Nebraska and Iowa will meet on a cold evening in hopes of improving their position in the league order

Nebraska (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) at Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST (NBC)

BettingMGM College Football odds: Iowa at 5 1/2.

Series record: Nebraska leads 26-17-1.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

Nebraska and Iowa continued their day-after-Thanksgiving tradition by playing for the Heroes Trophy. The Cornhuskers became eligible to play in their first bowl since 2016 thanks to their win over Wisconsin last week. Now it’s their job to position themselves for the best possible destination. Iowa is going for the ninth straight year with at least eight wins, not including the shortened pandemic season of 2020.

KEY MATCHUP

Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson vs. Nebraska run defense. The weather forecast calls for temperatures to dip into the teens, which likely means a lot of work for the Big Ten’s rushing leader. Last week he had a career-high 35 carries for 164 yards against Maryland. The Cornhuskers were decent against the run, allowing 126 yards per game against conference opponents.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nebraska: QB Dylan Raiola’s confidence is increasing as he enters his third game with Dana Holgorsen as offensive coordinator. Holgorsen has designed a plan that accentuates the freshman’s strengths as a passer. Raiola faces a challenge this week. He’ll likely face more pressure than Wisconsin put on him, and he’ll have to deal with bad weather and a hostile crowd.

Iowa: DL Ethan Hurkett was one of the stars of last year’s 13-10 win in Lincoln, intercepting a pass with 15 seconds left to set up the winning field goal. Last week he had six tackles against Maryland, including a career-high three tackles for loss and two sacks.

FACTS & FIGURES

Iowa has won eight of nine against Nebraska, while the Huskers won in Iowa City two years ago. … Johnson’s backup, Kamari Moulton, is coming off his first 100-yard game. He ran for 114 yards on 12 attempts against Maryland. … Iowa LB Jay Higgins has four interceptions, tied for the most by an FBS linebacker. … Emmett Johnson’s 113 yards rushing against Wisconsin last week gave the Huskers their first 100 yards rusher in 19 games. … Nebraska PK John Hohl, who missed four of his first five field goals this season, made eight in a row.

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