Iowa Football: Top 5 moments from the 2018 season

1. The final march against Nebraska

It looked like a movie Iowa fans had seen before, as Iowa had blown a 15-point lead against the four-win Huskers as Kade Warner came down with a two-point conversion to tie the game with over three minutes to go. Hawkeye fans had memories of Iowa’s loss to Nebraska four years prior, in which Iowa blew a 17-point lead to lose to Nebraska in overtime. To many it appeared it was going to happen again, but Nate Stanley had other plans.

Stanley, for most of the season, had been criticized how he could not get it done in crunch time, as many pointed to Iowa’s close losses to Penn State, Purdue and Northwestern. In each game Iowa had a chance to win the game in regulation, but events, sometimes out of Stanley’s hands, doomed the Hawkeyes. But, as the quarterback, you’re going to take most of the blame. But as Iowa faced a critical fourth and eight, Nate Stanley stood in the pocket and fired a dart to T.J. Hockenson.

The play stunned me for two reasons: first, it was fourth and eight at midfield. If Iowa doesn’t convert, Nebraska get’s the ball in great position to get down to kick a field goal and Kirk Ferentz isn’t one to gamble like that late in the game. Secondly, Stanley didn’t hesitate for a second when he delivered that ball to Hockenson, which was a huge confidence boost to everyone in the stadium.

This set up

Miguel Recinos

, the in-state senior kicker from Mason City, to kick the Hawkeyes past Nebraska for the fourth year in a row…and just like the seniors record against the Huskers: it was perfect.

And that’s how you beat the Huskers.

This rivalry is just heating up as Scott Frost’s program is on the rise and Iowa is coming off another solid season.