#1 Iowa (11-0) has a B+ offense, an A+ defense, and is A+ overall. They are #2 in pts/gm, #7 in total offense, and #3 in total defense. We are #1 in pts/gm, #6 in total offense, and #1 in total defense. This will be the third time we've faced Iowa for the National Championship. In 2008 we beat #1 Iowa 48-14 and in 2014 we beat #2 Iowa 28-10. An interesting plot line is that Iowa's QB won the Heisman over ROLB Josh King. King will definitely want some revenge for this.

LOLB Dan Rix knocks Iowa's starting QB out of the game. Iowa's backup QB Boyd finds WR Dixon on a 15 yard TD pass, 7-0 Hawks. QB Michael Johnson goes long for WR Anthony Morris. He hauls it in and races 87 yards for the touch, 7-7.

Iowa HB Miller goes in from 16 yards out, 14-7 Iowa. He then scores on a 5 yard TD run, 21-7. He then breaks out on a 68 yard TD score, 28-7. Going in for his 4th TD of the 2nd quarter, HB Miller scores on a 3 yard TD run. Just like that it is 35-7. QB Johnson finds WR Sam Fontaine on a 48 yard TD pass with :07 left, 35-14. Amazingly, Alabama goes for an onside kick and gets it! QB Johnson goes long with :04 left on the clock and a Bama WR hauls it in, but is tackled at the Iowa 2 with no time on the clock. Arghh!!!!

Iowa QB Boyd throws a 22 yard TD pass to WR Dixon, 42-14. Iowa FS Bell picks off deflected pass off a Bama WR's hands and evades all players wearing crimson on his way to a 29 yard INT return, 49-14. Geez!

FB Eric Wright takes it in from 3 yards out with 4:33 left in the game. HB Andrew Edwards scores on the 2 point conversion, 49-22. Iowa K Guillory hits a 42 yard FG, 52-22. QB Johnson finds WR Fontaine on a 24 yard TD pass with 1:35 left. QB Johnson takes it in for the conversion, 52-30. HB Andre Justice scores on a 2 yard TD run with :47 left, 52-37. Iowa recovers the onside kick and runs out the clock.

I knew this year was going to be a tough one. Switching to the 3-4 defense really hurt in games like vs. Tennessee. Iowa's HB just went nuts against us. We couldn't stop him at all. Our offense couldn't get anything going either. When we'd throw to open guys, an Iowa defender would come out of nowhere to tip the ball or the WR would drop it or let it bounce off his hands. Some of those were picked. Bottom line is even though our offensive line looked solid on paper, there were problems especially on the right side. We also had problems in the WR core. There wasn't really a go-to guy. The defense held its own. Our QB struggled mightily at times too, usually when we really needed him to step up. Hopefully with offseason conditioning we can get his accuracy up there where it needs to be.