IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa overcame a scoreless first half to beat Nebraska 13-10 in the frigid cold Friday at Kinnick Stadium, beating the Huskers for the ninth time in 10 games on a 53-yard walk-off field goal by Drew Stevens. The last seven matchups have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Defensive end Max Llewellyn recovered a fumble by Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola on a sack with 20 seconds to play after the Huskers took possession with 1:42 to play.
Stevens’ kick sailed through the uprights in the 13-degree air.
Iowa finished the regular season at 8-4. Nebraska is 6-6 after it reached bowl eligibility this month to end a seven-year drought, the longest in the Power 4. Both programs will await their bowl assignment, to come on Dec. 8.
Nebraska built a 10-0 lead and held Iowa to 20 yards in the first half. But the Huskers muffed a punt inside the 5-yard line, leading to Iowa’s first points, and Kaleb Johnson raced 72 yards on a short pass from Jackson Stratton on the first play of the fourth quarter to even the score.
Here are our initial takeaways from Kinnick Stadium:
Johnson with all-timer
Johnson should become a first-team All-American running back with more than 1,500 yards and a school-record 21 rushing touchdowns. But Johnson’s signature play in his sterling Iowa career came on a pass play.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Johnson took a swing pass from Stratton and swung into Hawkeyes history. Johnson caught the ball at the 21, and safety Marcus Buford hit him at the 28. Johnson bounced off Buford and drove the second defender six yards before he was met by DeShon Singleton and Ty Robinson at the 37. Johnson shrugged off the defenders at the 39, cut inside Malcom Hartzog Jr. at the 50 and raced for the end zone on a 72-yard touchdown.
It was Johnson’s 10th touchdown exceeding 20 yards this year and the longest score of his career. A 6-foot, 225-pound junior, Johnson is considered a top-40 NFL draft prospect. The Hawkeyes had one previous All-American running back under Kirk Ferentz with Shonn Greene in 2008. Although Green ran for more yards, Johnson’s impact was at least equal, if not greater than what Greene brought to the 2008 Hawkeyes. It’s more likely that Johnson will become a higher draft selection. — Dochterman
Special teams dooms Nebraska
Nebraska gave up a 25-yard punt return in the first half to Kaden Wetjen. Brian Buschini shanked a pair of punts.
Those mistakes didn’t cost the Huskers.
But John Hohl missed a field goal on the Huskers’ first drive of the second half when the snap from Aidan Flege hit the dirt. Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda whiffed on a fair catch before Vincent Shavers touched what he believed was a loose ball and Iowa took possession at the 4-yard line.
Jacory Barney returned a pair of kickoffs to the 19- and 20-yard lines.
The special teams errors keep mounting for Nebraska. In this regular-season finale against the opponent that most regularly takes advantage of mistakes in the kicking game, the Huskers seemingly gave away chunks of yardage.
Matt Rhule is serious about taking his operation to the next level and turning Nebraska into a team that ranks among the Big Ten elite. But his special teams are lagging behind. What’s the answer? Special teams coordinator Ed Foley needs more help.
The Huskers added Brett Maher, the former Nebraska standout and NFL kicker, to their staff this season. Maher undoubtedly helped Hohl, who connected on nine consecutive field goal attempts before the second-half miss on Friday.
Josh Martin, the tight ends coach in 2023, assists with special teams. But Nebraska can’t rest on its modest improvement in November in special teams and stand pat in the offseason with the systems in place. Iowa again demonstrated that the Huskers are a step behind.
It’s often the difference between winning and losing in games like Nebraska played on Friday. — Sherman
Not enough of the good stuff for Nebraska on offense
Even when the Dana Holgorsen offense doesn’t hum like we saw a week ago in Nebraska’s 44-25 win against Wisconsin, its efficiency — at times — is something to watch.
The Huskers simply couldn’t maintain its rhythm on Friday. They were held scoreless in the second half.
In the first half, Nebraska got caught in a battle of attrition against the Hawkeyes. After Nebraska drove 64 yards on its opening possession and went ahead 3-0, nine consecutive possessions between the two teams ended in punts.
For Iowa, this is a way of life. For Nebraska, too often, it’s led to game-altering mistakes.
But even as the Hawkeyes leaned on Nebraska, pushing the Huskers back to their 5-yard line at the start of second-quarter drive, Holgorsen’s offense kept its balance. Nebraska avoided turnovers. It mostly avoided negative plays and penalties. It chipped away. And then in the final four minutes of the first half, it went to work.
Raiola hit Barney for a gain of 23. Emmett Johnson and Rahmir Johnson contributed runs of 9, 8 and 9 yards. Raiola hit Jahmal Banks for 12. The QB moved the chains with a designed run play that covered 6 yards — and Dante Dowdell plunged across the goal line for the first touchdown of the game behind the blocking of defensive linemen Elijah Jeudy and Ty Robinson.
The Huskers faced just one third drive on the 74-yard drive. Holgorsen found a rhythm, and the Huskers executed masterfully to take a 10-0 halftime lead.
It didn’t last. — Sherman
Risk-averse strategy actually works for Iowa
Kirk Ferentz’s risk-averse strategy is well known at a place where T-shirts with “Punting is Winning” are prevalent throughout Iowa City. For a moment, the strategy nearly bit the Hawkeyes, but it turned out to be the right decision.
Midway through the third quarter and with the Huskers leading 10-0, Nebraska punt returner Garcia-Castaneda waved fair catch, but the ball skipped and nearly touched him. As the ball caromed off the turf, Nebraska’s Larry Tarver Jr. appeared to have touched the ball but didn’t. However, Nebraska’s Shavers Jr. chased after it like it was touched and then tried to grab the ball at the 4-yard line. Iowa defensive back John Nestor snuck in and recovered it to set up Iowa with its best field position of the game.
However, the Hawkeyes did nothing with the possession, gaining zero yards and throwing an incompletion. Instead of going for the touchdown, Ferentz kicked the field goal. It seemed like a weak ending considering the gift. But after Johnson’s touchdown and Stevens’ game-winning boot, it turned out to be the right call, no matter the frustration at the time. — Dochterman
(Photo: Jeffrey Becker / Imagn Images)
