Iowa's C.J. Beathard is preparing to face a tough Florida defense in the Outback Bowl.
Both teams enter the Outback Bowl with an 8-4 record and six wins in conference play. These teams have met just three times previously — all in bowl matchups. The most recent meeting was a victory by Florida in 2006, giving it a 2-1 lead all-time. Three of No. 17 Florida’s four losses came against teams ranked No. 14 or higher — including No. 1 Alabama on Dec. 3, by a 54-16 margin in the Southeastern Conference title game. Iowa’s tale is similar in that two of its four losses came against teams ranked No. 12 or higher.
Game info
No. 17 Florida (8-4) vs. Iowa (8-4)
Jan. 2, 2017
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Players to watch
- Sophomore running back Jordan Scarlett has dominated touches in the Florida backfield this season, receiving 165 of the team’s 420 carries. Scarlett has run for a touchdown in six straight games and his 4.8 yards per carry average is tied for the team lead.
- C.J. Beathard’s .777 winning percentage (21-6) is No. 1 all-time among Iowa quarterbacks with at least 20 career starts. On the season, the senior has completed 163 of 278 attempts for 1,874 yards, with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Bizarrely, though, Beathard has no rushing attempts.
Key stats
- Iowa has won three consecutive games while Florida has lost its last two.
- Hawkeyes running backs LeShun Daniels Jr. and Akrum Wadley have posted similar totals, combining to rush for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns.
- The Gators and Hawkeyes have both played in the Outback Bowl four times previously, with 2-2 marks.
- Florida is making its 43rd bowl appearance all-time (21-21 record) and will be playing in a January bowl for the 27th time.
- The Hawkeyes are playing in a bowl game for the 14th time in 16 seasons and only Ohio State (eight) has more bowl wins than Iowa (six) since 2001.
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- The Gators rank sixth nationally in total defense, allowing just 298.3 yards per game.
- Iowa is 11-13 all-time against current SEC teams.
- Florida placekicker Eddy Pineiro has converted 18 of 22 field-goal attempts this season, including a perfect 3-for-3 from 50-plus yards.
- During its last 129:34 of play, Iowa has outscored opponents by a 71-10 margin.
- Florida is one of 10 teams in the country to play in a bowl game in 15 of the last 16 seasons.
- The Outback Bowl is celebrating its 31st year in Tampa, and Outback Steakhouse boasts the longest-running title sponsorship among college bowls (began in 1995).
How to watch
Game time: 1 p.m. ET
TV channel: ABC
Live stream: You can live stream the game here.
