Nebraska vs. Iowa: Keys to victory, HuskerOnline score predictions for Friday
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) will try to keep things rolling this week as they look to take the Heroes Trophy back from Iowa (7-4, 5-3).
As things get closer to kickoff, here are today’s keys to victory for the Huskers against the Hawkeyes.
Iowa enters the game as a 3-point favorite over Nebraska. Today’s game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and aired on NBC.
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KEYS TO VICTORY: Nebraska vs. Iowa
KEY 1: Limit Kaleb Johnson’s big runs
Everyone knows what Iowa wants to do on offense. Running back Kaleb Johnson is the leading rusher in the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes are 7-1 when he rushes for over 100 yards. One stat that jumps out, though, is that Johnson has not had a run longer than 16 yards in November.
KEY 2: Find a good rhythm on offense
Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen Nebraska’s offense find itself under Dana Holgorsen. They developed an identity and a rhythm. They scored on six straight possessions against Wisconsin and put together five drives that were eight plays or longer.
KEY 3: Force Jackson Stratton to be a thrower
Colorado State walk-on transfer Jackson Stratton will make his second straight start against Nebraska on Friday. The Huskers will have a significant advantage at the quarterback position in this game. The key is that they need to force Stratton to make big throws, starting with early-down success against the run.
KEY 4: Protect Dylan Raiola in the pocket
Iowa is going to try to win up front and also pressure Husker QB Dylan Raiola. The offensive line has been outstanding in pass protection in the last few games. That needs to continue today in Iowa City for Nebraska to have a chance.
KEY 5: Play carefree
Nebraska is already bowl-eligible. They took home the Freedom Trophy last week. Why not the Heroes Trophy today? The Huskers and Hawkeyes are likely playing for a trip to Tampa. NU needs to play carefree and loose and try to add a Hawkeye to its collection of rivalry wins in 2024. They already own wins over Colorado and Wisconsin.
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Expert takes
Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Pubisher
There’s a lot I like about this match-up for Nebraska. The Huskers have faired well against teams like Iowa that want to run it physically straight at them. Everyone knows what the Hawkeyes are going to do, and Tony White will have a plan for it. I also think Dana Holgorsen’s third game will pick up where things left off vs. Wisconsin and Dylan Raiola will hit some big throws.
Nebraska 23, Iowa 16
Steven Sipple – HuskerOnline columnist
Look for Nebraska’s front six/seven to bow up and hold Kaleb Johnson to a manageable rushing total. Let’s face it, that’s largely what this game is about. But it’s also about you-know-who. Yes, Dana Holgorsen is a quite a wild card for the Huskers, especially against an extremely well-coached Hawkeye defense with a complicated scheme in the secondary. With a win here, look for Nebraska to head to Tampa for a bowl game.
Nebraska 24, Iowa 13
Robin Washut – HuskerOnline senior writer
For the first time in what feels like ages, Nebraska enters its Black Friday rivalry with Iowa not needing a win to keep its season alive. Alleviating that pressure alone could be an x-factor for the Huskers tonight. If NU’s offense can keep it rolling under Dana Holgorsen, I don’t see any reason why it can’t improve its bowl positioning even further with a victory in Iowa City.
Nebraska 27, Iowa 23
Andy Kendeigh – KETV ABC-Omaha
It’s fitting Nebraska won the Freedom Trophy Saturday because now they can play with a little freedom, the pressure is now off this team. Expect a lose squad ready to let it rip in Iowa City knowing that win or lose, there’s a bowl game to play next month.
Nebraska 27, Iowa 24
Jim Rose – 1110 KFAB Radio-Omaha
The glow of the Wisconsin win carries over to Black Friday in Iowa City. The Huskers were finally the better team in the fourth quarter. Their superior athletes emerged as they will in this one.
Nebraska 35, Iowa 14
Mike’l Severe – Big Red Wrap-Up
This feels like a pretty easy handicap. If Kaleb Johnson can rush for more than 100 yards, then Iowa probably wins. This season the Hawkeyes are 7-1 when that happens. However, the last time Johnson faced a rush defense similar to NU was vs. UCLA, and the Bruins held him to 49 yards. Iowa has been one of the best teams in the Big Ten in the month of November winning 20 of 23 games since 2019. The big question is, can the Huskers carry over the success they had on offense vs. Wisconsin to a night game at Kinnick Stadium? The Nebraska return coverage team has to be really good going against Kaden Wetjen, one of the best return specialists in the country.
Iowa 23, Nebraska 20
HuskerOnline Week 14 Score Predictions
| Week 14 | Sean Callahan | Steven Sipple | Robin Washut | Andy Kendeigh | Jim Rose | Mike’l Severe |
| Nebraska at Iowa (-3) | 23-16 Nebraska | 24-13 Nebraska | 27-23 Nebraska | 27-24 Nebraska | 35-14 Nebraska | 23-20 Iowa |
| Minnesota at Wisconsin (-2) | 23-20 Wisconsin | 28-21 Minn. | 31-17 Minn. | 16-13 Minn. | 24-20 Minn. | 27-20 Wisconsin |
| Notre Dame at USC (+7.5) | 31-30 N. Dame | 30-20 N. Dame | 24-20 N. Dame | 38-27 N. Dame | 31-21 N. Dame | 34-30 N. Dame |
| Rutgers at Michigan State (-1.5) | 17-13 MSU | 21-17 MSU | 21-16 MSU | 23-20 MSU | 28-20 MSU | 23-17 MSU |
| South Carolina at Clemson (-2.5) | 38-34 S. Carolina | 34-22 Clemson | 38-35 Clemson | 30-27 Clemson | 35-31 Clemson | 33-30 Clemson |
| Texas at Texas A&M (+6) | 34-30 Texas | 27-24 Texas | 41-30 Texas | 45-42 TAMU | 31-30 TAMU | 31-27 TAMU |
HuskerOnline Score Prediction Standings
| Picker | Straight Up | Vs. Spread | Cumulative |
| Andy Kendeigh | 53-25 | 48-30 | 101 |
| Mike’l Severe | 53-25 | 41-37 | 94 |
| Robin Washut | 48-30 | 39-39 | 87 |
| Jim Rose | 49-29 | 37-41 | 86 |
| Sean Callahan | 45-33 | 41-37 | 86 |
| Steven Sipple | 41-37 | 34-44 | 75 |
Sean Callahan can be reached at [email protected] and is heard daily at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall, and each week, he appears on Nebraska Public Media’s Big Red Wrap-Up Tuesdays at 7 pm.
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