The game itself played out much like the season leading up to it. Things looked pretty good early, but nothing was spectacular.  Iowa cut through the Nebraska defense but Nebraska had little problem answering right back against what we consider to be a solid Iowa defense.  But then, just as Iowa seemed to get things rolling after the loss to Wisconsin early in the year, the Hawkeyes seemed to create some separation. After Nebraska cut the lead to 14-10, Iowa grabbed another touchdown on a Mekhi Sargent run, then held the Cornhuskers to a field goal before half. The third quarter seemed to come and go with little action other than another Hawkeye touchdown.

The Hawkeye defense then gave up a pair of Nebraska touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the offense failed to get points after going for it on fourth and 2 from the Nebraska 3 up 28-13 and missing the field goal on their next trip inside the redzone.

What had felt like another decisive victory against a team that so badly wants to be above Iowa they continue to act like this is not a rivalry game suddenly was a tie game with less than three and a half minutes left.  Just as the season returned from the brink to be largely what we would have expected, slightly disappointing, so too did the game end the way most of us expected. Senior Miguel Recinos redeemed his earlier transgressions and nailed a game winner from roughly the same spot he had previously missed.

But at the end of the day, it was another good year. Despite not living up to the heightened expectations we built for ourselves midway through the year, this season comes in the midst of string of good years at Iowa. Over the last 5 seasons, only Wisconsin has won more games than the Hawkeyes in the West. Only Ohio State and Penn State have done so from the East.