Iowa Football: Early preview of Nebraska matchup

The Iowa football team will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday, Nov. 27. Here’s an early preview of the matchup.

Fresh off another blowout victory, the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2) turn their attention to the Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-3) in a battle for the Heroes Trophy on Friday, Nov. 27, at Kinnick Stadium.

The game will be nationally televised on FOX, with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 pm CT. Iowa is an early 14-point favorite over the Huskers, according to Odds Shark.

The Hawkeyes defeated Penn State 41-21 this past Saturday in another dominant performance. Iowa is now on a three-game winning streak after losing their first two games, thanks to a much more balanced approach on offense. The Hawkeyes have outscored their last three opponents 125-35.

On the other side, Nebraska is coming off a disappointing 41-23 loss at home to Illinois. The Huskers’ only win of the season came against 0-5 Penn State.

Nebraska head coach Scott Frost will have a big decision to make regarding his starting quarterback heading into Friday’s game.

Both Luke McCaffrey and Adrian Martinez have seen action this season. Martinez, who opened the season as the team’s starter, was benched in favor of McCaffrey two weeks ago against Penn State.  McCaffrey struggled this past Saturday against Illinois, throwing for just 134 yards and three interceptions. Martinez replaced him late in the game.

Nebraska ranks 84th in total defense, allowing 436.3 yards per game. Coincidentally, the Husker offense ranks 84th in total offense (370 yards per game). Conversely, Iowa ranks 16th in total defense (314.3 yards) and 81st in total offense (376 yards).

Iowa has won their past five games against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes lead the series for the Heroes Trophy (6-3), which started in 2011. Nebraska leads the all-time series (29-18-3), which dates back to 1891. Friday’s game will be the 51st meeting between the two teams.

Traditionally, Iowa football has played Nebraska the day after Thanksgiving since the Huskers joined the Big Ten. That was set to end this season until the coronavirus pandemic hit and the entire schedule had to be re-done. The game was once again scheduled for Black Friday.