A closer look at Iowa football’s season finale at Nebraska

IOWA CITY — The Heroes Trophy is packed up, ready for a business trip that determines which team keeps it for another year: Iowa or Nebraska.

It seems every football season the Iowa-Nebraska battle has some wrinkle to make it interesting. This year, it’s a fight for an eight-win regular season, and Iowa’s holding on to a two-game win streak over the Cornhuskers.

Here’s how the Hawkeyes can find a way to keep the rivalry tilted toward the black and gold for another year.

3 keys to victory

Rivalry emotions at bay

Although not as intense as the emotional lead up to Iowa’s game against Wisconsin, there’s still a reason Iowa and Nebraska face off in rivalry week every year. The emotional build up leading to Friday’s game can certainly be entertaining from a fan perspective, but the Hawkeyes shouldn’t let it interfere leading up to kickoff.

Iowa managed the mental intimidation by Wisconsin earlier this season well, despite the Badgers’ attempts to rattle the Hawkeyes before the coin toss. Should a similar situation arise before or during the game, it’s best to keep those feelings off to the side.

“It's part of what I think makes conference football pretty cool. We weren't in the conference for so many years,“ Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. ”Week to week there are so many games here that are all tough, and this one is going to be another tough one. That's really where we try to keep our focus.“

Stop the run game

Iowa’s run defense has been one of the best in the country all season, and Nebraska’s running back Emmett Johnson is one of the Big Ten’s best running backs. He’s recorded more than 1,200 rushing yards this season, finding his way through small gaps and pushing his way through the line of scrimmage.

Nebraska will be the third opponent Iowa faces this season where it navigates a back-up quarterback. TJ Lateef took over the Cornhuskers’ signal calling responsibilities after Dylan Riaola’s season ended earlier this month with a leg injury.

“The good news is, we have film of him and film of them playing with him,” Ferentz said. “Now the challenge is to try to stop what they're doing with him.“

Though Nebraska hasn’t been afraid to go for a deep ball here and there, Johnson is more than likely the primary target — whether through a handoff or a pass.

Fourth quarter key conversions

Iowa’s taken a lot of its games down to the fourth quarter this season. Against Nebraska, it’s been nearly every season. The last seven matchups have all been determined by one score, with the previous two years called via a field goal.

The Hawkeyes have found ways to make things go their way late in games. They’ll need to do it again against the Cornhuskers.

“It seems like every year this game is just back and forth and tough,” Ferentz said. “Somehow, some way if you can get there and get it done, that's the goal.”

Prediction

Don’t be surprised if this game quickly turns into a classic Iowa-Nebraska game — low scoring, down to the two-minute warning and astronomically intense. However, the Hawkeyes have proven they know how to manage the pressure inside the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter.

Iowa 17, Nebrasksa 13

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