The Hawkeyes were expected to be bad in 1966, and they met expectations. Iowa went 2–8, with the lowlight being a 56–7 blowout loss at second-ranked Michigan State. The Hawks yielded 607 total yards to the Spartans, including 268 rushing yards to tailback Clinton Jones, both Big Ten records. The following season, Iowa won its first game and failed to win another, ending at 1–8–1 in 1967. Its offense was adequate, led by junior Ed Podolak, but the defense was awful, giving up almost four touchdowns a game.