They would be the major spoilers to the College Football Playoffs and ruin the Cinderella story that Iowa has been this season. At 11-0 on the season, Iowa is now 7-0 in the Big Ten and 6-5 against the spread. With at least one more game to play, Iowa has made a five-win improvement over 2014.
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Iowa and Nebraska built steam for this two seasons ago when the Hawkeyes went to Nebraska and pounced on them with a 38-17 ‘W, ‘ which caused Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini to say “If they want to fire me, go ahead!”
File Image: The Iowa Hawkeyes take the field before the start of an NCAA college football game against Illinois, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa picked four of Tommy Armstrong Jr.’s passes, with defensive end Parker Hesse returning one 4 yards for the Hawkeyes’ fourth interception for a touchdown this season. “I’m a little bit speechless on that”, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. But aside from a Desmond King muffed punt that Nebraska turned into a touchdown, Ferentz and Co. didn’t do things to hurt themselves all day long. Iowa would capitalize, striking for the first score of the game with 13:50 remaining in the second quarter. That compensated for Iowa QB C.J. Beathard hitting just 9-of-16 passes for 97 yards with a TD and the Hawkeyes going 0-for-9 on third downs. Nebraska is 1-5 in such games after going 10-4 from 2012 through 2014. The touchdown was the 26th of Cross’s career.
Washington 45, (20) Washington State 10: In Seattle, Myles Gaskin ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns; Sidney Jones, Darren Gardenhire and Azeem Victor returned turnovers for touchdowns in the second half; and Washington became bowl eligible with a victory over Washington State. The successful kick marked Brown’s ninth straight make. Bender threw for 288 yards, but the Cougars (8-4, 6-3) failed to take advantage of three good scoring opportunities in the first half.
Kareem Hunt ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and Phillip Ely threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns for the Rockets. Iowa fumbled the ensuing kickoff but recovered the fumble and then swung the momentum back in its favor when Canzeri sprinted 68 yards down the sideline on Iowa’s first play to put the Hawkeyes back ahead by 11, 28-17, just 17 second after Nebraska cut the lead to four points. They must play their best game in this week as Beathard has the ability to keep extending plays and points on the board. Others ran wildly through the ring of Iowa fans along the fence. She also said that most of the 20 victims who alleged sexual assaults by team members during the past nine years declined to press student conduct charges.
Nebraska was able to strike last via a Drew Brown 42 yard field goal with just a few minutes left in the fourth, but those late points were not enough to overcome earlier deficits. That doesn’t, however, mean Nebraska’s season ended Friday.
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Big Ten West Division champion Iowa (12-0, 8-0) will play in next weekend’s conference championship game in Indianapolis. Only the bowl matchups affected by Navy would have been delayed, and it would have had a trickle-down effect to other teams and even smaller bowls that would have to wait to set their pairings.
