The undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Tom Osborne Field to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a huge Big Ten matchup. The Hawkeyes have moved in to the fourth spot in the College Football Playoff Poll, and a win against Nebraska would solidify their chances at making the playoff. The Cornhuskers have won two straight including a big win over Michigan State, and they would like nothing more than to hand Iowa their first loss of the season.
Nebraska head coach Mike Riley will look to establish a strong ground game against the Hawkeyes, and running back Imani Cross is likely to see plenty of carries Friday. Cross is coming off back-to-back 90 plus yard rushing games and will try to make his presence felt against a strong Iowa defense.
Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. leads the Cornhuskers offense and can make big plays with both his arm and feet. The junior quarterback has thrown for 2,560 yards this season and has 21 touchdowns to 12 interceptions on the year. Armstrong keeps defenses on their heels as he can throw the long ball, but he can also take off at any time. The Cornhuskers quarterback has rushed for 278 yards this season and has scored six touchdowns on the ground. Riley will need his quarterback to make smart decisions, as ball security is a big concern for Armstrong. While the Cornhuskers have won their last two games, Armstrong has thrown five touchdowns to five interceptions during that span.
Hawkeyes linebacker Josey Jewell is the leader of this defense and will look to be all over the field Friday afternoon. Jewell leads the team in tackles with 102 total tackles, and he has 6.5 tackles for loss this season. The sophomore linebacker can create havoc for opposing quarterbacks and has 2.5 sacks and an interception this season.
While the Hawkeyes defense will try to shut down Armstrong and the Cornhuskers offense, head coach Kirk Ferentz will look to quarterback C.J. Beathard to set the tone for Iowa's offense. The junior quarterback has thrown for 2,257 yards with 13 touchdowns to three interceptions. At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, the Hawkeyes quarterback can be difficult to bring down and can move on his feet. Beathard is averaging 3.5 yards per carry and has six rushing touchdowns this season.
The Hawkeyes have a strong rushing attack, and running backs Jordan Canzeri and LeShun Daniels Jr. will get plenty of opportunities Friday. Canzeri leads the team in rushing this season with 824 yards and has scored 10 touchdowns. The senior running back rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown last week against Purdue, and he could be an impact player against the Cornhuskers. Daniels is another strong back for the Hawkeyes that can break through tackles and is great at goal line carries. In the past three games, Daniels has scored seven touchdowns and will look to pound in another one on Friday.
The Hawkeyes will already represent the West division in the Big Ten Championship game, as they remain the only unbeaten team in the conference. The Cornhuskers are 5-6 on the season, but a win over Iowa would be a major statement from this program. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Hawkeyes' radio broadcast, click here, and for the Cornhuskers' radio broadcast, go here.
