The two sides are meeting for the fifth year in a row (Nebraska has won three of four).
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After Hesse’s big play, which gave Iowa a 14-7 lead, the Hawkeyes would not trail for the rest of the game.
With 44 yards of total offense through the game’s first 18 minutes, Nebraska got a gift from Iowa when Desmond King fumbled a punt, which the Huskers recovered on the 31-yard line. That would be something positive to build on during the first full offseason of the Mike Riley era. The Rockets beat Arkansas and Iowa State earlier this season, but lost to Northern Illinois and won’t play in the MAC title game.
The Hawkeyes have much larger stakes. That said, Michigan State has only beaten two Big Ten teams by more than seven points, and those two teams happen to be Maryland and Indiana. A victory on Friday keeps the Hawkeyes hopes alive for a berth in the College Football Playoffs.
Tailgate’s Iowa City location opened up in summer 2014, so store manager Ellie Ejiasi has also been able to watch the difference in sales between this year’s winning season and last year’s frustrating one. It is a wonderful institution and a great football program, ” Eichorst said in part on that Sunday, “but in the final analysis, their record was where it was, and ours was where it was”.
Bottom line, the Nebraska linebacker corps’ improved overall health of late could be crucial against an Iowa team that “runs with power”, Riley said. “But they played great, the defense was spectacular”. That includes a 40-point output at Northwestern and back-to-back 40-point performances against Minnesota and Purdue.
The Hawkeyes ran only 44 plays from scrimmage to Nebraska’s 83.
Canzeri ran for touchdowns of 33 and 68 yards on consecutive plays in the third quarter. Cethan Carter caught a touchdown from Armstrong, but also ran for a 32-yard score on his first career carry. Recently, Nebraska’s pass defense has seen gains.
Armstrong completed 25 of his 45 passing attempts for 296 yards and zero touchdowns, pitching those four interceptions. “I think bowl prep is nearly 20 practices and spring is only 15 practices, so when you look at it that way, a bowl is a pretty big deal”.
The Massey composite ranking of 45 computer models used to rate teams had Iowa No. 8 coming into this weekend’s games. Beathard rolled out and found tight end George Kittle for a 10-yard TD pass to make it 7-0 Iowa.
They couldn’t overcome their mistakes, though. Iowa doesn’t commit penalties and they rarely turn the ball over.
“I think what’s unique to college football – I’m not so sure it’s new today – there are always opportunities for stories to emerge”, he said on the Big Ten coaches’ call. Iowa would capitalize, striking for the first score of the game with 13:50 remaining in the second quarter. Beathard’s leadership qualities, a strong running attack with four capable backs and a hard-hitting defense accelerated the transformation.
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The Hawkeyes travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the annual Heroes Game on Friday with the Big Ten West Division title and a ticket to the conference championship game in Indianapolis next week already in hand.
