We knew the Outback Bowl was going to be low scoring, we just figured that'd apply to both teams.
Iowa's offense was horrendously inept against Florida's terrific defense on Monday, and three C.J. Beathard interceptions helped the Gators run up the score as the Hawkeyes were demolished by a 30-3 score in Tampa.
Both teams entered this game with a strong defense and a struggling offense, but only one was kept off the scoreboard. Florida racked up 30 points on 331 yards of offense and got a huge interception-return touchdown, while Iowa was held to 226 total yards, was stopped on the goal-line on fourth and one, missed a field-goal try and watched its senior quarterback — hobbled by a leg injury — turn the ball over three times.
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The Hawkeyes were actually the first on the board thanks to a first-quarter field goal, though the Gators evened the score with a three-pointer on the ensuing drive.
Iowa marched down the field for a huge chunk of the second quarter and got an awesome play by Beathard to nearly reach the end zone, the quarterback rushing from the seven-yard line toward the goal line, ramming into a Florida defender and spinning toward the end zone, reaching the ball out. He was down at the one-yard line and appeared to injure himself on the play. A rush up the middle on fourth down was stonewalled by the Gators, and the Hawkeyes came away empty on their best scoring chance of the game.
After swapping punts, Florida started a drive in the final two minutes of the first half. On the first play, quarterback Austin Appleby — the former Purdue signal-caller — dropped a pass off to Mark Thompson, who scampered 85 yards for a touchdown, breaking weak tackle attempts by seemingly every defender on the Iowa roster en route to the end zone. The score was just 10-3 at halftime, but that play proved the game-breaker.
The Hawkeyes' first drive of the second half reached all the way inside the 15-yard line, only for Keith Duncan to miss the field-goal try. Appleby threw his second touchdown pass of the game to cap the ensuing drive, a 12-play, 80-yarder that made it 17-3.
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Beathard, clearly bothered by the injury, had no chance from there. He threw three picks in the fourth quarter, the first returned 58 yards for a touchdown with Beathard limping after the Florida defender on his way to the end zone. Each of Beathard's other interceptions led to Florida field goals.
In the final game of his college career, Beathard completed just seven passes for 55 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions.
Akrum Wadley managed a big day for Iowa, rushing for 155 yards and gaining 21 more yards as a receiver, but he was pretty much the only bright spot for the Iowa offense.
The Iowa defense had an equally disheartening day. While those interceptions allowed for 13 fourth-quarter points for Florida, this Gators team entered having not hit the 30-point mark since an Oct. 13 win over Missouri.
The loss dropped the Hawkeyes to 8-5 on the season and continued a bowl losing streak that reached five games. Iowa's last bowl win came in the 2010 Insight Bowl.