SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 29, 2013
Iowa 38, Nebraska 17: Jake Rudock passed for two touchdowns and the visiting Hawkeyes forced three turnovers to close the regular season with their fourth victory in five games.
Iowa (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) won just four games a year ago, but continued its turnaround this season by pulling away with two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes. Rudock completed 9-of-15 passes for 126 yards before leaving with a leg injury late in the third quarter, and Mark Weisman rushed for two scores.
Ameer Abdullah rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown for Nebraska (8-4, 5-3), which has lost two of its past three contests. Ron Kellogg III passed for 198 yards and one touchdown, but threw two interceptions.
The Cornhuskers pulled within 24-17 on Kellogg’s 15-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-3 to Quincy Enunwa with 11:25 to play. Iowa’s Anthony Hitchens recovered a fumble on Nebraska’s next possession, and Weisman rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 9:17 remaining to push the Hawkeyes’ advantage to 31-17.
Iowa extended its lead to 17-10 on Mike Meyer’s 31-yard field goal with 6:04 to play in the third quarter. The Hawkeyes stopped Nebraska’s fake punt on fourth-and-3 from the Cornhuskers’ 32 on the ensuing possession, and scored on the next play on Rudock’s 24-yard pass to Kevonte Martin-Manley to make it 24-10 with 4:46 remaining in the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Iowa backup QB C.J. Beathard misfired on his only two pass attempts, but scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 3:33 remaining. … Iowa won at Nebraska for the first time since 1943 and snapped a five-game losing streak to the Cornhuskers. … Abdullah’s 5-yard touchdown run with 10:14 remaining in the third brought Nebraska within 14-10.