Passing Offense: C- 

Again, it’s hard to criticize Jackson Statton due to the situation he’s in, but the Hawkeyes struggled to throw the ball throughout this contest. Stratton completed 8 of his 15 passing attempts for 115 yards and a touchdown, but the one score totaled 72 yards, which totals over 60 percent of Stratton’s passing yards. 

But my was the touchdown impressive. It was just a simple swing pass in the flat, but Kaleb Johnson somehow fought through several Nebraska tacklers for the tying score. It’s moments like that that make Johnson a popular candidate to succeed in the NFL for years to come. 

Regardless of the weak stat line, I have to commend Stratton for not turning the ball over and making stupid decisions with the football. Turnovers were the difference in this game, and Iowa was fortunate to be on the right side of the battle.

Even still, this unit has to improve if the Hawkeyes want to close out the season with a bowl victory. 

Rushing Offense: D- 

This game felt exactly like the UCLA game to me. Nebraska consistently loaded the box with 7-8 defenders, making this an extremely rough night for Johnson. Johnson rushed for 45 yards on 12 carries, and it didn’t feel that he even tallied that many. 

The Hawkeyes need to make some adjustments to these defensive sets moving forward if they want to have a shot in their bowl game. 

Defense: A+ 

The defense has been the standard for many years in Iowa City, and this unit flexed its muscles once again. Nebraska put together a few scoring drives, but apart from that, the Hawkeyes held their own against a talented freshman quarterback in Dylan Raiola. 

And last but not least, I want to give a huge shout-out to the defensive line. These guys were eating tonight, especially Ethan Hurkett and Max Llewellyn. Hurkett collected three sacks and was constantly giving Raiola and the Cornhusker offensive line fits throughout the night. But the star of the show was Llewellyn, who delivered a clutch strip-sack late in regulation. 

As Raiola stepped up in the pocket, Llewellyn met him right at the line of scrimmage, basically taking the ball right from Raiola’s hands. The play put the Hawkeyes in position to kick the game-winning field goal, and the play closely mirrored Hurkett’s interception during the waning seconds of last year’s Heroes Game. 

Special Teams: A+ 

What more can I say here? Drew Stevens was the hero tonight. Despite some brutal chilly and windy conditions, the junior calmly knocked in a 53-yarder at the buzzer to clinch the victory. In fact, Stevens made the kick twice, as Nebraska coach Matt Rhule attempted to “ice” him with a timeout. 

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Stevens will be kicking in the NFL, and it’s clutch kicks like these that prove it. Oh, and this all comes off of a record-tying five field goal makes last weekend against Maryland. Stevens has the clutch gene, and boy are the Hawkeyes lucky he dons the Black and Gold. 

Punter Rhys Dakin had a few shaky punts, but again, punting in the wind in the cold is difficult for a punter. He’ll be just fine. 

Coaching: A- 

This game was a classic Iowa football snoozefest, but credit the coaching staff for keeping the locker room focused after trailing 10-0 at halftime. The lead felt insurmountable for most of the contest, but the Hawkeyes did what they do best against Nebraska – find a way to steal a win. 

Iowa fans can criticize Kirk Ferentz and his strategies if they want – such as his decision to kick a 20-yard field goal – but I’ll always appreciate the fight his teams will show in these types of games. It’s something some schools have taken for granted recently (I’m looking at you Wisconsin). 

I am interested to see how Ferentz and his staff will coach the bowl game due to the opt-outs that will likely occur in the coming weeks. Regardless, good win for the Hawks.