TAMPA, Fla. – Wednesday afternoon’s ReliaQuest Bowl will be a matchup between the old guard and a newbie. Iowa will make its seventh appearance in the bowl, the most of any team in what will be the 40th playing of the game. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, will make its debut.
The Commodores, the 28th team to play in the bowl, were the only holdout among 10 the teams that comprised the SEC when the event debuted as the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1986.
The Hawkeyes’ first six appearances were in a 15-year stretch beginning New Year’s Day 2004. They are 3-3 with half the games against Florida, whom they defeated once. Other wins are against South Carolina and Mississippi State with losses to the Gators (twice) and LSU.
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If Kirk Ference’s Hawkeyes (8-4/6-3 Big Ten) are to get on the sunny side of .500 in the sunshine of Raymond James Stadium – it will be sunny, but chilly Wednesday – they must slow Vandy (10-2/6-2 SEC) quarterback and Heisman finalist Diego Pavia.
Iowa allowed as many as 20 points only three times this season and while they lost to Iowa State, Indiana and Oregon, coordinator Phil Parker’s unit limited Rocco Becht and the Cyclones to 16 points, Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers to 20 points, and Dante Moore and the Ducks to 18 points. The Hawkeyes, who did not face Ohio State and Heisman finalist Julian Sayin, allowed only seven touchdowns through the air and are second in the Big Ten (Oregon) and eighth nationally in pass efficiency defense.
Pavia and the ‘Dores, who down the stretch were very much alive in the College Football Playoff mix and checked in at No. 14 in the final ranking, could care less. Not after scoring at least 40 points seven times in 12 games and Pavia, who did not have his finest hour after finishing second to Mendoza in Heisman voting, entering the bowl third nationally in pass efficiency behind Sayin and Mendoza.
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Pavia is much more than an effective passer. He also leads Vandy in rushing with 826 yards and is second to USF’s Byrum Brown, who called Raymond James home for four seasons before entering the portal, in total offense averaging 335 yards per game.
The Hawkeyes and Commodores will kick off the 40th playing of the ReliaQuest Bowl, which began as the Hall of Fame Bowl and is best known for a 26-year run as the Outback Bowl, at noon Wednesday. The game will be aired on ESPN.
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