House District 90 special election
District 90 Representative John Whitaker (D) announced on July 17, 2009, that he was resigning from the Iowa House to become U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Administration Director in Iowa. Governor Chet Culver signed a proclamation on July 20 setting a special election to fill the vacancy for September 1, 2009. Democrat Curt Hanson won the election, beating Republican Stephen Burgmeier, Fourth of July Party candidate Dan Cesar, and Independent Douglas William Philips.


2009 Iowa special elections, Iowa House District 33 special election
District 33 Representative Dick Taylor (D) announced on October 12, 2009, that he was resigning from the Iowa House for family reasons. Culver signed a proclamation on October 13 setting a special election to fill the vacancy for November 24, 2009. The candidates for the seat are Republican Joshua Thurston and Democrat Kirsten Running-Marquardt.


2009 Iran Futsal's 2nd Division
The 2009 Iranian Futsal 2nd Division will be divided into two phases.


2009 Iran Futsal's 2nd Division
The league will also be composed of 20 teams divided into two divisions of 10 teams each, whose teams will be divided geographically. Teams will play only other teams in their own division, once at home and once away for a total of 18 matches each.


2009 Iran poll protests trial
2009 Iran poll protests trial refers to a series of trials conducted after 2009 Iranian presidential election. Over 140 defendants, including prominent politicians, academics and writers, were put on trial for participating in the 2009 Iranian election protests. The defendants were accused of orchestrating "colour revolution" in Iran, and "exposing cases of violations of human rights." The trials were widely condemned by world leaders both in Iran and worldwide as a "Show trial" with coerced confessions.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Accused
On August 1, 2009 110 people were put on trial, including prominent reformists, journalists and writers. Among them were former Vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, former Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Industry Minister Behzad Nabavi, reformist lawmaker Ali Tajernia, Shahaboddin Tabatabaei, journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi, and others. Other people put on trial include French Embassy employee, Nazak Afshar, nine British Embassy employees, including the Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh, Hossein Rassam, Newsweek correspondent Maziar Bahari, and French academic Clotilde Reiss. On August 16, 25 more defendants were added to the trial.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Accused
Throughout the trials, family members of the defendants and others gathered in front of the court to condemn the trial. Witnesses reported that riot police attacked the protesters outside the court. The wife of detained reformist lawmaker Ali Tajernia was arrested while outside the court.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Accused
On August 28, President Ahmadinejad called on judiciary officials to "decisively" and "mercilessly" prosecute those "who organized, incited and pursued the plans of the enemies," remarks called "clearly aimed at Mir Hussein Moussavi, Mehdi Karroubi, Mohammad Khatami, and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Charges and confessions
The charges included "rioting", "vandalism" and "acting against national security", "disturbing public order," having ties with counter-revolutionary groups according to official sources.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Charges and confessions
In a press conference shown on state television several of the defendants – Abtahi, Kian Tajbakhsh, Maziar Bahari – made confessions and withdrew charges against the election results that some of them had made earlier.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Charges and confessions
Critics of the prosecution and the confessions by the accused, such as Pamela Kilpadi, say the confessions, "have been forced under duress from (people) being held in an undisclosed location without access to a lawyer, family, or friends, in violation of the human rights treaties to which Iran is supposedly a signatory,"  Prosecutors have warned against questioning the legitimacy of the trial, threatening to prosecute doubters. The prosecutor read an indictment on August 8, 2009, that accused United States and Britain of stoking the unrest in an attempt to create a "soft overthrow" of the Iranian government.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution
The prosecution is led by Saeed Mortazavi, the Prosecutor General of Tehran, who has been called a "hardliner" for his role in the death of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, and the shutting down of 60 pro-reform newspapers. The sentences for the charges range from a short imprisonment to capital punishment.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Complaints about access and rights
According to journalist Borzou Daragahi, "only reporters with news organizations controlled by Ahmadinejad or his loyalists were granted access to the courtroom."


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Complaints about access and rights
Saleh Nikbakht, who represents some of the most prominent defendants, has complained of being sidelined from the trial. He told Radio Farda


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Complaints about access and rights
"I have repeatedly notified the judiciary that I have agreed to represent the defendants at their request, but I was never granted permission to see the detainees and I wasn't notified about today's trial. ... I first heard about the trial today at 11:30 a.m. on television. When I went there, the doors were closed and they did not let me in."


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Complaints about access and rights
The families of the detained have also complained about the lack of openness in the trial. According to the website Norooznews.ir in a letter to judiciary chief Sadegh Larijani they said


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Complaints about access and rights
"The lawyers are not even informed of where the hearings are held, nor have they studied the dossiers, ... We ask you, as Iran's top judge, to bring the ongoing judicial case back on the right track to keep the judiciary from losing more face."


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Sentences
So far, five people have received death sentences for their parts in the protest.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Sentences
Two people were convicted for being members of a monarchist group and a third was convicted for his alleged ties to a terrorist group and for links to the People's Mujahedin of Iran. The other two were convicted of ties to armed opposition groups.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prosecution, Sentences
Iran's former vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi was sentenced to six years in prison for taking part in the protests.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
Opposition leaders have claimed that the prisoners have been tortured and raped in prison. UN human rights experts, opposition leaders, and world leaders condemned the abuse, which has been compared to Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
Former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has called the treatment of prisoners on trial "medieval torture". Former chairman of Iranian parliament Mehdi Karroubi has stated that male and female prisoners have been raped in the prison and their genitals torn. In a letter to the head of Assembly of Experts he asked the head of the assembly to investigate abuses. Amnesty International's secretary general has also called for an investigation into allegations of torture and rape in detention. Iran's police chief, Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, acknowledged that the prisoners had been abused and raped.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
Ali Larijani, Iran's parliament speaker, has denied that prisoners were abused. In response to denials, several journalists and activists who were detained in the prisons, reported their own personal experience. On August 16, 2009, Fereshteh Ghazi, in an article in Rooz, wrote about her time in prison, describing the torture and sexual violence in Iranian prisons.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
Additionally, several of the prisoners died while in prison. Authorities claimed that they had "pre-existing conditions" that led to their deaths, however, examining of the bodies would show signs of torture and broken bones. At least three of the detained protesters have died while in prison at the Kahrizak detention center. One prisoner, 24-year-old Amir Javadifar was clubbed by so badly that he was taken to a hospital and treated before being taken to Evin Prison. He would die while in prison and his father was later called to collect his corpse.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
Medical reports on his body would show that he had been beaten, had several broken bones and his toenails had been pulled out. Another detainee, Amir Hossein Tufanian, who was in the Kahrizak detention center died while there. After his death, police allegedly demanded that his family pay thousands of dollars for his body. When the family protested that they had no money, they were told they could have it for free if they did not discuss it to anyone. Examinations would show that he had been tortured and had two broken arms.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
The mysterious death of an Iranian prison doctor on November 10, 2009, continued to raise suspicions. The doctor, Dr. Ramin Pourandarjani, was the only doctor serving at the Kahrizak detention center. He came under scrutiny of the Iranian government when he refused to change the death certificate of Mohsen Rouhalamini, a protester detained at Kahrizakt, to meningitis rather than from torture and beatings. Conflicting reports from Iranian authorities regarding Dr. Pourandarjani's death led to massive outcries from opposition leaders.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
Many prisoners were raped while detained. In Tehran, at least 37 men and women claim to have been raped by their jailers. Doctors' reports say that two males, aged 17 and 22, died as a result of internal bleeding from being raped.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
There is some question as to the effectiveness of the confessions to turn public opinion in Iran. One observer has stated that "so far," the trials "have failed to accrue" the "fearsome power" of the Moscow show trials or earlier public confessions of Iranian secular leftists and MeK guerrillas in 1982, due to broad public support for the prisoners' cause and the "subversive" power of parodies and criticism of the trials on the Internet.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, Prisoner abuse
On November 28, 2018 guards in Khoy female prison, north west of Iran attacked inmate Zeynab Jalalian and confiscated all her belongings. She was arrested in February 2007.


2009 Iran poll protests trial, International response
Human rights activists and Iranian intellectuals wrote a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay calling the trials "crimes against humanity."


2009 Iran poll protests trial, International response
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the trials a "sign of weakness" and that it shows Iran "is afraid of its own people" in an interview with CNN. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband condemned the trial and said that accusing British Embassy staff of stoking the unrest "only brings further discredit to the Iranian regime."


2009 Iran poll protests trial, International response
The Swedish Presidency of the European Union expressed concern over the trial and demanded that the prisoners be released promptly, saying "The Presidency reiterates that actions against one EU country — citizen or embassy staff — is considered an action against all of EU, and will be treated accordingly."


2009 Iran poll protests trial, International response
On September 24, 2009, demonstrators from around the world gathered in New York City to protest against Ahmadinejad's speech to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident
The 2009 Iranian Air Force Il-76MD Adnan 2 accident of 22 September 2009 resulted in the destruction of Iran's only functional airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft,  an Ilyushin Il-76MD Adnan 2. Sources conflict on the cause of the loss, with some stating that there was a mid-air collision with an Iranian Air Force Northrop F-5E Tiger II or a HESA Saeqeh, and others stating that the rotodome detached from the aircraft, striking and removing the tailplane while the aircraft was maneuvering for an emergency landing following an engine fire.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident, Accident
A military parade was held in Tehran on 22 September 2009 to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War, and was a send-off for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was to give a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 23 September. A flyby by the Iranian Air Force was part of the parade involving the AWACS-equipped Ilyushin-76MD as well as Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs and HESA Saeqeh aircraft.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident, Accident
Sources vary on the cause of the accident. Some state that a fire developed in one of the engines, and that the radome detached when the aircraft was attempting to make an emergency landing on runway 29L at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport. The detached radar dome struck the tail fin, removing it and caused loss of control which led to the aircraft crashing. Other sources state that the Il-76MD and one of the escorts collided in mid-air over the site of the tomb of former Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeni.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident, Accident
The Ilyushin subsequently crashed in flames 15 km northwest of Varamin, killing all seven crew members on board. Some reports state that no mayday call was made, indicating a sudden event while other reports indicate that there was an emergency call from the aircraft with the pilot reporting an engine fire and calling for an emergency landing. The accident was initially reported on the Islamic Republic News Agency website, but was withdrawn 5 hours later. A video of burning wreckage from the military aircraft surrounded by fire trucks was also shown on state TV. However, president Ahmadinejad made no mention of it during his speech at the parade.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident, Accident
A video of the crash appeared on YouTube on 3 June 2011 uploaded by user Pooya Afaghi, showing the stricken IL-76MD with its rear fuselage missing, spiraling down out of control and then impacting the ground. The appearance of the video was reported in the Huffington Post.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident, Aircraft involved, IL-76
The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-76MD Adnan 2, a Soviet-built transport aircraft, later converted to an AWACS system by the Iraqi Military Industrialization Corporation for the Iraqi Air Force called the Ilyushin Il-76MD Adnan 2. It had been flown from Iraq to Iran in 1991 during the First Gulf War, given serial number 5-8209 and renamed from "Baghdad" to "Simorgh" (a flying creature of Iranian fable which performs wonders in mid-flight). After arrival in Iran, Russian technicians had reportedly upgraded the aircraft and installed a newer Iranian-made radar, which could trace flying objects within a 1,000 kilometres (540 nmi) range. The aircraft came into service in April 2008 and was the only AWACS-equipped Iranian aircraft.


2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident, Aircraft involved, Possible second aircraft
If a mid-air collision was the cause of the accident, some sources state that the second aircraft involved was a Northrop F-5E Tiger II.


2009 Iranian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Iran on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election with 62% of the votes cast, and that Mir-Hossein Mousavi had received 34% of the votes cast. There were large irregularities in the results and people were surprised by them, which resulted in protests of millions of Iranians, across every Iranian city and around the world and the emergence of the opposition Iranian Green Movement.


2009 Iranian presidential election
Many Iranian figures directly supported the protests and declared the votes were fraudulent.


2009 Iranian presidential election
Among them, many film directors like Jafar Panahi (who was consequently banned from making movies for 20 years and condemned to six years imprisonment), Mohammad Rasoulof (also condemned to 6 years imprisonment), actors and actresses like Pegah Ahangarani (who was consequently imprisoned), Ramin Parchami (who was consequently condemned to one year imprisonment), sportsmen like the whole Iran national football team who wore green wristbands in their game against South Korea to support the movement, scholars like Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Akbar Ganji, Mohsen Sazegara, many religious figures like Mohsen Kadivar, Grand Ayatollah Yousef Saanei, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Mohammad Dastgheib Shirazi, traditional singers like Mohammad Reza Shajarian, defected Basij and Iranian Revolutionary Guards like Amir Farshad Ebrahimi and those who confessed with covered faces.


2009 Iranian presidential election
The European Union and several western countries expressed concern over alleged irregularities during the vote, and many analysts and journalists from the United States and United Kingdom news media voiced doubts about the authenticity of the results.


2009 Iranian presidential election
Mousavi issued a statement accusing the Interior Ministry, which was responsible for conducting the election, of widespread election fraud and urged his supporters to engage in peaceful protests. He also lodged an official appeal with the Guardian Council for new and more transparent elections. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the nation to unite behind Ahmadinejad, labeling his victory as a "divine assessment". Khamenei then announced there would be an investigation into vote-rigging claims.


2009 Iranian presidential election
On 16 June, the Guardian Council announced it would recount 10% of the votes and concluded there were no irregularities at all, dismissing all election complaints. However, Mousavi stated that a recount would not be sufficient since he claimed 14 million unused ballots were missing, giving the Interior Ministry an opportunity to manipulate the results. On 19 June, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the pro-Mousavi demonstrations as illegal, and protests the next day were met with stiff resistance from government forces, with many reported deaths.


2009 Iranian presidential election
The Green Movement of Iran continued its peaceful protests until 14 February 2011 and radicalized itself demanding a total regime change and departure of Khamenei from power.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Background
Ahmadinejad became President of Iran after the 2005 election. The losing candidates at that time claimed irregularities at the polls, but the charges were not investigated. A formal protest to the Guardian Council was made and the group dismissed it without comment. His victory had surprised most observers of the campaign. At that time the reformist camp had mostly either boycotted elections entirely or held back out of disillusionment with past lack of progress. The voting for the 2009 election was scheduled for 12 June 2009 and ended up being extended until midnight that day because the turnout was unexpectedly high. Voting ended up proceeding four hours longer than originally scheduled.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Background
The President is elected by direct vote, however candidates for the presidency must be approved by the 12-member Council of Guardians. Candidates need to win a majority (more than half) to become President. Iran has a two-round system: if none of the candidates wins the majority in the first round, the top two candidates will go to a run-off. The first round was held on 12 June 2009; the run-off would have been held one week later, on 19 June 2009. All Iranian citizens of age 18 and up are eligible to vote. Both the Iranian Center for Statistics and the Iranian Ministry of the Interior stated that there were around 46.2 million eligible voters.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Candidates
On 20 May 2009, the Guardian Council officially announced a list of approved candidates, while rejecting a number of registered nominees. Only four candidates were approved by the Guardian Council, out of the 476 men and women who had applied to seek the presidency of Iran in the 2009 election.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Declined candidates
The following people were said to be possible candidates in the election, but did not register within the five days allowed for registration.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Declined candidates
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former President and chairman of the Assembly of Experts, would have been over 75 years old on the election day and therefore ineligible to run by election law.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
The incumbent was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian reform movement attempted to unite behind a single candidate; former President Mohammad Khatami was the leading opponent to Ahmadinejad in some opinion polls, until he withdrew and endorsed former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Former Speaker of the Majlis Mehdi Karroubi, another Reformist, was also running; as was the former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Mohsen Rezaee, a conservative with a reputation for political pragmatism. The election marked a return to public spotlight for Mousavi, who had not received much attention since he served as Prime Minister in the 1980s. Reformist opinions galvanized around him as the election grew nearer. He became the symbol for a groundswell of youthful democratic sentiment, despite his personal background and political views.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
The Telegraph described the campaign as "unusually open by Iranian standards, but also highly acrimonious". It was marked by heated rhetoric between the incumbent and his challengers. Mousavi and two other candidates said Ahmadinejad lied about the state of the economy, which was suffering from high inflation and a fall in oil revenues from last year's record levels. Ahmadinejad responded by comparing his opponents to Adolf Hitler, adding they could be jailed for their comments: "No one has the right to insult the president, and they did it. And this is a crime. The person who insulted the president should be punished, and the punishment is jail ... Such insults and accusations against the government are a return to Hitler's methods, to repeat lies and accusations ... until everyone believes those lies".


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
Debates about the economy played the biggest role in the campaign, with the global economic recession looming in peoples' minds. About one in five Iranians lived under the poverty line, inflation was about 25 percent and unemployment over 12.5 percent (some unofficial estimates reported 30%). Mousavi advocated further privatisation of the economy towards a free market, with a tight monetary policy in comparison to Ahmadinejad's populist fiscal policy. Ahmadinejad's measures to fight poverty were a central issue of his campaign.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
Mousavi drew his electoral base from the middle and upper classes, while Ahmadinejad drew support from the urban poor and rural residents. Civil servants, police officers, pensioners and others dependent on the government, also contributed to Ahmadinejad's base. He turned the financial support of the business class opposing him into a theme of attack. BBC News described his campaign as "one that foresees the death of capitalism".


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
Mousavi criticized Ahmadinejad for diplomatically isolating Iran by denying the Holocaust and making anti western speeches. He opposed the government's current strict enforcement of Islamic dress and social behavior, calling for an end to the regime's 'Vice Police'. He advocated letting private individuals and groups own Iranian media. Both candidates strongly supported further development of the Iranian nuclear program. However, Mousavi advocated a less combative and tense tone with other nations about it. He floated the idea of an international consortium overseeing uranium enrichment in Iran.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
The BBC stated about Mousavi: "[i]n foreign affairs, he seems to be offering little change on major issues". Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow, Mohamad Bazzi, stated: "if Mousavi wins, it could create a new opening for dialogue with the United States. Ahmadinejad's continued presence would be a major obstacle". Robert Fisk also remarked a Mousavi victory would mean closer ties with the U.S.


2009 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Background
The campaign was the most expensive in the Islamic Republic's history, with the two main candidates spending over tens of millions of dollars in a bid to convince voters. Funds were spent on, among other things, mass distribution of digital propaganda such as CDs and DVDs. Another interesting phenomenon taking place during the campaign was a dramatic rise in text messages sent to Iranian cell phone subscribers – between 60 and 110 million. Mousavi adopted the traditional islamic color of green as his campaign theme. Young male supporters wore green ribbons tied around their wrists and young female supporters wore green headscarves. Activists used the term 'change' as their primary slogan, chanting "green change for Iran", "together for change" and "vote for change".