Because this is a Big Ten West game, there will be a trophy at stake. The Heroes Trophy is up for grabs for the fourth time Friday afternoon as the Iowa Hawkeyes host the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Field.
How to watch Nebraska vs. Iowa: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
The battle for the Heroes Trophy kicks off at noon ET on Black Friday. Both Nebraska and Iowa will be looking to end their season on a high note.
Nebraska had Big Ten title aspirations after starting off the season 8-1, their only loss coming on the road at Michigan State by five, but after losing their last two games, they are squarely in “random Florida bowl game” territory. The Huskers were steamrolled by Wisconsin two weeks ago and then lost a heart breaker to Minnesota this past week.
The Hawkeyes have been one of the most confusing teams to follow this season. They’ve blown teams out but have also lost to Iowa State. After barely losing to Wisconsin last week, Iowa will look to win their second straight game against Nebraska Friday.
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How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Radio: Hawkeye radio affiliates and Husker radio affiliates.
Online streaming: Watch ESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Nebraska and Iowa are unranked by either the AP Poll or Coaches Poll. The Huskers are 8-3 and 4-3 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are 7-4 and also 4-3 in conference play.
Vegas: The line opened at even. Vegas clearly doesn’t know that Nebraska has to lose four games every year under Bo Pelini. It’s the law. The over/under is 56, per Odds Shark.
Weather forecast: It will be a chilly 24 degrees in Iowa City Friday afternoon and mostly sunny with a 10-percent chance of snow.
Two things at stake
Nebraska could avoid their annual fourth loss with a win over the Hawkeyes.
Iowa will be looking to keep the Heroes Trophy for the second straight year.
One big matchup
Ameer Abdullah vs. Iowa's rushing defense: The 11th-leading rusher in the country resides in Lincoln and will be travelling to Iowa City Friday for a chance to feast on the Hawkeyes' solid run defense. Iowa clocks in at fifth in the conference, only allowing 145.4 yards per game on the ground, even after giving up 266 to Wisconsin last week. Abdullah has rushed for 1,417 yards and 18 touchdowns this season (while basically missing the entire game against Purdue with an injury). Iowa's defense was able to bottle up Melvin Gordon on multiple occasions and will need a similar push up front from Carl Davis and company to keep Abdullah in check. If Iowa can force Tommy Armstrong, Jr. into passing situations they will have a good chance of pulling off the upset and giving Nebraska their fourth loss of the season.
Further reading
If you need more news on Nebraska, Corn Nation has you covered. For more Iowa coverage, Black Heart Gold Pants is your one-stop shop.
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