Iowa Wins the Outback Bowl as the Hawkeyes Rough up the Bulldogs

Tampa, Fla. — 2019 kicked off on Tuesday with Iowa and #18 Mississippi State – two of the nation’s top scoring defenses – battling the heat and each other for the first time ever in the 33^rd annual Outback Bowl.

After a rough-and-tumble four quarters Iowa was able to escape with 27-22 victory.

Mississippi State entered the Outback Bowl allowing just 12 points per game, good for the best mark in nation, while Iowa had surrendered just 17.4 points per game, good enough for 11^th.  In the first quarter, it showed.

Iowa won the toss and deferred to the second half, giving Mississippi State the first shot with the ball. After both teams exchanged three-and-outs Mississippi State was able to put together an 10-play drive, starting at their own 35, and put three on the board behind a 44-yard field goal from kicker Jace Christmann.

Iowa still couldn’t get anything going on their second drive and after another three-and-out the Bulldogs were able to drive down the field again, cash in on another field goal and take a 6-0 lead with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

After bringing the return out to the 27-yard line, Iowa was finally able to get back into positive yardage – barely – with 12 minutes left in the half. Now in the second quarter Iowa was finally showing something close to a sustained drive. In 10 plays Iowa went 49 yards, with 30 yards coming just off of Mississippi State personal conduct penalties, and get on the board with a field goal of their own.

Then it happened, the momentum swing the Hawkeyes had been desperately needing.

On Mississippi State’s next drive the Bulldogs stalled out after five plays and punted. On the first play of Iowa’s ensuing drive quarterback Nate Stanley found a wide open Nick Easley for a 75-yard touchdown, Easley’s first touchdown of the day, and Iowa took the 10-6 lead.

Iowa kicked it back to the Bulldogs and three plays later, on 2^nd and 13, defensive end A.J. Espinesa crushed Fitzgerald from his blindside, causing a fumble that Iowa would jump on and recover at the Mississippi State 13-yard line. Two plays later Stanley found Ihmir Smith-Marsette for another Iowa touchdown and in the blink of an eye the Hawkeyes had built a 17-6 lead.

An exchange of punts later and Mississippi State was driving, looking to close the gap with less than a minute left in the first half. From their own 47-yard line Fitzgerald found receiver Osirus Mitchell down the left sideline for a beautiful completion and Mitchell was able to slip away from his defender and take the ball down to the Iowa 2-yard line, but a holding penalty called the play back and Iowa would take the 17-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half the turnovers started to pile on.

Iowa’s first drive lasted just three plays before Stanley’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Willy Gay Jr. and returned to the Iowa 6-yard line. Three plays later Fitzgerald would toss the ball to Kylin Hill for the touchdown and a failed two-point conversion left the Bulldogs trailing 17-12.

On the ensuing kickoff, Smith-Marsette would take the return up the right sideline before getting cracked by Stephen Adegoke, forcing a fumble that Mississippi State would recover to begin their drive on the Iowa 33-yard line. It then took just one play for Mississippi State to retake a 19-17 lead as Fitzgerald broke free on the QB keeper and raced down the sideline for six.

Iowa couldn’t respond when given a chance on offense, but on Mississippi State’s next drive pressure forced Fitzgerald into a pass that was tipped and intercepted by Chauncey Golston, giving them the ball back with just 32 yards to drive.

Iowa then drove into the Bulldogs’ redzone and on 1^st and goal from the eight Stanley found Easley again, giving Iowa back the 24-19 lead, Easley his second touchdown of the day and a cap on Easley’s MVP performance in the bowl.

24 would be all Iowa needed as they surrendered just one more field goal and added one of their own in the fourth to finish off their second consecutive bowl victory by a score of 27-22.

GAME NOTES

– For Iowa this was their first back-to-back bowl victories since 2010-2011 and it snapped a three-game bowl winning streak for Mississippi State.

– Iowa WR Nick Easley was named the 2019 Outback Bowl MVP with eight receptions for 104 yards and two TD’s.

– MSU DT Jeffery Simmons, who recently declared for the NFL draft, finished with four tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.

– MSU QB Nick Fitzgerald rushed for over 100 yards for the 21^st time in his career, ending his career as the SEC’s all-time leader in career quarterback rushing yards.

More Photos From the Game From Jordan Raiff

Mississippi State Passing

C/ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	QBR
Nick Fitzgerald	14/32	152	4.8	1	2	17.8
TEAM	14/32	152	4.8	1	2	—

Iowa Passing

C/ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	QBR
Nate Stanley	21/31	214	6.9	3	1	49.6
TEAM	21/31	214	6.9	3	1	—

Mississippi State Rushing

CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Nick Fitzgerald	20	103	5.2	1	33
Kylin Hill	12	43	3.6	0	9
Aeris Williams	6	22	3.7	0	8
Nick Gibson	1	12	12.0	0	12
Keytaon Thompson	3	10	3.3	0	5
TEAM	42	190	4.5	1	33

Iowa Rushing

CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Toren Young	3	7	2.3	0	3
Ivory Kelly-Martin	5	0	0.0	0	2
Team	1	-1	-1.0	0	0
Mekhi Sargent	7	-3	-0.4	0	5
Nate Stanley	4	-18	-4.5	0	3
TEAM	20	-15	-0.8	0	5

Mississippi State Receiving

REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Stephen Guidry	1	51	51.0	0	51
Osirus Mitchell	2	42	21.0	0	34
Aeris Williams	3	19	6.3	0	8
Deddrick Thomas	2	16	8.0	0	15
Kylin Hill	3	12	4.0	1	7
Farrod Green	1	7	7.0	0	7
Justin Johnson	2	5	2.5	0	3
TEAM	14	152	10.9	1	51

Iowa Receiving

REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG
Nick Easley	8	104	13.0	2	75
T.J. Hockenson	3	43	14.3	0	22
Brandon Smith	3	33	11.0	0	12
Ihmir Smith-Marsette	4	29	7.3	1	15
Mekhi Sargent	1	4	4.0	0	4
Toren Young	2	1	0.5	0	3
TEAM	21	214	10.2	3	75

Mississippi State Fumbles

FUM	LOST	REC
Mark McLaurin	0	0	1
Nick Fitzgerald	1	1	0
TEAM	1	1	1

Iowa Fumbles

FUM	LOST	REC
Chauncey Golston	0	0	1
Ihmir Smith-Marsette	1	1	0
TEAM	1	1	1

Mississippi State Defensive

TACKLES	MISC
TOT	SOLO	SACKS	TFL	PD	QB HUR	TD
Johnathan Abram	6	4	0.5	1.5	0	0	0
Cameron Dantzler	5	4	0	0.5	0	0	0
Braxton Hoyett	4	4	0	0	0	0	0
C.J. Morgan	4	4	0	0	0	0	0
Willie Gay Jr.	4	2	0.5	0.5	0	0	0
Jeffery Simmons	4	1	1	2.5	0	1	0
Chris Rayford	3	3	0	0	0	0	0
Erroll Thompson	3	2	0	0.5	0	0	0
Montez Sweat	2	1	0.5	0.5	0	0	0
Fletcher Adams	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Chauncey Rivers	2	0	0.5	0.5	0	0	0
Deion Lenard Calhoun	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Deddrick Thomas	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jamal Peters	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Mark McLaurin	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Stephen Adegoke	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Tyler Williams	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Scott Goodman	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Gerri Green	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grant Harris	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kobe Jones	1	0	0	0.5	0	0	0
TEAM	49	33	3	7	0	1	0

Iowa Defensive

TACKLES	MISC
TOT	SOLO	SACKS	TFL	PD	QB HUR	TD
Matt Hankins	9	7	0	0	1	0	0
Michael Ojemudia	8	5	0	0	0	0	0
Jake Gervase	6	4	0	0	3	0	0
Jack Hockaday	6	4	0	0.5	0	0	0
Amani Hooker	6	3	0	0	0	0	0
Parker Hesse	6	2	0	0.5	0	0	0
Nick Niemann	5	1	0	0	0	1	0
Anthony Nelson	4	3	0	2.5	0	1	0
Matt Nelson	4	1	0	0.5	0	0	0
Chauncey Golston	2	2	0	0	0	0	0
Geno Stone	2	2	0	0	0	0	0
A.J. Epenesa	2	1	1	1	1	0	0
Sam Brincks	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
Brady Reiff	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
John Milani	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Dominique Dafney	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Nate Stanley	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Djimon Colbert	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Riley Moss	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Cedrick Lattimore	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM	70	42	1	5	5	2	0

Mississippi State Interceptions

INT	YDS	TD
Willie Gay Jr.	1	46	0
TEAM	1	46	0

Iowa Interceptions

INT	YDS	TD
Jake Gervase	1	28	0
Chauncey Golston	1	4	0
TEAM	2	32	0

Mississippi State Kick Returns

NO	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Deddrick Thomas	1	17	17.0	17	0
Marcus Murphy	1	16	16.0	16	0
TEAM	2	33	16.5	17	0

Iowa Kick Returns

NO	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Ihmir Smith-Marsette	5	150	30.0	38	0
TEAM	5	150	30.0	38	0

Mississippi State Punt Returns

NO	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Malik Dear	2	9	4.5	9	0
Aaron Brule	1	0	0.0	0	0
TEAM	3	9	3.0	9	0

Iowa Punt Returns

NO	YDS	AVG	LONG	TD
Kyle Groeneweg	1	4	4.0	4	0
TEAM	1	4	4.0	4	0

Mississippi State Kicking

FG	PCT	LONG	XP	PTS
Jace Christmann	3/3	100.0	44	1/1	10
TEAM	3/3	100.0	44	1/1	10

Iowa Kicking

FG	PCT	LONG	XP	PTS
Miguel Recinos	2/2	100.0	44	3/3	9
TEAM	2/2	100.0	44	3/3	9

Mississippi State Punting

NO	YDS	AVG	TB	IN 20	LONG
Tucker Day	5	252	50.4	2	1	70
TEAM	5	252	50.4	2	1	70

Iowa Punting

NO	YDS	AVG	TB	IN 20	LONG
Colten Rastetter	7	241	34.4	0	0	47
TEAM	7	241	34.4	0	0	47