The Nebraska v Iowa Big 10 football rivalry doesn’t have the history of most of the rest of the conferences’ designated “rivalry” games. It’s not Ohio State – Michigan or Minnesota – Wisconsin or even the transplanted USC – UCLA tilt. But it’s not without emotion…on both sides.
The two schools have met 55 times on the gridiron, with Nebraska holding a 30-22-3 edge. But since the Huskers joined the Big 10 and the game became and annual, post-Thanksgiving affair, the Hawkeyes have had the best of it, winning 10 of 14, including 9 of the past 10…four of them on walk-off field goals.
They gave the contest a name to make sure it’s viewed as a true, college football rivalry. It’s now called “The Heroes Game.” Mostly the heroes have been Hawkeye placekickers.
San Francisco 49’er All-Pro tight end George Kittle played at Iowa from 2013-2016, a period during which the Hawkeyes won three of four games against the Huskers. On top of that, his hometown is Norman, Oklahoma, so he grew up watching the old Nebraska-Oklahoma post-Thanksgiving Day battles. Needless to say, Kittle doesn’t have any love for Nebraska.
When his friend and former Cornhusker linebacker Will Compton of the “Bussin with the Boys” podcast, sent him a smack-filled text message on Monday prior to the 49ers win over the Carolina Panthers, Kittle got his hackles up. After the game during an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter, he fired back at Compton.
“Hey, I’m preparing for a Monday Night Football game on national television and you’re coming to me about Nebraska-Iowa?” Kittle yelled at host Scott Van Pelt. “That means you’re scared.
“You’re terrified. You lost by 30 at Penn State? They just fired their coach and you lost by 30? Are you kidding me? Iowa’s gonna come in there and run the ball down your throat and there’s nothing you can do about it.
“Sit on the bus that doesn’t go anywhere and shut your mouth, Will Compton,” Kittle joked. “Shut up.”
Nebraska and Iowa fans engage in spirited discourse via the internet on a year ‘round basis. All of it is ramped up during game week, which finds the two 7-4 teams battling in potentially wintery conditions in Lincoln with conference standing, bowl game seeding, and…most importantly, bragging rights on the line.
Neither team is nationally ranked, but visiting Iowa is a 6½ point road favorite, with the Huskers four-touchdown loss at Penn State last Saturday still fresh in the oddsmakers’ minds. The Hawkeyes lost by a single point at home to the Nittany Lions, and have also beaten a Minnesota team at home that beat Nebraska in Minneapolis. Both teams have defeated Michigan State and lost to USC.
Nebraska is led by 1,000-yard rusher Emmett Smith and will again be quarterbacked by true freshman TJ Lateef, who will start his third game filling in for injured star QB Dylan Raiola. Iowa – which hasn’t had a 200-yard passing game once all season – will rely on a group of ball carriers that have rushed for almost 2,000 yards on the season.
Kickoff is at 11am Central Time on Friday morning.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Nebraska Gets Old-Fashioned Bulletin Board Material From NFL All-Pro appeared first on Heavy Sports.