The 2022 Music City Bowl between Iowa and Kentucky wasn’t expected to be beautiful display of college football, but what transpired in the first half at Nissan Stadium on Saturday afternoon was beyond the hopes of the most fanatical fans.
Coming into the matchup with a historically low total, offense wasn’t exactly on the menu in the first two quarters. In fact, the Hawkeyes defense proved to be the most effective unit when it came to putting points on the board.
Iowa not only intercepted Wildcats backup quarterback Destin Wade twice, but managed to return both picks to the end zone. Hawkeyes quarterback Joe Labas was able to throw a touchdown early in the second quarter, but Kirk Ferentz’s defense managed to outscore its own offense, 14–7, in the first half.
Quite frankly, the performance seemed to embody the entire 2022 season for Iowa. The Hawkeyes have boasted one of the most remarkable defensive seasons in recent history, which has included scoring six defensive touchdowns and 46 total points between their special teams and defense.
But on the other side of the ball, the offense ranked in the bottom 10 in scoring offense going into Saturday’s game. Iowa has thrown just seven passing touchdowns in 2022, and Cooper DeJean is now tied for the team-lead in touchdown receptions.
DeJean is a defensive back. He now boasts three interception return touchdowns on the year.
With a 21–0 halftime lead and its stifling defense firing on all cylinders, an Iowa victory seems all but assured. As a result, college football fans and media members took to social media at halftime to celebrate the Hawkeyes’ completely bizarre 2022 season.
