Iowa @ Oklahoma preview
Sun Devil Stadium
INSIGHT BOWL STORYLINES
1. Oklahoma opened the season with national-championship expectations, but the loss of leading receiver Ryan Broyles and leading rusher Dominique Whaley combined with a sloppy defense has Bob Stoops’ Sooners outside of a BCS bowl for only the second time in the last six years. Iowa also enters off a down year by Kirk Ferentz’s standards, but has won three straight bowl games, including the last two as underdogs.
2. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, billed as a Heisman candidate for the first half of the season, didn’t throw a touchdown pass in his last three games and had five interceptions. Iowa junior quarterback James Vandenberg was up-and-down, but finished with 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He'll be missing his backfield mate, leading rusher Marcus Coker, who has been suspended for the game. Coker set Iowa bowl records for rushing attempts (33) and rushing yards (219) in the Hawkeyes' 27-24 win over Missouri in last year's Insight Bowl.
3. Stoops played safety at Iowa, when Ferentz was the Hawkeyes’ offensive line coach in the early 1980s.
4. Ferentz has been mentioned as a candidate for the Kansas City Chiefs vacancy.
TV: ESPN. LINE: Oklahoma -13.5
ABOUT IOWA (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten): A difficult offseason was followed by an up-and-down regular season for the Hawkeyes. They had an impressive win over BCS-bound Michigan, but also suffered an embarrassing loss to a three-win Minnesota team. Vandenberg has a big-play target in Marvin McNutt to throw at the suspect Oklahoma secondary. The Hawkeyes’ defense struggled to pressure the quarterback, which left their secondary vulnerable. Iowa ranked last in the Big Ten in pass defense.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA (9-3, 6-3): The Sooners are making their 12th straight bowl appearance, a streak spanning Stoops’ entire tenure in Norman. But bowl season hasn’t always been kind to Oklahoma, which has lost three of its last five postseason appearances. Oklahoma was No. 1 in the nation until suffering a stunning upset at home to Texas Tech in late October. The Sooners managed to climb back into the national-title picture, before falling at Baylor. If Jones can’t get the offense clicking, look for backup Blake Bell to get more snaps. Bell was used as a short-yardage specialist as Jones faded late.
PREDICTION – Oklahoma 34, Iowa 28. After a blowout loss at Oklahoma State to end the regular season, the Sooners’ motivation will be tested by the less-talented Hawkeyes.
1. Oklahoma opened the season with national-championship expectations, but the loss of leading receiver Ryan Broyles and leading rusher Dominique Whaley combined with a sloppy defense has Bob Stoops’ Sooners outside of a BCS bowl for only the second time in the last six years. Iowa also enters off a down year by Kirk Ferentz’s standards, but has won three straight bowl games, including the last two as underdogs.
2. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, billed as a Heisman candidate for the first half of the season, didn’t throw a touchdown pass in his last three games and had five interceptions. Iowa junior quarterback James Vandenberg was up-and-down, but finished with 23 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He'll be missing his backfield mate, leading rusher Marcus Coker, who has been suspended for the game. Coker set Iowa bowl records for rushing attempts (33) and rushing yards (219) in the Hawkeyes' 27-24 win over Missouri in last year's Insight Bowl.
3. Stoops played safety at Iowa, when Ferentz was the Hawkeyes’ offensive line coach in the early 1980s.
4. Ferentz has been mentioned as a candidate for the Kansas City Chiefs vacancy.
TV: ESPN. LINE: Oklahoma -13.5
ABOUT IOWA (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten): A difficult offseason was followed by an up-and-down regular season for the Hawkeyes. They had an impressive win over BCS-bound Michigan, but also suffered an embarrassing loss to a three-win Minnesota team. Vandenberg has a big-play target in Marvin McNutt to throw at the suspect Oklahoma secondary. The Hawkeyes’ defense struggled to pressure the quarterback, which left their secondary vulnerable. Iowa ranked last in the Big Ten in pass defense.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA (9-3, 6-3): The Sooners are making their 12th straight bowl appearance, a streak spanning Stoops’ entire tenure in Norman. But bowl season hasn’t always been kind to Oklahoma, which has lost three of its last five postseason appearances. Oklahoma was No. 1 in the nation until suffering a stunning upset at home to Texas Tech in late October. The Sooners managed to climb back into the national-title picture, before falling at Baylor. If Jones can’t get the offense clicking, look for backup Blake Bell to get more snaps. Bell was used as a short-yardage specialist as Jones faded late.
PREDICTION – Oklahoma 34, Iowa 28. After a blowout loss at Oklahoma State to end the regular season, the Sooners’ motivation will be tested by the less-talented Hawkeyes.