Iowa had won just one Big Ten game in the last three years, and the team they beat, Chicago, announced that they would be dropping their football program following the 1939 season.
Iowa athletic director E. G. Schroeder tried to inject some life into the program by hiring Dr. Eddie Anderson of Holy Cross.
Kinnick was an all-Big Ten selection as a sophomore, when he led the nation in punting average, but he struggled through an injury-riddled junior season.
The Hawkeyes broke the game open in the second quarter, as Kinnick scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in the period.
Coach Anderson pulled many of his starters at halftime, but Vollenweider returned the second half kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.
Anderson, upset with the futility of the offense in the second half, reinserted Kinnick into the lineup with less than a minute remaining in the game.
Rather than attempt a game-tying field goal with minutes to play, Iowa went for the win and got it, as Kinnick fired his third touchdown pass to Prasse.
Iowa outgained the Wolverines by over 100 yards, but turnovers and special teams woes doomed the Hawkeyes to their only defeat of the season.
An Iowa drive to the Michigan 12-yard line was halted when Harmon intercepted a Kinnick pass attempt for Prasse in end zone.
Tom Harmon sealed the game for Michigan when he snatched Kinnick's pass for the end zone and returned it 90 yards for the Wolverines' fourth touchdown.
Iowa briefly pulled ahead on a Kinnick touchdown pass before Wisconsin drove 79 yards to reclaim the lead at 13–12.
A Dean interception early in the final period gave Kinnick the opportunity to complete another game-clinching, fourth-quarter touchdown.
The defensive struggle continued until early in the fourth quarter, when Iowa forced a punt deep in Purdue territory.
Enich came crashing through the line for his second blocked punt of the game, and Brown recovered it in the end zone for another Iowa safety.
On the next play, Kinnick fired a pass for Dean in the end zone, but it was intercepted by Steve Sitko at the goal line.
Kinnick shifted to right halfback on third down and carried the ball over the goal line for the touchdown with forty seconds remaining in the half.
Early in the fourth quarter, Kinnick led Iowa on a quick five play, 79-yard drive for a touchdown to cut the Minnesota lead to two points.
The Wildcats scored on a touchdown run with twenty seconds remaining in the first half to take a seven-point halftime lead.
Northwestern's third quarter drives were stopped by turnovers, but Iowa could not capitalize on many of them as Kinnick left the game with a separated shoulder.
Northwestern was called for interference on Prasse on a fourth down pass into the end zone, giving Iowa field position to score the game-tying touchdown.