The 2012 Iowa football season was one of the worst in the Kirk Ferentz era. 

The Hawkeyes raced out to a surprising 2-0 start in Big Ten play, but the wheels completely fell off after that. After opening the season 4-2, Iowa would end the season on a six-game losing streak to finish with a dismal 4-8 record - marking the first Hawkeye team not to reach bowl eligibility since 2000. 

As you can imagine, 2012 is a season that most Iowa fans have tried to black out of their minds. The Hawkeyes haven't had a losing season since, so that has made the process easier, but there's still one play from that year people that people reference to this day. 

You probably know what the play is, so in honor of Iowa playing Northern Illinois in its 2026 season-opener, let's flip the clock back 14 years and take a look at the 2012 meeting between the Hawkeyes and Huskies. 

Iowa's expectations were very low in 2012 after the collapse of 2010 and a 7-6 campaign in 2011. The Hawkeyes were picked to finish fourth in the Legends Division as a result, but that wasn't the only unusual thing leading up to this season. 

Iowa usually plays its season-openers in the friendly confines of Kinnick Stadium, but that wouldn't be the case in 2012. In April 2010, it was announced the Iowa-NIU game would take place at Soldier Field in Chicago for the second time in five years (2007). 

Though the game was to be played over three hours from Iowa City, the Hawkeyes would still likely hold a massive home field advantage due to Chicago boasting a large Iowa alumni base. That sentiment rang true by the time game day arrived on Sept. 1, as nearly all of the fans in attendance were clad in black and gold. 

The Hawkeyes are always heavy favorites against MAC foes, but the Huskies entered this game fresh off back-to-back 11-win seasons and featured star quarterback Jordan Lynch. 

Iowa remained a double-digit favorite, but the content would be anything but routine for the Hawkeyes. Neither team could ever find an offensive rhythm, with Lynch throwing for just 54 yards. But Lynch's dual-threat ability kept NIU in the driver's seat, as he rushed for 119 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown to give the Huskies a 17-9 lead in the third. 

Iowa's offense frequently stalled out in the red zone, but Mike Meyer's fourth field goal of the day made it 17-12 with five minutes to go. Both teams traded punts for the next few minutes, but thanks to great complementary football, the Hawkeyes landed good field position at NIU's 24-yard line with two minutes to go. 

Needing a touchdown to take the lead, Iowa's first two plays went nowhere, leaving it with a 3rd and 8. The Hawkeyes were just 6-of-16 on third downs in the contest, and opted to run the ball. 

Just as Iowa fans started to groan, the left side of the field completely opened up for running back Damon Bullock, who scampered into the end zone untouched for the go-ahead score, 18-17.

Iowa's two-point conversion failed, but the Hawkeye defense held down the fort to preserve the victory. 

Bullock's touchdown earned all of the attention for good reason, but he was dominant throughout this one, collecting 150 yards - the highest total by an Iowa running back since Fred Russell in 2002 - in his first career start. 

Bullock was an infrequent starter for the rest of his Iowa career, but this score against Northern Illinois was undoubtedly his greatest achievement as a Hawkeye. He concluded his Iowa tenure with 1,074 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but went undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Bullock returned to his hometown of Duncanville, Texas, but his life was sadly cut short in March of 2019 due to a car accident. He was only 25 years old. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]