The 1946 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Iowa in the 1946 Big Nine Conference football season. The team compiled a 5–4 record (3–3 against conference opponents) and finished in fourth place in the Big Nine Conference. The team outscored its opponents by a combined total of 129 to 92. The team allowed an average of 200.7 yards per game, the best total defense in Iowa history. The team played its home games at Iowa Stadium. It drew 197,811 spectators at five home games, an average of 39,562 per game.