Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
Iowa (6-5, 3-5) at Nebraska (4-7, 3-5)
When: Friday, November 24 | 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Where: Memorial Stadium (85,458) | Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: FOX Sports 1 (Mark Followill, Danny Kanell)
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, Ben McLaughlin)
Satellite Radio: Sirius (Ch. 84) | XM (Ch. 84)
Internet Broadcast: Huskers.com
================================
Nebraska completes its 2017 season on Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium when the Huskers play host to Big Ten West rival Iowa. Game time in front of the 361st consecutive sellout in Lincoln is set for 3 p.m. CT, with national television coverage on FS1. The game can also be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Network.
Nebraska comes into the contest with a 4-7 record and a 3-5 mark in Big Ten play, following a 56-44 setback at No. 13 Penn State last Saturday. The Huskers will be looking for their first win over Iowa since an overtime win in Iowa City in 2014.
Iowa heads to Lincoln with a 6-5 overall record, including a 3-5 record in Big Ten Conference action. The Hawkeyes lost to Purdue 24-15, on Saturday in Iowa City. Iowa has been solid throughout the season with four of its five losses coming against teams currently in the national rankings. The Hawkeyes feature one of the most opportunistic defenses in the country, forcing a total of 20 turnovers, including four defensive touchdowns.
Nebraska and Iowa will battle for the HyVee Heroes Trophy for the seventh consecutive season. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the schools have each won three games in the series, with the visiting team having won four of the first six meetings as conference opponents.
Numbers to Know
22 - Nebraska will honor 22 individuals who will play in their final game in a Husker uniform on Friday. This group includes 21 seniors and junior Thomas Connely. The group has combined for more than 500 games played and better than 200 career starts.
28 - Nebraska will be playing on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the 28th consecutive season dating back to 1990. Nebraska owns a 19-8 record in Thanksgiving Friday games since 1990, and is 3-3 vs. Iowa.
88 - Nebraska junior receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. needs 88 receiving yards to become the first 1,000-yard receiver in school history. Morgan is also just 30 yards shy of the NU single-season receiving yardage record entering Friday's game.
Series History
Friday's matchup will mark the 48th meeting all-time between the Hawkeyes and the Huskers. The two schools met 41 times as non-conference foes and now six times as members of the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska leads the overall series 29-15-3 and the Huskers are 14-4-1 all-time against the Hawkeyes in games played in Lincoln, with Iowa winning their last two trips to Lincoln after having previously only won once in 12 trips to Lincoln. The series is tied 3-3 in Big Ten play and Iowa has won three of the last four meetings.
1891 - Iowa 22, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1892 - Nebraska 10, Iowa 10 (Omaha)
1893 - Nebraska 20, Iowa 18 (Omaha)
1894 - Nebraska 36, Iowa 0 (Omaha)
1895 - Nebraska 6, Iowa 0 (Omaha)
1896 - Nebraska 0, Iowa 0 (Omaha)
1896 - Iowa 6, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1897 - Nebraska 6, Iowa 0 (Council Bluffs)
1898 - Iowa 6, Nebraska 5 (Council Bluffs)
1899 - Iowa 30, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1903 - Nebraska 17, Iowa 6 (Iowa City)
1904 - Nebraska 17, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1908 - Nebraska 11, Iowa 8 (Iowa City)
1909 - Nebraska 6, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1913 - Nebraska 12, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1914 - Nebraska 16, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
1915 - Nebraska 52, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
1916 - Nebraska 34, Iowa 17 (Iowa City)
1917 - Nebraska 47, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1918 - Iowa 12, Nebraska 0 (Lincoln)
1919 - Iowa 18, Nebraska 0 (Iowa City)
1930 - Iowa 12, Nebraska 7 (Iowa City)
1931 - Nebraska 7, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1932 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 13 (Iowa City)
1933 - Nebraska 7, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1934 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 13 (Lincoln)
1937 - #11 Nebraska 28, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1938 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 0 (Iowa City)
1940 - #12 Nebraska 14, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1941 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 13 (Lincoln)
1942 - Iowa 27, Nebraska 0 (Iowa City)
1943 - Iowa 33, Nebraska 13 (Lincoln)
1944 - Iowa 27, Nebraska 6 (Iowa City)
1945 - Nebraska 13, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1946 - Iowa 21, Nebraska 7 (Iowa City)
1979 - #7 Nebraska 24, Iowa 21 (Iowa City)
1980 - #6 Nebraska 57, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1981 - Iowa 10, #7 Nebraska 7 (Iowa City)
1982 - #3 Nebraska 42, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
1999 - #5 Nebraska 42, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
2000 - #1 Nebraska 42, Iowa 13 (Lincoln)
2011 - #22 Nebraska 20, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
2012 - #17 Nebraska 13, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
2013 - Iowa 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2014 - Nebraska 37, Iowa 34 (OT) (Iowa City)
2015 - #3 Iowa 28, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2016 - Iowa 40, Nebraska 10 (Iowa City)
Heroes Trophy at Stake in Friday's NU-Iowa Clash
Nebraska and Iowa will battle for the Heroes Trophy when they hit the field at Memorial Stadium on Friday. The HyVee Heroes Game is the annual trophy game between Nebraska and Iowa.
While both teams aim to win the trophy on the field, both Nebraska and Iowa wished to make their annual meeting about more than just winning a football game. With that in mind, the schools partnered together to not only create a trophy, but to use a national stage to honor a citizen hero from each state.
In addition to the trophy that will be claimed by the winner of the game, both an Iowa and Nebraska native will be honored for extraordinary acts. Those winners will be announced early this week.
Nebraska Continues Long "Red" Friday Tradition
Nebraska will continue its long-standing tradition of playing on the day after Thanksgiving. This Friday's game with Iowa will mark the 28th consecutive season the Huskers have played on Thanksgiving Friday.
NU met Oklahoma in the final six seasons of the Big Eight Conference (1990 to 1995), then played Colorado in all 15 of the Huskers' Big 12 Conference years (1996 to 2010), before taking on Iowa each of the past six seasons.
Nebraska and Iowa are also scheduled to conclude the season against each other on the day after Thanksgiving in 2018 and 2019.
Nebraska owns a 19-8 record since 1990 in games on the day after Thanksgiving, including a 5-1 record against Oklahoma, an 11-4 mark against Colorado and a 3-3 record against Iowa.
Nebraska is 11-4 at home in Thanksgiving Friday games since 1990, including 1-2 against the Hawkeyes.
In addition to the past six years, Nebraska and Iowa also closed the regular season against each other nine times from 1892 to 1916.
Oklahoma (5-1)
1990 - Oklahoma 45, #10 Nebraska 10 (Norman)
1991 - #11 Nebraska 19, #19 Oklahoma 14 (Lincoln)
1992 - #12 Nebraska 33, Oklahoma 9 (Norman)
1993 - #2 Nebraska 21, #16 Oklahoma 7 (Lincoln)
1994 - #1 Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 3 (Norman)
1995 - #1 Nebraska 37, Oklahoma 0 (Lincoln)
Colorado (11-4)
1996 - #4 Nebraska 17, #5 Colorado 12 (Lincoln)
1997 - #2 Nebraska 27, Colorado 24 (Boulder)
1998 - #14 Nebraska 16, Colorado 14 (Lincoln)
1999 - #3 Nebraska 33, Colorado 30 (OT) (Boulder)
2000 - #10 Nebraska 34, Colorado 32 (Lincoln)
2001 - #14 Colorado 62, #2 Nebraska 36 (Boulder)
2002 - #13 Colorado 28, Nebraska 13 (Lincoln)
2003 - #25 Nebraska 31, Colorado 22 (Boulder)
2004 - Colorado 26, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2005 - Nebraska 30, Colorado 3 (Boulder)
2006 - #19 Nebraska 37, Colorado 14 (Lincoln)
2007 - Colorado 65, Nebraska 51 (Boulder)
2008 - Nebraska 40, Colorado 31 (Lincoln)
2009 - Nebraska 28, Colorado 20 (Boulder)
2010 - #16 Nebraska 45, Colorado 17 (Lincoln)
Iowa (3-3)
2011 - #22 Nebraska 20, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
2012 - #17 Nebraska 13, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
2013 - Iowa 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2014 - Nebraska 37, Iowa 34 (OT) (Iowa City)
2015 - #3 Iowa 28, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2016 - Iowa 40, #16 Nebraska 10 (Iowa City)
Nebraska to Celebrate Senior Day on Friday
Prior to Friday's game, Nebraska will recognize 22 players who will be putting on a Husker uniform for the final time. The group includes the following:
Drew Brown (PK - Southlake, TX)
Brett Classen (WR - Medina, MN)
Thomas Connely (LB - Kearney, NE)
Erik Evans (DL - Waverly, NE)
Tyler Hoppes (TE - Lincoln, NE)
Chris Jones (CB - Jacksonville, FL)
Harrison Jordan (FB - Omaha, NE)
Boaz Joseph (DB - Weston, FL)
Joshua Kalu (DB - Houston, TX)
Connor Ketter (TE - Norfolk, NE)
David Knevel (OL - Brantford, Ontario, Canada)
Joel Lopez (DL - St. Charles, IL)
Luke McNitt (FB - Kearney, NE)
A.J. Natter (DL - Milton, WI)
Marcus Newby (LB - Gaithersburg, MD)
De'Mornay Pierson-El (WR - Alexandria, VA)
Gabe Rahn (WR - Le Mars, IA)
Kramer Rath (PK - Lincoln, NE)
Adam Taylor (RB - Katy, TX)
Matt Watts (OL - Stockton, CA)
Chris Weber (LB - Omaha, NE)
Kieron Williams (DB - Shreveport, LA)
Together, those players have combined for more than 500 games played, and more than 200 starts. In the classroom, the 22 student-athletes have combined for 68 appearances on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and 13 appointments to the Academic All-Big Ten team. The group has also combined for 48 appearances on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for their community outreach efforts.
Three players have left their mark on Nebraska's all-time record book.
- Drew Brown ranks second in Husker history with 59 career field goals and is fourth with 353 career points. His 50 career starts are the fourth-most in Nebraska history.
- Joshua Kalu has recorded 207 tackles in his career, a total which ranks sixth among all defensive backs in Husker history
- De'Mornay Pierson-El ranks 11th all-time at Nebraska with 97 receptions and is 14th with 1,270 receiving yards. Pierson-El has also totaled 904 career punt return yards -- good for third in school history.
Bob Elliott to be Remembered at Friday's Game
Both the Nebraska and Iowa football programs will remember Bob Elliott at Friday's game, with members of the Elliott family on hand. Elliott (1953-2017) passed away in July after being hired in February to coach the Husker safeties. He began his coaching career as an Iowa graduate assistant in 1976 and returned to Iowa City as a Hawkeye assistant coach for 11 seasons from 1987 to 1998.
As a player, Elliott was a two-time Academic All-American at Iowa. The Elliott family also has other ties to Nebraska and Iowa. Bob's uncle, Pete, was Nebraska's head coach in 1956 -- becoming NU's youngest head football coach in modern history at age 29 -- while Bob's uncle Charles "Bump" Elliott served as Iowa's athletic director from 1970 to 1999.
About Iowa Football
Iowa is in its 129th season and the Hawkeyes claim four national titles. Iowa has also won 13 conference titles, including sharing the 1907 Missouri Valley Conference title with NU. Iowa has won 11 Big Ten titles, most recently in 2004. The Hawkeyes are led by Kirk Ferentz, who is the nation's longest tenured active head coach.
First Season: 1889
Conference Titles: 13
National Titles: 4 (1921, 1956, 1958, 1960)
All-Time Record: 639-553-39
Bowl Record: 14-15-1
About 2017 Iowa Football
Iowa owns a 6-5 record, and the Hawkeyes are tied with Nebraska and Purdue for third place in the Big Ten West Division. Iowa boasts a 3-5 record in conference play, but five of the Hawkeyes eight Big Ten games have come against current Top 25 teams.
Iowa's lone win over a ranked Big Ten opponent was a 31-point rout of then-No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 4, but the Hawkeyes have been close to several other upsets. Iowa opened Big Ten play with a two-point loss to then-No. 4 Penn State, when the Nittany Lions threw the game-winning touchdown pass as time expired. The next week, Iowa went on the road and lost 17-10 at Michigan State. Two weeks later, the Hawkeyes dropped another 17-10 decision on the road, this time in overtime at Northwestern. In its most recent game against a ranked opponent, Iowa fell to then-No. 6 Wisconsin, 38-14, on Nov. 11. Last week the Hawkeyes fell at home to Purdue, 24-15, to come into Lincoln on a two-game losing streak.
Iowa has been led by its defense, which ranks 26th nationally in scoring defense. In addition to allowing 20.5 points per game, the Hawkeyes have scored four defensive touchdowns, a total that ranks fifth nationally. Overall, Iowa ranks 25th nationally with 20 turnovers forced, including ranking sixth nationally with 16 interceptions. Josh Jackson leads the country in interceptions (7) and passes defended (24) and ranks third in pass breakups (17) and interception return yards (163), while linebacker Josey Jewell leads the Big Ten and is third nationally in tackles per game (11.7).
Offensively, Iowa has thrown only six interceptions, the fewest of any Big Ten team. However, the Hawkeyes have lost 13 fumbles, more than all but four FBS teams. Iowa ranks 87th nationally in scoring offense and 117th in total offense. The Hawkeyes have struggled on third down and inside the red zone, ranking 97th nationally in third-down conversions and 112th in red zone offense. Nate Stanley has thrown for 2,146 yards, and the sophomore ranks third in the Big Ten with 23 touchdown passes. Omaha native Noah Fant has caught eight of those touchdown passes to tie for the Big Ten lead in receiving touchdowns. Akrum Wadley, who ran for 105 yards last year against Nebraska, has rushed for a team-high 862 yards.
2017 Iowa Schedule (6-5)
Wyoming (W 24-3)
at Iowa State (W 44-41 OT)
North Texas (W 31-14)
#4 Penn State (L 19-21)
at Michigan State (L 10-17)
Illinois (W 45-16)
at Northwestern (L 10-17 OT)
Minnesota (W 17-10)
#3 Ohio State (W 55-24)
at #6 Wisconsin (L 14-38)
Purdue (L 15-24)
at Nebraska
About Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz is in his 19th season as the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes and is the longest-tenured FBS head coach in the country. Ferentz has a record of 141-97 with Iowa and is 86-69 all-time in Big Ten games. Ferentz has won two Big Ten titles with Iowa (2002, 2004) and has taken the Hawkeyes to 14 bowl games with a 6-8 bowl record. Ferentz played linebacker in college at UConn, graduating in 1978. After his playing days Ferentz served as a grad assistant coach at UConn for one season and then coached in the high school ranks for two seasons. Ferentz came back to the college game as a grad assistant at Pittsburgh in 1980. From 1981 to 1989 Ferentz served as the offensive line coach at Iowa under coach Hayden Fry then became the head coach at the University of Maine in the FCS ranks for three years from 1990 through 1992 where he sported a 12-21 record. Following his stint in Maine, Ferentz served as an offensive line coach in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (1993-1995) and the Baltimore Ravens (1996-1998) before being named the head coach at Iowa, where he started that role in 1999. In his 22 years as a head coach, (Maine plus Iowa), Ferentz sports an overall record of 153-118 and is 3-5 all-time against Nebraska.
Last Time Out: Iowa 40, Nebraska 10 (Nov. 25, 2016)
No. 16 Nebraska, playing with an outside shot at the Big Ten championship game, came out flat in a 40-10 rout to the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City. C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes as Iowa knocked the Cornhuskers out of the Big Ten title chase and sending Wisconsin to Indianapolis.
Tommy Armstrong started for Nebraska, despite an injured hamstring but was replaced in the game by backup Ryker Fyfe, who played the game with a broken hand. As bad as Nebraska's offense was in the contest, the defense wasn't any better. LeShun Daniels ran for 158 yards and two scores and tight end George Kittle caught two touchdown passes as Iowa closed their season with three straight wins, two of which were over ranked opponents. Iowa broke open what was expected to be a tight game with a 75-yard TD run by Akrum Wadley and a 77-yard TD pass from Beathard to Riley McCarron in the first quarter. Nebraska gave up three plays of more than 50 yards and never threatened throughout.
Iowa ended the day with 408 total yards (144 pass, 264 rush) while Nebraska gained just 217 total yards (127 pass, 90 rush). Neither team committed a turnover on the day. Iowa won the time of possession battle 33:08 to 26:52.
For Iowa, C.J. Beathard finished the day going 10-of-15 for 144 yards with 3 TD passes. LeShun Daniels rushed 29 times for 158 yards with 2 TDs while Akrum Wadley added 11 carries for 105 yards and another TD on the ground. Riley McCarron led Hawkeye receivers with five catches for 108 yards and a TD, while tight end George Kittle hauled in two receptions for 7 yards and 2 TDs.
For Nebraska, Tommy Armstrong was 13-of-35 for 125 yards with 1 TD and Ryker Fyfe was 1-of-2 for 2 yards. Tre Bryant was the leading rusher with 11 carries for 41 yards and Terrell Newby added 10 carries for 39 yards in defeat. Jordan Westerkamp was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 50 yards while Stanley Morgan Jr. added two catches for 28 yards and a TD. Drew Brown added a 35-yard field goal to round out the scoring for Nebraska.
Iowa (6-5, 3-5) at Nebraska (4-7, 3-5)
When: Friday, November 24 | 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Where: Memorial Stadium (85,458) | Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: FOX Sports 1 (Mark Followill, Danny Kanell)
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, Ben McLaughlin)
Satellite Radio: Sirius (Ch. 84) | XM (Ch. 84)
Internet Broadcast: Huskers.com
================================
Nebraska completes its 2017 season on Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium when the Huskers play host to Big Ten West rival Iowa. Game time in front of the 361st consecutive sellout in Lincoln is set for 3 p.m. CT, with national television coverage on FS1. The game can also be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Network.
Nebraska comes into the contest with a 4-7 record and a 3-5 mark in Big Ten play, following a 56-44 setback at No. 13 Penn State last Saturday. The Huskers will be looking for their first win over Iowa since an overtime win in Iowa City in 2014.
Iowa heads to Lincoln with a 6-5 overall record, including a 3-5 record in Big Ten Conference action. The Hawkeyes lost to Purdue 24-15, on Saturday in Iowa City. Iowa has been solid throughout the season with four of its five losses coming against teams currently in the national rankings. The Hawkeyes feature one of the most opportunistic defenses in the country, forcing a total of 20 turnovers, including four defensive touchdowns.
Nebraska and Iowa will battle for the HyVee Heroes Trophy for the seventh consecutive season. Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the schools have each won three games in the series, with the visiting team having won four of the first six meetings as conference opponents.
Numbers to Know
22 - Nebraska will honor 22 individuals who will play in their final game in a Husker uniform on Friday. This group includes 21 seniors and junior Thomas Connely. The group has combined for more than 500 games played and better than 200 career starts.
28 - Nebraska will be playing on the Friday after Thanksgiving for the 28th consecutive season dating back to 1990. Nebraska owns a 19-8 record in Thanksgiving Friday games since 1990, and is 3-3 vs. Iowa.
88 - Nebraska junior receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. needs 88 receiving yards to become the first 1,000-yard receiver in school history. Morgan is also just 30 yards shy of the NU single-season receiving yardage record entering Friday's game.
Series History
Friday's matchup will mark the 48th meeting all-time between the Hawkeyes and the Huskers. The two schools met 41 times as non-conference foes and now six times as members of the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska leads the overall series 29-15-3 and the Huskers are 14-4-1 all-time against the Hawkeyes in games played in Lincoln, with Iowa winning their last two trips to Lincoln after having previously only won once in 12 trips to Lincoln. The series is tied 3-3 in Big Ten play and Iowa has won three of the last four meetings.
1891 - Iowa 22, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1892 - Nebraska 10, Iowa 10 (Omaha)
1893 - Nebraska 20, Iowa 18 (Omaha)
1894 - Nebraska 36, Iowa 0 (Omaha)
1895 - Nebraska 6, Iowa 0 (Omaha)
1896 - Nebraska 0, Iowa 0 (Omaha)
1896 - Iowa 6, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1897 - Nebraska 6, Iowa 0 (Council Bluffs)
1898 - Iowa 6, Nebraska 5 (Council Bluffs)
1899 - Iowa 30, Nebraska 0 (Omaha)
1903 - Nebraska 17, Iowa 6 (Iowa City)
1904 - Nebraska 17, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1908 - Nebraska 11, Iowa 8 (Iowa City)
1909 - Nebraska 6, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1913 - Nebraska 12, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1914 - Nebraska 16, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
1915 - Nebraska 52, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
1916 - Nebraska 34, Iowa 17 (Iowa City)
1917 - Nebraska 47, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1918 - Iowa 12, Nebraska 0 (Lincoln)
1919 - Iowa 18, Nebraska 0 (Iowa City)
1930 - Iowa 12, Nebraska 7 (Iowa City)
1931 - Nebraska 7, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1932 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 13 (Iowa City)
1933 - Nebraska 7, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1934 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 13 (Lincoln)
1937 - #11 Nebraska 28, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1938 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 0 (Iowa City)
1940 - #12 Nebraska 14, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1941 - Nebraska 14, Iowa 13 (Lincoln)
1942 - Iowa 27, Nebraska 0 (Iowa City)
1943 - Iowa 33, Nebraska 13 (Lincoln)
1944 - Iowa 27, Nebraska 6 (Iowa City)
1945 - Nebraska 13, Iowa 6 (Lincoln)
1946 - Iowa 21, Nebraska 7 (Iowa City)
1979 - #7 Nebraska 24, Iowa 21 (Iowa City)
1980 - #6 Nebraska 57, Iowa 0 (Lincoln)
1981 - Iowa 10, #7 Nebraska 7 (Iowa City)
1982 - #3 Nebraska 42, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
1999 - #5 Nebraska 42, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
2000 - #1 Nebraska 42, Iowa 13 (Lincoln)
2011 - #22 Nebraska 20, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
2012 - #17 Nebraska 13, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
2013 - Iowa 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2014 - Nebraska 37, Iowa 34 (OT) (Iowa City)
2015 - #3 Iowa 28, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2016 - Iowa 40, Nebraska 10 (Iowa City)
Heroes Trophy at Stake in Friday's NU-Iowa Clash
Nebraska and Iowa will battle for the Heroes Trophy when they hit the field at Memorial Stadium on Friday. The HyVee Heroes Game is the annual trophy game between Nebraska and Iowa.
While both teams aim to win the trophy on the field, both Nebraska and Iowa wished to make their annual meeting about more than just winning a football game. With that in mind, the schools partnered together to not only create a trophy, but to use a national stage to honor a citizen hero from each state.
In addition to the trophy that will be claimed by the winner of the game, both an Iowa and Nebraska native will be honored for extraordinary acts. Those winners will be announced early this week.
Nebraska Continues Long "Red" Friday Tradition
Nebraska will continue its long-standing tradition of playing on the day after Thanksgiving. This Friday's game with Iowa will mark the 28th consecutive season the Huskers have played on Thanksgiving Friday.
NU met Oklahoma in the final six seasons of the Big Eight Conference (1990 to 1995), then played Colorado in all 15 of the Huskers' Big 12 Conference years (1996 to 2010), before taking on Iowa each of the past six seasons.
Nebraska and Iowa are also scheduled to conclude the season against each other on the day after Thanksgiving in 2018 and 2019.
Nebraska owns a 19-8 record since 1990 in games on the day after Thanksgiving, including a 5-1 record against Oklahoma, an 11-4 mark against Colorado and a 3-3 record against Iowa.
Nebraska is 11-4 at home in Thanksgiving Friday games since 1990, including 1-2 against the Hawkeyes.
In addition to the past six years, Nebraska and Iowa also closed the regular season against each other nine times from 1892 to 1916.
Oklahoma (5-1)
1990 - Oklahoma 45, #10 Nebraska 10 (Norman)
1991 - #11 Nebraska 19, #19 Oklahoma 14 (Lincoln)
1992 - #12 Nebraska 33, Oklahoma 9 (Norman)
1993 - #2 Nebraska 21, #16 Oklahoma 7 (Lincoln)
1994 - #1 Nebraska 13, Oklahoma 3 (Norman)
1995 - #1 Nebraska 37, Oklahoma 0 (Lincoln)
Colorado (11-4)
1996 - #4 Nebraska 17, #5 Colorado 12 (Lincoln)
1997 - #2 Nebraska 27, Colorado 24 (Boulder)
1998 - #14 Nebraska 16, Colorado 14 (Lincoln)
1999 - #3 Nebraska 33, Colorado 30 (OT) (Boulder)
2000 - #10 Nebraska 34, Colorado 32 (Lincoln)
2001 - #14 Colorado 62, #2 Nebraska 36 (Boulder)
2002 - #13 Colorado 28, Nebraska 13 (Lincoln)
2003 - #25 Nebraska 31, Colorado 22 (Boulder)
2004 - Colorado 26, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2005 - Nebraska 30, Colorado 3 (Boulder)
2006 - #19 Nebraska 37, Colorado 14 (Lincoln)
2007 - Colorado 65, Nebraska 51 (Boulder)
2008 - Nebraska 40, Colorado 31 (Lincoln)
2009 - Nebraska 28, Colorado 20 (Boulder)
2010 - #16 Nebraska 45, Colorado 17 (Lincoln)
Iowa (3-3)
2011 - #22 Nebraska 20, Iowa 7 (Lincoln)
2012 - #17 Nebraska 13, Iowa 7 (Iowa City)
2013 - Iowa 38, Nebraska 17 (Lincoln)
2014 - Nebraska 37, Iowa 34 (OT) (Iowa City)
2015 - #3 Iowa 28, Nebraska 20 (Lincoln)
2016 - Iowa 40, #16 Nebraska 10 (Iowa City)
Nebraska to Celebrate Senior Day on Friday
Prior to Friday's game, Nebraska will recognize 22 players who will be putting on a Husker uniform for the final time. The group includes the following:
Drew Brown (PK - Southlake, TX)
Brett Classen (WR - Medina, MN)
Thomas Connely (LB - Kearney, NE)
Erik Evans (DL - Waverly, NE)
Tyler Hoppes (TE - Lincoln, NE)
Chris Jones (CB - Jacksonville, FL)
Harrison Jordan (FB - Omaha, NE)
Boaz Joseph (DB - Weston, FL)
Joshua Kalu (DB - Houston, TX)
Connor Ketter (TE - Norfolk, NE)
David Knevel (OL - Brantford, Ontario, Canada)
Joel Lopez (DL - St. Charles, IL)
Luke McNitt (FB - Kearney, NE)
A.J. Natter (DL - Milton, WI)
Marcus Newby (LB - Gaithersburg, MD)
De'Mornay Pierson-El (WR - Alexandria, VA)
Gabe Rahn (WR - Le Mars, IA)
Kramer Rath (PK - Lincoln, NE)
Adam Taylor (RB - Katy, TX)
Matt Watts (OL - Stockton, CA)
Chris Weber (LB - Omaha, NE)
Kieron Williams (DB - Shreveport, LA)
Together, those players have combined for more than 500 games played, and more than 200 starts. In the classroom, the 22 student-athletes have combined for 68 appearances on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and 13 appointments to the Academic All-Big Ten team. The group has also combined for 48 appearances on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for their community outreach efforts.
Three players have left their mark on Nebraska's all-time record book.
- Drew Brown ranks second in Husker history with 59 career field goals and is fourth with 353 career points. His 50 career starts are the fourth-most in Nebraska history.
- Joshua Kalu has recorded 207 tackles in his career, a total which ranks sixth among all defensive backs in Husker history
- De'Mornay Pierson-El ranks 11th all-time at Nebraska with 97 receptions and is 14th with 1,270 receiving yards. Pierson-El has also totaled 904 career punt return yards -- good for third in school history.
Bob Elliott to be Remembered at Friday's Game
Both the Nebraska and Iowa football programs will remember Bob Elliott at Friday's game, with members of the Elliott family on hand. Elliott (1953-2017) passed away in July after being hired in February to coach the Husker safeties. He began his coaching career as an Iowa graduate assistant in 1976 and returned to Iowa City as a Hawkeye assistant coach for 11 seasons from 1987 to 1998.
As a player, Elliott was a two-time Academic All-American at Iowa. The Elliott family also has other ties to Nebraska and Iowa. Bob's uncle, Pete, was Nebraska's head coach in 1956 -- becoming NU's youngest head football coach in modern history at age 29 -- while Bob's uncle Charles "Bump" Elliott served as Iowa's athletic director from 1970 to 1999.
About Iowa Football
Iowa is in its 129th season and the Hawkeyes claim four national titles. Iowa has also won 13 conference titles, including sharing the 1907 Missouri Valley Conference title with NU. Iowa has won 11 Big Ten titles, most recently in 2004. The Hawkeyes are led by Kirk Ferentz, who is the nation's longest tenured active head coach.
First Season: 1889
Conference Titles: 13
National Titles: 4 (1921, 1956, 1958, 1960)
All-Time Record: 639-553-39
Bowl Record: 14-15-1
About 2017 Iowa Football
Iowa owns a 6-5 record, and the Hawkeyes are tied with Nebraska and Purdue for third place in the Big Ten West Division. Iowa boasts a 3-5 record in conference play, but five of the Hawkeyes eight Big Ten games have come against current Top 25 teams.
Iowa's lone win over a ranked Big Ten opponent was a 31-point rout of then-No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 4, but the Hawkeyes have been close to several other upsets. Iowa opened Big Ten play with a two-point loss to then-No. 4 Penn State, when the Nittany Lions threw the game-winning touchdown pass as time expired. The next week, Iowa went on the road and lost 17-10 at Michigan State. Two weeks later, the Hawkeyes dropped another 17-10 decision on the road, this time in overtime at Northwestern. In its most recent game against a ranked opponent, Iowa fell to then-No. 6 Wisconsin, 38-14, on Nov. 11. Last week the Hawkeyes fell at home to Purdue, 24-15, to come into Lincoln on a two-game losing streak.
Iowa has been led by its defense, which ranks 26th nationally in scoring defense. In addition to allowing 20.5 points per game, the Hawkeyes have scored four defensive touchdowns, a total that ranks fifth nationally. Overall, Iowa ranks 25th nationally with 20 turnovers forced, including ranking sixth nationally with 16 interceptions. Josh Jackson leads the country in interceptions (7) and passes defended (24) and ranks third in pass breakups (17) and interception return yards (163), while linebacker Josey Jewell leads the Big Ten and is third nationally in tackles per game (11.7).
Offensively, Iowa has thrown only six interceptions, the fewest of any Big Ten team. However, the Hawkeyes have lost 13 fumbles, more than all but four FBS teams. Iowa ranks 87th nationally in scoring offense and 117th in total offense. The Hawkeyes have struggled on third down and inside the red zone, ranking 97th nationally in third-down conversions and 112th in red zone offense. Nate Stanley has thrown for 2,146 yards, and the sophomore ranks third in the Big Ten with 23 touchdown passes. Omaha native Noah Fant has caught eight of those touchdown passes to tie for the Big Ten lead in receiving touchdowns. Akrum Wadley, who ran for 105 yards last year against Nebraska, has rushed for a team-high 862 yards.
2017 Iowa Schedule (6-5)
Wyoming (W 24-3)
at Iowa State (W 44-41 OT)
North Texas (W 31-14)
#4 Penn State (L 19-21)
at Michigan State (L 10-17)
Illinois (W 45-16)
at Northwestern (L 10-17 OT)
Minnesota (W 17-10)
#3 Ohio State (W 55-24)
at #6 Wisconsin (L 14-38)
Purdue (L 15-24)
at Nebraska
About Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz is in his 19th season as the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes and is the longest-tenured FBS head coach in the country. Ferentz has a record of 141-97 with Iowa and is 86-69 all-time in Big Ten games. Ferentz has won two Big Ten titles with Iowa (2002, 2004) and has taken the Hawkeyes to 14 bowl games with a 6-8 bowl record. Ferentz played linebacker in college at UConn, graduating in 1978. After his playing days Ferentz served as a grad assistant coach at UConn for one season and then coached in the high school ranks for two seasons. Ferentz came back to the college game as a grad assistant at Pittsburgh in 1980. From 1981 to 1989 Ferentz served as the offensive line coach at Iowa under coach Hayden Fry then became the head coach at the University of Maine in the FCS ranks for three years from 1990 through 1992 where he sported a 12-21 record. Following his stint in Maine, Ferentz served as an offensive line coach in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (1993-1995) and the Baltimore Ravens (1996-1998) before being named the head coach at Iowa, where he started that role in 1999. In his 22 years as a head coach, (Maine plus Iowa), Ferentz sports an overall record of 153-118 and is 3-5 all-time against Nebraska.
Last Time Out: Iowa 40, Nebraska 10 (Nov. 25, 2016)
No. 16 Nebraska, playing with an outside shot at the Big Ten championship game, came out flat in a 40-10 rout to the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City. C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes as Iowa knocked the Cornhuskers out of the Big Ten title chase and sending Wisconsin to Indianapolis.
Tommy Armstrong started for Nebraska, despite an injured hamstring but was replaced in the game by backup Ryker Fyfe, who played the game with a broken hand. As bad as Nebraska's offense was in the contest, the defense wasn't any better. LeShun Daniels ran for 158 yards and two scores and tight end George Kittle caught two touchdown passes as Iowa closed their season with three straight wins, two of which were over ranked opponents. Iowa broke open what was expected to be a tight game with a 75-yard TD run by Akrum Wadley and a 77-yard TD pass from Beathard to Riley McCarron in the first quarter. Nebraska gave up three plays of more than 50 yards and never threatened throughout.
Iowa ended the day with 408 total yards (144 pass, 264 rush) while Nebraska gained just 217 total yards (127 pass, 90 rush). Neither team committed a turnover on the day. Iowa won the time of possession battle 33:08 to 26:52.
For Iowa, C.J. Beathard finished the day going 10-of-15 for 144 yards with 3 TD passes. LeShun Daniels rushed 29 times for 158 yards with 2 TDs while Akrum Wadley added 11 carries for 105 yards and another TD on the ground. Riley McCarron led Hawkeye receivers with five catches for 108 yards and a TD, while tight end George Kittle hauled in two receptions for 7 yards and 2 TDs.
For Nebraska, Tommy Armstrong was 13-of-35 for 125 yards with 1 TD and Ryker Fyfe was 1-of-2 for 2 yards. Tre Bryant was the leading rusher with 11 carries for 41 yards and Terrell Newby added 10 carries for 39 yards in defeat. Jordan Westerkamp was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 50 yards while Stanley Morgan Jr. added two catches for 28 yards and a TD. Drew Brown added a 35-yard field goal to round out the scoring for Nebraska.
