Saturday Blitz
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Iowa Football: Top 5 moments from the 2018 season

By Quinn Douglas

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: The Iowa Hawkeyes celebrate after winning the 2019 Outback Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: The Iowa Hawkeyes celebrate after winning the 2019 Outback Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 01: Jake Gervase #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes makes an interception against Stephen Guidry #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the 2019 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 01: Jake Gervase #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes makes an interception against Stephen Guidry #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the 2019 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

2. Jake Gervase’s Outback Bowl interception

Jake Gervase led a long, winding road to becoming a team captain for Iowa in 2018, beginning as an unheralded walk-on from Assumption High School in Davenport, Iowa, one of the four towns that make up the Quad Cities. Gervase joined the Iowa program in 2014 and saw primarily special teams action in his first two seasons. However, Gervase got his big shot in 2017, beating out Miles Taylor for the starting role.

It wasn’t 100% set in stone however, as Gervase was benched for a few games due to his play. But, he got one more shot and made the most of it, and did not refuse the free safety spot for the rest of 2017 and 2018, and with over 90 friends and family members in Raymond James Stadium, Gervase put in his best performance as a Hawkeye. Fitting it was his last performance, the highlight of the day was pinball interception in the endzone after Mississippi State receiver Stephen Guidry dropped a sure touchdown.

Gervase (had I not had to turn in my ballot with five minutes to go) would likely have been my MVP if it weren’t for the time constraint, as he also came up with the game-clinching deflection with 30 seconds to go to seal Iowa’s Outback Bowl win over Mississippi State in an emotional win for all of Hawkeye Nation.

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