IOWA CITY, Iowa - - A trio of former University of Iowa defensive linemen who helped the Hawkeyes to a share of the 1981 Big Ten title, will serve as honorary captains Saturday as Iowa hosts North Texas in Kinnick Stadium (2:32 p.m., ESPNU). Those players include Pat Dean, Mark Bortz, and Jim Pekar.
Those three linemen helped Coach Hayden Fry turn the program around, as the Hawkeyes posted an 8-4 record in 1981 and earned a spot in the 1982 Rose Bowl. The trio also played for defensive line coach Dan McCarney, the current North Texas head coach.