Outback Bowl, Florida vs Iowa: Highlights, score and recap
The Iowa Hawkeyes and Florida Gators will be facing off in the Outback Bowl on Monday afternoon and it should be a good one.
Iowa didn’t get off to the ideal start it was looking for in 2016. After going 12-0 during the 2015 regular season with a trip to the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl, expectations were sky-high for Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. However, they lost to North Dakota State and struggled mightily before finishing the season strong.
As for Florida, the Gators were also coming off a conference title game appearance, and loss to Alabama, in 2015. However, they got off to a nice start in Jim McElwain’s second season, going 6-1 through seven games, but Florida then finished off slowly, losing three of five. A matchup with Iowa would be a defensive battle.
The game proved to be just that through the first half as the Gators took a 10-3 lead right before halftime thanks to an 85-yard touchdown pass from Austin Appleby, a former Purdue gunslinger, to Mark Thompson. That took the wind out of Iowa’s sails right before the half, with under two minutes to go, and it was clear the Hawkeyes’ offense was struggling.
C.J. Beathard opened the fourth quarter with a decent drive which was shut down by a 58-yard interception returned for a touchdown. Iowa’s senior quarterback did not have his best game and the Gators took a 24-3 lead.
Florida’s defense took over the game as Iowa couldn’t get anything going in the second half. It was quite the rebound from last year’s Citrus Bowl blowout to Michigan.
Highlights
Three Stars
Florida’s defense as a whole has to be the top star. From the defensive line, linebackers to the secondary, the Gators dominated this one. They allowed just 226 yards, three points and forced three turnovers.
Although Iowa’s offense struggled all day long, Akrum Wadley had a nice game in the backfield. He rushed for 115 yards on 22 carries. He also caught four passes for 21 yards.
Austin Appleby was rock-solid, despite the two interceptions, for Florida, leading the Gators to a comfortable win. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Next: 10 Games That Would Make College Football Exponentially Better
Next Season
Iowa will open its 2017 season hoping to get off on the right foot against a tough Wyoming team at home. Florida, on the other hand, will have a big contest looming against the Michigan Wolverines to open 2017 at AT&T Stadium.