Iowa vs Kentucky: Vrbo Citrus Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch, Saturday, January 1
Iowa vs Kentucky: Vrbo Citrus Bowl How To Watch
Date: Saturday, January 1
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
How To Watch: ABC, Live stream on ESPN+
Records: Iowa (10-3), Kentucky (9-3)
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Iowa vs Kentucky Vrbo Citrus Bowl Preview
– Both teams manage to defy logic and reason to win a whole lot of games. They’re a perfect fit for each other.
– Iowa doesn’t do anything on offense. It averaged fewer than 300 yards per game, the normally great O line – that has a few NFL talents – couldn’t keep anyone out of the backfield, and the downfield passing attack was too often nothing more than a polite rumor. Now it has to find things that move without RB Tyler Goodson – he opted out.
– However, few teams were better at avoiding penalties, and only Middle Tennessee was better when it came to turnover margin. When the defense forced a ton of takeaways, good things happened.
– And then there’s Kentucky. It was the third-worst team in college football in turnover margin, which would normally equal death for a team without a high-powered offense, but it all somehow worked well enough to get here.
– The Wildcat offensive line was outstanding at preventing defenses from generate consistent pressure. Because of that, the offense was among the best in the nation at converting on third downs, and like Iowa, there weren’t a whole lot of penalties.
Why Iowa, Kentucky Will Win
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Why Kentucky Will Win The Vrbo Citrus Bowl
The Wildcats make teams play the way they want them to.
It starts with a running game that kicked it all in at the end of the season with 225 yards or more in each of the last four games. Now, you and an egg salad sandwich could hit that mark rushing against Tennessee, Vanderbilt, New Mexico State, and Louisville, but the ground attack really is just that good.
It all ties together. Mark Stoops’ teams never seem to care about time of possession, but they run well, the defenses are strong at getting off the field thanks to a good pass rush, and they’re almost always in games in the fourth quarter.
Iowa’s offense doesn’t do enough to keep up the pace.
The passing game is painful, there isn’t a steady ground attack, and overall the team finished 123rd in the nation in total offense.
UMass, UNLV, Rutgers, and Bowling Green are among the teams that averaged more yards per game than the Hawkeyes.
But …
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Why Iowa Will Win The Vrbo Citrus Bowl
The Hawkeyes make teams play the way they want them to.
It might not have been the smoothest ride, and it might not always be pretty, but the Hawkeye defense has the ability to take the ball away in bunches and Kentucky occasionally has giveaway issues.
There were four Wildcat turnovers against Mississippi State, four more against New Mexico State, and a whole lot of problems over the first third of the season. To be fair, the Kentucky offense was able to clamp down a bit on the mistakes, but Iowa has a way of forcing teams to screw up.
The Kentucky offense might have gone off late in the year, but again, the offense rolled against mostly mediocre defenses. The O didn’t work well against Florida, or Georgia, and it was held to 216 yards against Mississippi State.
Iowa’s defense is the second-best – behind Georgia’s – the Wildcats have dealt with all year. UK has to be ready for a grind of a game, and Iowa manages to come up with the one big moment needed in low-scoring games better than almost anyone.
Iowa vs Kentucky Preview
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Iowa vs Kentucky: Vrbo Citrus Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
Iowa just doesn’t do enough offensively.
It has to force mistakes to pull this off, and it’s going to take some semblance of passing attack that isn’t going to be steady enough.
Iowa used to be a bowl disaster losing five straight, but it has won three in a row with three strong performances. Kentucky has also won three bowls in a row under Mark Stoops.
Kentucky can convert on third down chances, and Iowa can’t. Kentucky is better in the red zone on both ends, and it has more pop to the O. As long as it can avoid turning it over three times …
Vrbo Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs Kentucky Prediction, Lines
Kentucky 23, Iowa 17
Line: Kentucky -3 o/u: 44
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Expert Picks: CFP & NY6 | Dec 28-Jan 4
Must See Rating: 4
5: New Year’s Eve in a bar
1: New Year’s Eve watching a ball drop
CFN Predictions | 2021-2022 Bowl Schedule
Vrbo Citrus Bowl History
Jan. 1, 2021 Northwestern 35, Auburn 19
Jan. 1, 2020 Alabama 35, Michigan 16
Jan. 1, 2019 Kentucky 27, Penn State 24
Jan. 1, 2018 Notre Dame 21, LSU 17
Dec. 31, 2016 LSU 29, Louisville 9
Jan. 1, 2016 Michigan 41 Florida 7
Jan. 1, 2015 Missouri 33 Minnesota 17
Jan. 1, 2014 South Carolina 34 Wisconsin 24
Jan. 1, 2013 Georgia 45 Nebraska 31
Jan. 2, 2012 South Carolina 30 Nebraska 13
Jan. 1, 2011 Alabama 49 Michigan State 7
Jan. 1, 2010 Penn State 19 LSU 17
Jan. 1, 2009 Georgia 24 Michigan State 12
Jan. 1, 2008 Michigan 41 Florida 35
Jan. 1, 2007 Wisconsin 17 Arkansas 14
Jan. 2, 2006 Wisconsin 24 Auburn 10
Jan. 1, 2005 Iowa 30 LSU 25
Jan. 1, 2004 Georgia 34 Purdue 27 (OT)
Jan. 1, 2003 Auburn 13 Penn State 9
Jan. 1, 2002 Tennessee 45 Michigan 17
Jan. 1, 2001 Michigan 31 Auburn 28
Jan. 1, 2000 Michigan State 37 Florida 34
Jan. 1, 1999 Michigan 45 Arkansas 31
Jan. 1, 1998 Florida 21 Penn State 6
Jan. 1, 1997 Tennessee 48 Northwestern 28
Jan. 1, 1996 Tennessee 20 Ohio State 14
Jan. 2, 1995 Alabama 24 Ohio State 17
Jan. 1, 1994 Penn State 31 Tennessee 13
Jan. 1, 1993 Georgia 21 Ohio State 14
Jan. 1, 1992 California 37 Clemson 13
Jan. 1, 1991 Georgia Tech 45 Nebraska 21
Jan. 1, 1990 Illinois 31 Virginia 21
Jan. 2, 1989 Clemson 13 Oklahoma 6
Jan. 1, 1988 Clemson 35 Penn State 10
Jan. 1, 1987 Auburn 16 USC 7
Dec. 28, 1985 Ohio State 10 BYU 7
Dec. 22, 1984 Florida State 17 Georgia 17
Dec. 17, 1983 Tennessee 30 Maryland 23
Dec. 18, 1982 Auburn 33 Boston College 26
Dec. 19, 1981 Missouri 19 Southern Miss 17
Dec. 20, 1980 Florida 35 Maryland 20
Dec. 22, 1979 LSU 34 Wake Forest 10
Dec. 23, 1978 N.C. State 30 Pittsburgh 17
Dec. 23, 1977 Florida State 40 Texas Tech 17
Dec. 18, 1976 Oklahoma State 49 BYU 21
Dec. 20, 1975 Miami Univ. 20 South Carolina 7
Dec. 21, 1974 Miami Univ. 21 Georgia 10
Dec. 22, 1973 Miami Univ. 16 Florida 7
Dec. 29, 1972 Tampa 21 Kent State 18
Dec. 28, 1971 Toledo 28 Richmond 3
Dec. 28, 1970 Toledo 40 William & Mary 12
Dec. 26, 1969 Toledo 56 Davidson 33
Dec. 27, 1968 Richmond 49 Ohio 42
Dec. 16, 1967 Tennessee-Martin 25 West Chester 8
Dec. 10, 1966 Morgan State 14 West Chester 6
Dec. 11, 1965 East Carolina 31 Maine 0
Dec. 12, 1964 East Carolina 14 Massachusetts 13
Dec. 28, 1963 Western Kentucky 27 Coast Guard 0
Dec. 22, 1962 Houston 49 Miami Univ. 21
Dec. 29, 1961 Lamar 21 Middle Tennessee 14
Dec. 30, 1960 The Citadel 27 Tennessee Tech 0
Jan. 1, 1960 Middle Tennessee 21 Presbyerian 9
Dec. 27, 1958 Texas A&M Commerce 26 Missouri Valley 7
Jan. 1, 1958 Texas A&M Commerce 10 Southern Miss 9
Jan. 1, 1957 West Texas 20 Southern Miss 13
Jan. 2, 1956 Juniata 6 Missouri Valley 7
Jan. 1, 1955 Omaha 7 Eastern Kentucky 6
Jan. 1, 1954 Arkansas State 7 Texas A&M Commerce 7
Jan. 1, 1953 Texas A&M Commerce 33 Tennessee Tech 10
Jan. 1, 1952 Stetson 35 Arkansas State 20
Jan. 1, 1951 Charleston 35 Emory & Henry 14
Jan. 2, 1950 St. Vincent’s 7 Emory & Henry 6
Jan. 1, 1949 Murray State 21 Sul Ross State 21
Jan. 1, 1948 Catawba 7 Marshall 0
Jan. 1, 1947 Catawba 31 Maryville 0
Iowa vs Kentucky Preview
Why Iowa, Kentucky Will Win
Vrbo Citrus Bowl Top Players To Know
