Iowa Overcomes Massive Adversity With Walkoff Win Over Nebraska

The Iowa Hawkeyes ended their regular season in style with a comeback win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Iowa Hawkeyes kicker Drew Stevens. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes can feel good about themselves at the end of the regular season.

Well, sort of.

Iowa rallied from a 10-0 deficit against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday night for a 13-10 win in its season finale, capturing the victory on a 53-yard walkoff field goal by Drew Stevens.

ONIONS@DrewTS7 x #Hawkeyes

pic.twitter.com/3F7OPewLjk

— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) November 30, 2024

It certainly wasn't a pretty performance for the Hawkeyes.

They managed just 164 yards of total offense, as third-string quarterback Jackson Stratton went just 8-for-15 with 115 yards and a touchdown. At the very least, he didn't throw any interceptions.

Even elite running back Kaleb Johnson struggled, carrying the ball 17 times for just 45 yards. That's good for an average of just 2.6 yards per carry.

Johnson's struggles were indicative of Iowa's offense as a whole.

The Hawkeyes logged a meager four yards per play and only totaled five first downs throughout the entire night.

Meanwhile, Nebraska finished with 334 yards of total offense and 20 first downs, but the Cornhuskers were unable to capitalize. A couple of lost fumbles certainly played a role in their inability to score.

As a matter of fact, Nebraska didn't score at all during the second half.

Not only that, but Iowa also went 0-for-10 on third downs, making the fact that it somehow won this game that much more of a miracle.

Regardless, the Hawkeyes finished the season with a record of 8-4. They will absolutely be playing in a bowl game and are looking to erase the memories of their 35-0 loss to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl last January.