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Bowl season is underway, and the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Kentucky Wildcats will compete for postseason bragging rights in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium at noon ET on Saturday. The Hawkeyes have a defense that allows only 14.42 points per game, so UK's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Iowa came within a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers five weeks ago, but they wound up with a 24-17 loss. The losing side was boosted by RB Kaleb Johnson, who rushed for one TD and 109 yards on 16 carries.
Meanwhile, UK beat the Louisville Cardinals 26-13 five weeks ago. No one had a standout game offensively for UK, but they got scores from WR Dane Key and WR Barion Brown.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, which contributed 14. K Matt Ruffolo delivered a perfect 4-for-4 game.
This next contest is expected to be close, with Iowa going off at just a 2.5-point favorite. Those burned by picking them against the spread five weeks ago might want to keep in mind that the team has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Kentucky's win lifted them to 7-5 while Iowa's loss dropped them down to 7-5. Giving up four turnovers, the Hawkeyes had had trouble holding onto the ball. We'll see if the Wildcats can exploit that vulnerability.
