Hawks take on Nebraska in Black Friday tradition

IOWA CITY — The Iowa football team closes its regular season on Friday under the lights at Kinnick Stadium against rival Nebraska.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on NBC and Peacock.

The winner receives the Heroes Trophy.

The Hawkeyes (7-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten), who are 3.5-point favorites, have taken eight of the last nine decisions from the Cornhuskers (6-5, 3-5). Many of the games have come down to a single possession, with Iowa prevailing by three points in 2018, 2019 and 2023.

Nebraska has a Top-25 national defense against the run, and it will need to be effective against Hawkeye star Kaleb Johnson. The running back has 1,492 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns while averaging 6.7 yards per carry.

Iowa crushed Maryland on the road last week, 29-13. Johnson rushed for 164 yards on 35 carries.

The Cornhuskers are bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. Nebraska clinched that opportunity with a 44-25 home win over Wisconsin last Saturday, as freshman quartebrack Dylan Raiola passed for 293 yards and Emmett Johnson accumulated nearly 200 yards from scrimmage.

Iowa prevailed last year in this tilt, 13-10.