Iowa Will Face Kentucky in Citrus Bowl

Hawkeyes, Wildcats Meet in Orlando on New Years Day

ORLANDO – The No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) and No. 22 Kentucky Wildcats (9-3, 5-3 SEC) will meet in the 2022 Vrbo Citrus Bowl. Florida Citrus Sports chairman Ken Robinson and CEO Steve Hogan announced the matchup today on behalf of the organization.

The game will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 1, at Camping World Stadium and will be televised nationally by ABC. The contest will be the first-ever meeting between the Wildcats and Hawkeyes and will also mark 75 years since the inaugural edition of the game, played on Jan. 1, 1947 on the same site.

This postseason will be Iowa's second Vrbo Citrus Bowl trip all-time and its first since the Hawkeyes defeated LSU in 2005 on a 56-yard touchdown pass on the game's final play. Champions of the Big Ten West Division, Iowa ranks 14th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 19.15 points per game, with a run defense that has held opponents to 113.8 rushing yards per game, good for 15th nationally. Linebackers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson lead the Hawkeyes defense with 126 and 95 total tackles, respectively, while Dane Belton anchors the secondary and is tied for second in the nation in interceptions with five.

Offensively, the Hawkeyes are paced by quarterback Spencer Petras, who threw for 1,669 yards and nine touchdowns this year while also adding five rushing touchdowns. Junior running back Tyler Goodson (1,151 yards and six touchdowns) leads the Hawkeyes rushing attack, while tight end Sam LaPorta (548 yards and two touchdowns) and wide receiver Keagan Johnson (352 yards and two touchdowns) pace the Hawkeyes receiving corps.

The Kentucky offense is led by quarterback Will Levis, who ranks in the top 50 nationally and top five in the SEC in passing yards (2,593 yards) and has 32 total touchdowns (23 passing, nine rushing) this season. Junior Chris Rodriguez is Kentucky's top-producing running back with 1,272 yards and eight rushing scores, while Wan'Dale Robinson (1,164 yards and seven touchdowns) and Josh Ali (601 yards and three touchdowns) lead the Wildcats wideouts.

The Wildcats enter this matchup allowing an average of 22.08 points and 336.4 total yards per game on the season and have held opposing offenses to just 117.2 rushing yards per game (17th in the nation). Linebacker Jacquez Jones leads the team with 82 tackles, while fellow linebackers J.J. Weaver (34 tackles, 6.5 sacks) and DeAndre Square (75 tackles and three sacks) have also had strong seasons.

“Congratulations to coach Kirk Ferentz, our football student-athletes and the entire staff, on a Big Ten West Championship, 10-win season and our invitation to the VRBO Citrus Bowl,” said Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair Gary Barta. “One of the most memorable Hawkeye football moments occurred at this bowl in 2005 and I know our fans are excited to relive those experiences. We have had wonderful Hawkeye fan support all season long and I am confident this will continue in sunny Florida.

“We want to thank Steve Hogan and Florida Citrus Sports for the invitation to participate and we look forward to our visit to Orlando.”

VRBO CITRUS BOWL TICKET INFORMATION
The Iowa Athletics Ticket Office will accept Citrus Bowl ticket requests from Monday, Dec. 6 through noon on Friday, Dec. 10 from football season ticket holders and I-Club members. Fans are encouraged to monitor their email inbox for ordering information and visit hawkeyesports.com/BowlCentral for updated information. If tickets remain after the priority process they will be made available for the pubic on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

IOWA IN POSTSEASON; AT THE CITRUS BOWL
The Hawkeyes will be making their 34th bowl game appearance and their second Citrus Bowl appearance (formerly the Capital One Bowl). Iowa defeated No. 11 LSU, 30-25, on an improbable Drew Tate-to-Warren Holloway 56-yard touchdown pass as time expired on Jan. 1, 2005.

Iowa enters the game having won three consecutive bowl games for the second time in program history. (The 2020 Music City Bowl was canceled because of COVID.) The Hawkeyes are 17-15-1 all-time in bowl games.

IOWA VS. KENTUCKY
The Hawkeyes have never faced Kentucky in program history. Iowa is 6-5 all-time in bowl games against current Southeastern Conference opponents.

IOWA IN 2021
The Hawkeyes went 4-0 in the month of November to finish with 10 regular season wins and a 7-2 Big Ten record en route to the Big Ten West Division title. The West Division title is the second in program history and it is the seventh 10-win season under head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Junior Tyler Linderbaum was selected as the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Big Ten Conference, becoming the ninth Hawkeye to earn the distinction and the second in three seasons (Tristian Wirfs, 2019). The center from Solon, Iowa, was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. He is a finalist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy.

Senior Riley Moss was selected as the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, becoming the fifth Hawkeye to be named the league’s top defensive back. The Ankeny, Iowa, native ranks third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally with four interceptions with two coming via pick sixes in the season-opening win over Indiana.

Senior Charlie Jones was tabbed as the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year after leading the conference and ranking second in the NCAA in total kick return yards (605). The Illinois native returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Iowa’s win over Illinois on Nov. 20.

Iowa had 16 players earn All-Big Ten recognition, including first-team honorees Dane Belton (defensive back), Jack Campbell (linebacker), Caleb Shudak (placekicker), Linderbaum (center), Moss (defensive back) and Jones (return specialist).

The Hawkeyes rank third among Big Ten teams in bowl appearances since 2001 and are bowl eligible for the 20th time under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa is 9-8 in bowl games under Ferentz, including a 49-24 victory over Southern California in the 2019 Holiday Bowl. Since 2001, only Ohio State and Wisconsin have won more bowl games (including the FBS championship game), than Iowa.