Iowa Takes Care of Business

TAMPA, Fla. —  Iowa’s 45-year drought in January bowl games is over, the Hawkeyes have consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time, and Coach Kirk Ferentz and his players can finally stop thinking about last year’s loss in the Orange Bowl.

No. 13 Iowa’s 37-17 rout of No. 17 Florida on Thursday in the Outback Bowl ensured all that.

“This is very gratifying and very rewarding. This is one more hurdle for us to climb,” Ferentz said. “None of us had a good taste in our mouths after the game last January. It stuck with us.”

With Fred Russell rushing for 150 yards and one touchdown, the Hawkeyes answered critics who said Ferentz had to win a New Year’s Day bowl to truly re-establish Iowa as one of the nation’s top programs.

Nathan Chandler threw for a touchdown and ran for another, Nate Kaeding kicked three field goals and Iowa (10-3) scored on a blocked punt to improve to 21-5 over the last two seasons.

Chris Leak’s 70-yard touchdown pass play to Kelvin Kight was the highlight of the day for the Gators (8-5), who trailed, 20-7, at the half and whose hopes of a comeback faded when an offensive pass interference penalty erased a touchdown that would have reduced Iowa’s lead to 27-17.

Instead, Florida punted two plays later and Chandler led an 80-yard drive that Russell capped with a 34-yard touchdown run to make it 34-10 with a bit less than five minutes left in the third quarter.

Iowa won a January bowl for the first time since beating California in the 1959 Rose Bowl.

The Hawkeyes had been 0-4 since then, including an embarrassing 38-17 loss to USC in last year’s Orange Bowl.