Outback Bowl Preview: Florida vs. Iowa

By Kyle Dudley  |   Monday, January 02, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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January 2, 2006, the #25 Iowa Hawkeyes will face off against the #16 Florida Gators in the Outback Bowl. Kickoff is 11:00 AM Eastern Time from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The two teams are facing one another in the Outback Bowl for the second time in three seasons.

Iowa had a disappointing 2005. Going into the season, they were seen as a dark horse candidate to win the Big Ten and compete for a National Title. They did end on a positive note, though, by taking a 20-10 win at Wisconsin.

Hawkeye quarterback Drew Tate was the preseason Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year, but it was his teammate, running back Albert Young, that had the big year. Young was 9th in the nation in rushing with 118.8 yards per game. He has 7 straight 100 yard games coming into the Outback Bowl. Tate ended up having a fairly average year considering the preseason hype. He had 2,482 yards passing and 19 touchdowns to 6 interceptions.

For their part, Florida comes into the game fairly hot. The Gators won three of their final four games. Quarterback Chris Leak, also highly regarded coming into this season, was up and down all year. He did, however, shine against the biggest rivals when it counted by leading Florida to wins over Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida State. Florida has never won a bowl game as well as those three rivalry games in the same season before.

In the 2004 Outback Bowl, Iowa beat Florida 37-17.
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