LINCOLN, Neb. – No. 16 Iowa scored the final 22 points of the game to rally and upend Nebraska, 28-21, at Memorial Stadium on Friday. The Hawkeyes retain possession of the Heroes Trophy by virtue of their seventh straight victory over the Cornhuskers. Friday was also Iowa’s fifth consecutive victory in Lincoln, dating back to 2013, something that only the University of Texas has done over the last 70 years.
The win, Iowa’s fourth straight to finish the regular season, moved the Hawkeyes to 10-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten. Iowa clinched at least a share of the Big Ten West Division title. The Hawkeyes would win the West Division outright and represent the West Division in the Big Ten Football Championship Game next Saturday in Indianapolis, if Minnesota beats Wisconsin tomorrow in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes last claimed a division title in 2015 when they finished the regular season with an unblemished 8-0 record in Big Ten play.
RB Tyler Goodson rushed for a career-best 156 yards on 23 attempts, while the combination of quarterbacks Alex Padilla and Spencer Petras completed 13-of-27 passes for 178 yards.
Iowa struggled to find the end zone on its first eight offensive possessions, settling for four Caleb Shudak field goals through the first 54 minutes of the contest.
Nebraska led Iowa 21-6 with 5:54 remaining in the third quarter. Shudak kicked his third field goal of the game with 27 seconds left in the third period. Iowa didn’t gain complete momentum until Henry Marchese blocked a Nebraska punt and Kyler Fisher returned the punt 14 yards for a special teams score.
Iowa erased a 12-point fourth quarter deficit (trailed 21-9), its largest fourth-quarter deficit in a win since trailing by 14 points against Pittsburgh in 2011. The last double-digit fourth quarter deficit erased by Iowa in a win was in 2014 (trailed Ball State 13-3 entering the fourth).
“I love being with them. I’m going to join them right now.”
Kirk Ferentz gets emotional after @HawkeyeFootball‘s win pic.twitter.com/HC1qdHMduY
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 26, 2021
Linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson led the Hawkeye defense, recording 16 and 10 tackles, respectively.
“It’s a good feeling,” said Zach VanValkenburg. “It was obviously a victory from the jaws of defeat, but we kept fighting. We never lost faith that we were going to come out with a victory.”
TE Sam LaPorta (61 yards) and WR Charlie Jones (31 yards) each caught three passes.
Iowa has won 19 conference games over the last three seasons, the most successful three-year stretch since Iowa won 20 conference games from 2002-04. Iowa has won at least six conference games in three straight years for the first time under Kirk Ferentz (19 wins). The last time Iowa won at least six conference games in three straight seasons was 1981-83 (19 wins).
Iowa has won 10 games or more for the seventh time under head coach Kirk Ferentz (2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2019, 2021).
QUOTING COACH FERENTZ
“I am really proud of our football team. It was a gutty, determined game they played, and they have been doing this all season long.
It was a tough week this week. We had a few challenges. Our medical staff gets a couple bouquets for the work they did right up to game time today. I have been saying it’s tough to win in the Big Ten. It always has been, it always will be. This was no exception. Nebraska has played just everybody on the schedule tough. You look at their losses, they’re heartbreaking, and this was no different.
Special teams once again were huge for us. We came out with three field goals and then just like last week with the kick return, the punt block for the touchdown today was huge. Henry Marchese was right in the middle of both those. Last week we had a huge block to spring Charlie [Jones] up the sideline, and today being involved in that. I think it’s a representative of our football team, a guy who hasn’t started a down offensively or defensively, but has been such a huge contributor on special teams for us and also does a great job on the scout-teams during the week helping the guys. I am really proud of him and proud of a lot of guys. I could name a lot of guys like that, the value and how important they are.
I’m happy about our offensive line, the way they’ve developed, especially the last couple weeks. Both sides of the ball, I’ve been saying, we are young. You see some guys, the line, got more traction today. I think they’re growing. We have a lot of young guys making contributions and that’s definitely helpful.
Obviously, Tyler Goodson had a big day. He had a big play in the fourth quarter, and then finished with 156 yards. That is fantastic and helps us be victorious, too.
All that being said, I have been saying it’s a 12-game season. That’s why you wait until the end to evaluate. We still have got some more football ahead of us, so we’ll figure all that out whenever it goes. But it is a special year anytime you win 10 games playing in this conference. I am really proud of our guys.
Go back to three weeks ago today, Andre Tippet talked to our guys. They were back for the ‘81 reunion. He talked about the resilience, the grit of the ‘81 team, and the camaraderie they had. I would say this team possesses those traits, too.”
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Iowa Rallies To Beat Nebraska, Earns Share of West Title - University of Iowa Athletics
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