PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Friday TOP TICKET >> Already 12-5 This Week!
(NCAAF) Nebraska vs. Iowa,
Point Spread: 1.50 | -104.00 Nebraska (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 1.50 | -104.00 Nebraska (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: 9-2 Nebraska (6-2 in the Big Ten West) goes into its final game of the regular season on Friday at Iowa (7-4, 5-3 in Big Ten) with several questions to be answered. The first is the QB situation. Starter Tommy Armstrong Jr. missed last Saturday's 28-7 win over Maryland with a hamstring injury and backup Ryker Fyfe took his place. However, he broke a bone in his left wrist and had surgery on Sunday to repair it. Armstrong is listed as probable and Fyfe, questionable. Nebraska is also playing for a chance at a Big Ten West Division co-championship and an outside shot at the conference championship game next week in Indianapolis. To get there, the Cornhuskers need to take care of business against Iowa and hope for a Minnesota upset of Wisconsin, leaving them alone atop the standings. Iowa is not in the conference mix but will he headed to a 14th bowl game in the last 16 years under Kirk Ferentz.
Nebraska: Armstrong is expected to be able to play Friday but if and Fyfe can't go, the Cornhuskers would be forced to turn to third-string sophomore Zack Darlington, who was once a top-15 dual-threat QB in high school before making the transition to receiver last spring. This year's team is not a vintage Nebraska offense, averaging 186.3 YPG (55th) on the ground and 28.3 PPG overall (69th). The defense has played well, though, allowing 21.2 PPG (22nd) on 345.5 YPG (21st). RB Terrell Newby has run for 707 of his team-high 825 yards during conference play - including 364 in the fourth quarter alone - scored a career-high three touchdowns last weekend and is 175 yards shy of turning in the 36th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.
Iowa: Iowa's offense has struggled most of the year, averaging a modest 25.5 PPG (87th) on a very poor 326.5 YPG, which ranks 121st out of 128 FBS schools. However, Ferentz's teams always play excellent defense and this year is no different, with the Hawkeyes allowing just 18.6 PPG (15th). Iowa seems to have found itself the last two weeks, relying on a shut-down defense and a run-heavy offense. The Hawkeyes claimed their first Big Ten shutout since 2009 with a 28-0 victory at Illinois last Saturday, which followed the team's stunning 14-13 upset of Michigan, handing the Wolverines their first and only loss of the season. In that two-game span, the Iowa defense has held its two opponents to just 398 yards, 24 FDs and 13 points. Iowa's offense has run the ball 49 times in each of those games, churning out an average of 213.0 YPG.
The pick: Iowa's had highs and lows here at home this season, where the Hawkeyes are just 3-3 . The high being the upset of Michigan and the low being a loss at home to North Dakota St, an FCS school. A Nebraska win would give them at worst, a West Division co-championship but for the Cornhuskers to go to the Big Ten title game, they would Minnesota to upset Wisconsin in Madison, where the Badgers are two-TD favorites. However, a 10-win season would surely mean a lot to head coach Mike Riley, as it would be a significant turnaround from the 6-7 record of his first season in Lincoln (2015). The Hawkeyes won 28-20 in Lincoln to cap a perfect 12-0 regular season last year but Iowa is playing nowhere near that level this year. Turnabout is fair play. Make Nebraska a 10* play.
Nebraska: Armstrong is expected to be able to play Friday but if and Fyfe can't go, the Cornhuskers would be forced to turn to third-string sophomore Zack Darlington, who was once a top-15 dual-threat QB in high school before making the transition to receiver last spring. This year's team is not a vintage Nebraska offense, averaging 186.3 YPG (55th) on the ground and 28.3 PPG overall (69th). The defense has played well, though, allowing 21.2 PPG (22nd) on 345.5 YPG (21st). RB Terrell Newby has run for 707 of his team-high 825 yards during conference play - including 364 in the fourth quarter alone - scored a career-high three touchdowns last weekend and is 175 yards shy of turning in the 36th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.
Iowa: Iowa's offense has struggled most of the year, averaging a modest 25.5 PPG (87th) on a very poor 326.5 YPG, which ranks 121st out of 128 FBS schools. However, Ferentz's teams always play excellent defense and this year is no different, with the Hawkeyes allowing just 18.6 PPG (15th). Iowa seems to have found itself the last two weeks, relying on a shut-down defense and a run-heavy offense. The Hawkeyes claimed their first Big Ten shutout since 2009 with a 28-0 victory at Illinois last Saturday, which followed the team's stunning 14-13 upset of Michigan, handing the Wolverines their first and only loss of the season. In that two-game span, the Iowa defense has held its two opponents to just 398 yards, 24 FDs and 13 points. Iowa's offense has run the ball 49 times in each of those games, churning out an average of 213.0 YPG.
The pick: Iowa's had highs and lows here at home this season, where the Hawkeyes are just 3-3 . The high being the upset of Michigan and the low being a loss at home to North Dakota St, an FCS school. A Nebraska win would give them at worst, a West Division co-championship but for the Cornhuskers to go to the Big Ten title game, they would Minnesota to upset Wisconsin in Madison, where the Badgers are two-TD favorites. However, a 10-win season would surely mean a lot to head coach Mike Riley, as it would be a significant turnaround from the 6-7 record of his first season in Lincoln (2015). The Hawkeyes won 28-20 in Lincoln to cap a perfect 12-0 regular season last year but Iowa is playing nowhere near that level this year. Turnabout is fair play. Make Nebraska a 10* play.
