The last time Iowa and Tennessee faced off was in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on January 2, 2015; it was a game that would mark the end of a disappointing season and the last step toward a dominant one.
The Hawkeyes and Volunteers will square off once more in a January bowl game down in Florida, nearly nine years later. There are many unanswered concerns around the team, particularly head coach Kirk Ferentz, so the return to the Sunshine State is not without its challenges. With an eye toward taking the lead for a 25th season, Ferentz hopes to duplicate the 2014–15 comeback.
Although the Hawkeyes finished first in the Big Ten West division in 2015 after going 12-0, their opening contest of that year barely resembled
The Volunteers looked like they had plenty of postseason experience against the Hawkeyes in the 45-28 win. Before scoring three touchdowns in the final minutes, Iowa was down 42-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
“It wasn’t satisfying,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said of the Hawkeyes’ season after that bowl game. “We lost four close games, and today we were behind quickly … If we’re going to be successful, we have to do well in close games. First thing we have to do is make them close.”
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