Iowa avenges sour start to 2022 with Music City Bowl rout on New Year’s Eve

NASHVILLE — Moments after Cooper DeJean downed a Tory Taylor punt on the Kentucky 2-yard line, the theme to “The Avengers” movie series resonated from the Iowa band in the western corner of Nissan Stadium’s lower bowl.

It practically was a theme song for the Hawkeyes’ performance Saturday against Kentucky, too.

Iowa avenged its Citrus Bowl loss to Kentucky at the start of the 2022 calendar year with a 21-0 win in the Music City Bowl to close the 2022 calendar year on a much higher note.

“Really happy for our guys and especially our seniors,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “What a way to send them off.”

After a stalemate in the first quarter, the Hawkeyes broke through with three touchdowns to pull away from the Wildcats. Two of the touchdowns happened 11 seconds apart, and they both involved players making their first career starts.

Iowa quarterback Joe Labas, who started after Spencer Petras’ injury and Alex Padilla’s departure, connected with tight end Luke Lachey for a 15-yard touchdown reception — the first of Labas’ collegiate career.

It followed a 27-yard Sam LaPorta reception in which LaPorta broke several tackles before finally being brought down.

“You told me it’s only 27 yards,” LaPorta said to reporters. “That’s crazy to me because I felt like I was running for like 20 seconds. ... Like backyard football almost -- just don’t let one guy bring you down.”

Then on the first play of the next drive, Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa picked off Kentucky’s Destin Wade and returned it for a touchdown in the former five-star recruit’s first start.

Cooper DeJean followed suit later in the first half, picking off Wade and returning it 14 yards for a touchdown.

DeJean now has three pick-6s this season. The only Iowa player to catch more touchdowns in 2022 than the defensive back DeJean is Lachey, who caught his fourth touchdown Saturday.

It was one of several impactful plays for DeJean, who also had a 34-yard punt return and downed a punt on the Kentucky 2-yard line. The sophomore was voted Music City Bowl MVP.

“Winning MVP -- I think it’s more of a team award,” DeJean said. “Because without these guys on the defense, I can’t do what I was able to do.”

Even when excluding DeJean and Nwankpa’s big plays, Iowa’s defense held the short-handed Kentucky offense to hardly any production.

Kentucky’s rushing attack, which was without its top two running backs because of an opt-out and a transfer, had 68 yards while averaging 2.1 yards per carry.

Wade, who earned his first career start after Will Levis opted out, was 16-for-30 for 98 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns.

The farthest the Wildcats advanced offensively was to the Iowa 36-yard line.

The 21-point cushion gave Iowa enough comfort to play LaPorta a series at quarterback after working as the emergency quarterback in pre-bowl practices.

“I’ve been in the huddle for probably a couple-thousand play calls,” LaPorta said. “It’s just a little different when you’re giving the play call, not receiving it.”

Labas was 14-for-24 for 139 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

“Joe Labas might be as valuable as Cooper,” Ferentz said, referencing the game’s MVP, “just in the fact that he didn’t make any critical mistakes out there, and that’s easier said than done.”

Iowa did not gain much traction on the ground, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. The leading rusher was true freshman Jaziun Patterson, who had 23 yards.

The Hawkeyes’ 21-0 victory was despite not having any third-down conversions.

“Iowa won today by being Iowa,” said Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops, who is an Iowa alumnus.

Ferentz tied Joe Paterno for the most bowl wins as a Big Ten head coach with 10.

The bowl win improves Iowa’s 2022 record to 8-5. Excluding the shortened 2020 season, Iowa has won at least eight games in seven straight seasons.

It also marks the last game for Iowa’s senior class, which includes LaPorta, linebacker Jack Campbell and other key contributors.

“You should have seen me coming off the field,” LaPorta said. “I was crying like a little baby. ... Glad to go out on top.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com