Pick Sixes Cost Kentucky in 21-0 Music City Bowl Loss to Iowa

In a game with two third-string quarterbacks in the saddle, the Music City Bowl was going to be decided by which passer made the first mistake. It was the Wildcats’ Destin Wade. The true freshman’s Nashville homecoming was spoiled by a pair of pick sixes in Iowa’s 21-0 victory at Nissan Stadium.

Kentucky was stuck behind the 8-ball before the game ever kicked off. The Wildcats were without their top two offensive playmakers, Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez, against the second-best defense in the country. Oh, and wide receivers coach Scott Woodward was calling plays for the first time. Kentucky needed to play a perfect game to have a chance to win and it was far from that on New Year’s Eve.

The loss to Iowa snapped Kentucky’s four-game bowl winning streak and FBS-leading 20-game non-conference winning streak. It’s their first loss to a non-conference foe since the 2017 Music City Bowl. Kentucky drops to 2-4 all-time in Music City Bowls.

Sequence That Broke Open the Game for Iowa

The opening scripts for each team generated a couple of first downs before the defenses settled in and got some stops. It all changed when Sam LaPorta put the team on his back. The Hawkeyes’ tight end took a screen pass and threw six different Kentucky defenders down before he was finally tackled inside the red zone. One play later Iowa broke the scoreless tie with a 15-yard touchdown reception to the other tight end, Luke Lachey.

Just like that, it went from bad to worse. Destin Wade made the first big mistake on the first play of the ensuing Kentucky possession. His pass sailed over Dane Key‘s hands and into the arms of Xavier Nwankpa who returned it 52 yards for a touchdown.

The insurmountable lead only got more overwhelming right before halftime. Facing a third and long with less than a minute to play, instead of keeping it on the ground, Woodward kept the ball in Wade’s hands. He was baited into throwing it across the field. Cooper DeJean, Iowa’s new single-season interceptions leader, easily jumped the route and jogged 14 yards into the end zone to give the Hawkeyes a 21-0 lead. The Fat Lady sang.

Kentucky Defense Chokes Iowa

Iowa got first downs on its first three plays. They also had the two-play scoring drive. Outside of that, they did a hole of nothing until the game got out of reach late in the fourth quarter.

After Iowa’s scoring drive with 12 minutes left in the second quarter, the Hawkeyes did not get a first down until the nine-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Kentucky defense forced eight three-and-outs and held Iowa to only 206 yards of offense. Iowa had eight punts and ten first downs.

One Final Chance for Kentucky

All-American punter Tory Taylor helped the Hawkeyes win the field position battle all afternoon, until the Cats got away with a block in the back on a punt return. The Wildcats started a third quarter drive on the Iowa 49, and a couple of tough Dane Key receptions erased negative yards from a penalty to move the chains. The drive stalled on a Barion Brown fourth down drop. The Nashville native struggled all day with Iowa’s physicality and could never connect with his fellow Tennessean for an explosive play.

Kentucky actually out-gained Iowa until the Hawkeyes’ final garbage time possession. Wade completed 16-of-30 passes for 98 yards and had 56 non-sack rushing yards. JuTahn McClain was Kentucky’s leading rusher with 40 yards on 10 carries and Key caught six passes for 47 yards. Trevin Wallace was the Wildcats’ leading tackler (6) and Jordan Wright tallied a sack and a PBU in his final game as a Wildcat.

Kentucky vs. Iowa Music City Bowl Box Score