The University of Iowa football team defeated Kentucky, 21-0, at the TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Redshirt freshman Joe Labas was 14-for-24 for 139 yards and a touchdown in his first career start for the Hawkeyes.
Senior tight end Sam LaPorta had five receptions for 56 yards, and sophomore Luke Lachey had three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, senior linebacker Jack Campbell had 10 tackles (eight solo) and a sack. Freshman Xavier Nwankpa had eight tackles (seven solo) and an interception returned for a touchdown. Sophomore Cooper DeJean also had an interception returned for a touchdown.
“Just really happy for our guys. Especially our seniors. What a way to send them off. It’s been a great group, and I can’t thank them enough for all they’ve done,” said Hawkeyes Coach Kirk Ferentz.
The Hawkeyes opened the scoring with 12:08 remaining in the second quarter. Back-to-back completions from Joe Labas to Sam LaPorta and Luke Lachey were all it took for Iowa to find the end zone. The Hawkeyes went 42 yards on the two completions with Lachey scoring on a 15-yard reception.
On the first play of Kentucky’s next drive, freshman Xavier Nwankpa recorded his first career interception and took it 52-yards for the Hawkeye score.
With Kentucky backed up on the seven-yard line Cooper DeJean intercepted a pass and returned it 14 yards for Iowa’s second pick six of the game with 1:36 remaining in the first half.
On Friday, the sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers emphatically punctuated a memorable 2022 campaign with a New Year’s bowl victory, taking down #seven Clemson 31-14 in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.
In his second year at the helm of Tennessee football, Head Coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols (11-2) to their ninth 11-win season in program history and first since 2001. Friday’s result marked Tennessee’s first victory in a ‘New Year’s Six Bowl’ game (2014-22) and first win in the Orange Bowl since defeating Oklahoma in 1939.
Playing 80 miles from his hometown of Pahokee, Florida, quarterback Joe Milton III shined under the bright lights in his fourth start for the Vols. The redshirt senior completed 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns with no interceptions. He was named the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.
