The Hawkeyes will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to face the Wildcats at Nissan Stadium on December 31 at 11am.
Daniel McGregor-Hire
Iowa running back Caleb Johnson runs for a touchdown during the Iowa-Nebraska football game at Kinnick Stadium on November 25, 2022. Johnson had 109 rushing yards and he had 1 touchdown. The Cornhuskers beat the Hawkeyes 24-17.
The Iowa football team heads to Nashville on New Year’s Eve.
The 7-5 Hawkeyes will take on the 7-5 Kentucky Wildcats at the Music City Bowl on December 31 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Iowa and Kentucky will face off in two consecutive bowl games.
Iowa lost 20-17 to Kentucky in the 2022 Citrus Bowl on January 1 in Orlando, Florida.
Both teams have less firepower in their second matchup. Iowa did not start quarterback Spencer Petras and backup Alex Padilla, and head coach Kirk Ferencz said the Hawkeyes would either choose third-string Joe Lavas or fourth-string true freshman Carson May. He said he would take the lead. Petras suffered his season-ending injury on 25 November and Padilla entered the transfer portal.
Wide receivers Keegan Johnson and Arland Bruce and running back Gavin Williams also entered the transfer portal, leaving the Hawkeyes with three scholarship wide receivers.
The Wildcats’ offense will also dry up on December 31st.
Starting quarterback Will Levis opted out of bowl games to prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft. Levi achieved 233 yards on 17 of 28 passes and Citrus scored a touchdown in his bowl against the Hawkeyes.
Running back Chris Rodriguez, who had 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Hawkeyes last season, also chose to declare himself in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Kaiya Sheron will start for the Wildcats in the Music City Bowl. Sheron has appeared in two games this season against South Carolina. Overall, he completed his 17 of his 29 passes in his 2022 for 187 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Below is the match information for the Music City Bowl.Check out stories from The Daily Iowans pre-match staff https://dailyiowan.com/pregame/ And now I’m standing
Match: Iowa (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) vs. Kentucky (7-5, 3-5 SEC)
Scheduled game time: December 31, 11:00 a.m.
position: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
weather: 48 degrees
tv set: ABC
announcer: Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (color analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
wireless: hawkeye radio network
Betting Information: LINE: Iowa-2.5 | O/U 31.5
This week’s pre-game story:
Cover story: Not your average Joe: How Iowa football defensive end Joe Evans went from walk-on to starter
Power Ranking: Around the Big Ten | Bowl Season Matchups and Power Rankings
A bettor’s guide: Weekly bets | The Daily Iowan’s Official Bettor’s Guide to the Iowa Football Bowl Game
lineup: Track Iowa Kentucky Football Players Not Playing in the Music City Bowl
Game recommendations: Weekly bets | The Daily Iowan’s Official Bettor’s Guide to the Iowa Football Bowl Game