LINCOLN, Neb. – Spencer Petras‘s 2-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left gave 17th-ranked Iowa its first lead, and the Hawkeyes came back from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter to beat Nebraska 28-21 on Friday.
Iowa won the border battle for the seventh straight year, but not before Jermari Harris intercepted Logan Smothers‘ pass at the Iowa 2 with 43 seconds to play.
The Hawkeyes (10-2, 7-2) stayed alive in the Big Ten West race and now need Minnesota to beat Wisconsin on Saturday to go to the conference championship game next week in Indianapolis.
The loss was another gut punch to Nebraska (3-9, 1-8) in its worst season since 1957. The Cornhuskers, who won’t go to a bowl for a fifth straight year, finished with losses in six straight games and eight of nine. Their nine losses were by a total of 56 points.
Tyler Goodson ran for 156 yards on 23 carries to become Iowa’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Akrum Wadley in 2017.
Smothers, making his first start in place of the injured Adrian Martinez, threw for 199 yards and ran 24 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
Iowa used a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, two field goals and a safety to wipe out a 21-6 deficit and tie it 21-21 with 7:21 left.
Nebraska had looked ready to get its breakthrough win when Goodson fumbled at the Huskers’ 6 and Smothers, making his first start in place of the injured Adrian Martinez, led them 94 yards in six plays for a double-digit lead.
But Iowa, with the Big Ten’s least productive offense, was able to turn to its defense and special teams to pull this one out.
Iowa pulled to 21-16 early in the fourth when Joe Evans blocked William Przystup‘s punt and Kyler Fisher grabbed it and ran it 14 yards for a touchdown.
On Nebraska’s next series, Smothers fumbled and Iowa’s Logan Lee recovered at the Hawkeyes’ 46. The Huskers forced a three-and-out, but Tory Taylor’s punt pinned them at their 7. Smothers, under pressure, made a desperation throw from his end zone and was called for intentional grounding, resulting in a safety.
Petras, who replaced Alex Padilla to start the second half, got the Hawkeyes to the Nebraska 26 on their ensuing series and Caleb Shudak kicked his fourth field goal of the game from 44 yards to tie it.
The Hawkeyes forced a punt, and Goodson broke a 55-yard run before Petras scored the go-ahead touchdown.
THE TAKEAWAY
Iowa: The Hawkeyes, for all their limitations on offense, were able to overcome a two-score deficit for the second time this season. The first was at home against Penn State.
Nebraska: The Huskers once again couldn’t put away an opponent and finished a season with nine losses for only the second time in program history. Frost is now 0-13 against ranked opponents, and the Huskers have dropped 17 in a row against the Top 25 since 2016.
UP NEXT
Iowa: Big Ten championship game on Dec. 4 if Minnesota beats Wisconsin on Saturday. Otherwise, it’s time to prepare for a bowl.
Nebraska plays Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 27.
