Hawkeye Fans Cheer on Undefeated Team

One was a party ship, bouncing to the refrain of “Let’s Go Hawks!”

4 CFP) were far from dominant but good enough against the sloppy Cornhuskers (5-7, 3-5) on a raw afternoon. If anyone had those back in August, please proceed directly to Las Vegas, do not stop at a cash machine. Iowa wasn’t really interested in me before then.

“I think what we saw (in video study preparing for Iowa) was why they won today”, Nebraska Coach Mike Riley said.

They couldn’t overcome their mistakes, though.

The Huskers play like they invented them.

“We’re not trying to be pretty, we’re trying to be productive”, said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

Iowa, the Big Ten West division champions, will face Michigan State if the Spartans beat Penn State at home.

But Iowa dares you to match its consistency and lo and behold, the Huskers reverted back to form. The Cougars (11-1, 7-1 AAC) will host the title game December 5 and play either Temple or South Florida. The late hit by the punter. The sophomore linebacker can create havoc for opposing quarterbacks and has 2.5 sacks and an interception this season.

After a scoreless first quarter, Iowa found the end zone early in the second.

It had it’s moments; Armstrong threw for 296 yards.

For the nation’s fifth-best team in turnover margin, one couldn’t script a better game story.

And while technique and toughness are often cited when analysts speak of why these Hawkeyes remain undefeated, National Football League scouts point out that Iowa offers plenty of intriguing talent, as well. It’s not happening. And there’s no quick fix here. They’re 5-6, yet energized, knowing they’re one win from becoming bowl-eligible and positively altering the narrative of this season.

Efforts to discount an undefeated record take me back to the 2013 Pac-12 Championship Game when, after taking a wrong turn inside Sun Devil Stadium, I ended up in an elevator with Stanford head coach David Shaw.

Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and four of the Huskers’ eight penalties were personal fouls in a 28-20 loss to third-ranked Iowa on Friday.

Sue Rodecker, of Sioux City, normally roots for Nebraska but wore a black top with a Hawkeye logo.

“It was just kind of the right place at the right time”, said Hesse of the pick.

The call was a pass, for Armstrong to choose between two routes. If you’re going to be involved in that you get both. “We were executing the things we needed to do and hadn’t given up too many big plays at that point”.

Now you can say that Nebraska needs an offensive line it can trust, or a coordinator who will build such a line and enhance it with a consistent running game.

“We’ve never had any fights over it. They all get along”, Lewis said. Finding an identity. Cleaning up one of the most undisciplined teams in college football. In fact, you have to go down to team No. 15, Navy, to find another squad with a worse strength of schedule: 90th.

Since joining the Big Ten, Nebraska has been Iowa’s biggest rival.

The Hawkeyes are the program Nebraska is chasing.

And as the final seconds ticked harmlessly off the clock and Iowa’s constrictor grasp squeezed the life out of yet another foe, the Hawkeye fans tucked in the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium chanted “12! AND!”

The ship of Huskers sailed out into the dark, in search of a good lighthouse.