The Heroes Trophy is up for grabs when Nebraska visits Iowa in a Big Ten game on Friday in Iowa City, but for the first time in eight years the contest won’t serve as the season finale for both teams.
That’s because Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) is bowl-eligible and headed for the postseason for the first time since 2016 after beating Wisconsin in its home finale.
The Cornhuskers had lost nine consecutive games when trying to clinch bowl eligibility, including season-ending losses to the Hawkeyes in 2023 and 2019.
“I don’t think there’s been a game where they weren’t dying to win,” second-year Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “This is really hard, this has been hard. It requires really tough people to do the stuff that we’ve been trying to do to get over that hump.”
Iowa (7-4, 5-3) is trying to clinch an eight-win season for the fourth year in a row and ninth time since 2015. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 at home this season, winning their three Big Ten games by an average of 27.3 points while scoring at least 40 in each.
At 29.4 points per game, Iowa is averaging nearly twice what it did in 2023 (15.4) and its most since averaging 31.8 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
“I think our older guys have really done a good job of playing well and giving us leadership,” said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who is 203-123 in 26 seasons at the school including 9-6 against Nebraska.
Nebraska’s 44 points last time out were its most since a 56-7 win over Northwestern in 2021. That came in the second game with former West Virginia and Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen calling plays for the Cornhuskers.
“I think Dana has done an amazing job,” Rhule said. “You hear Dana on the headset the whole time and he’s just talking about execution.”
Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,492) and touchdowns (21), the latter a school record. The Doak Walker Award finalist is 358 yards shy of Shonn Greene’s single-season mark in 2008.
The Hawkeyes could also be getting back quarterback Cade McNamara, who has missed the last three games due to a concussion.
–Field Level Media