Nebraska defeats Iowa for first time since 2014

IOWA CITY — Nebraska football's season ended on a high note.

The Huskers snapped a seven-game losing streak to Iowa that dated back to 2015 with a 24-17 Black Friday win at Kinnick Stadium.

The victory featured Trey Palmer breaking the Nebraska single-season record for receiving yards and Nebraska's third first-half shutout in four weeks. It also denied Iowa the Big Ten West title.

Nebraska handled Iowa’s offense early like the worst Power Five unit that it’s been. Quarterback Spencer Petras misfired on his first five passes spanning two punts. The first set up Nebraska for a drive in which it passed on eight of nine plays and traveled 45 yards before kicker Timmy Bleekrode — who had hit on 8 of 10 field goals this season — missed wide right.

But the visitors shook off the early mistake in a big way. Quarterback Casey Thompson loaded up on a perfect deep ball over the middle to Palmer for an 87-yard touchdown on the first snap of the drive.

Then, glorious havoc for the group formerly known as the Blackshirts. Cornerback Quinton Newsome reached Petras on a blitz on second and seven and stripped the ball loose before linebacker Ernest Hausmann fell on it. NU cashed in on the short field seven plays later with a 21-yard field and a 10-0 lead.

The sack knocked Petras from the game — he watched the second quarter from the sidelines with his arm in a sling — as Iowa took to the ground with seven straight run plays on zone reads to backs Kaleb Johnson and Leshon Williams. The 13-play march ended as Iowa approached the red zone when Eteva Mauga-Clements — starting in place of injured linebacker and leading tackler Luke Reimer — knocked the ball from the hands of backup QB Alex Padilla.

NU linebacker Garrett Nelson scooped it for a short return and another short field. A third-and-3 pass interference call extended the drive and Thompson hit Palmer over the middle for an 18-yard score on the next snap that put Nebraska up 17-0 and gave the LSU transfer the school record for receiving yards in a season ahead of the 1,004-yard campaign Stanley Morgan completed at Kinnick Stadium in 2018.

The teams exchanged punts from there before Nebraska ran out the clock.

The Huskers' first drive of the second half stalled out after five plays, but a muffed punt by the Hawkeyes gave Nebraska the ball back. Marcus Washington scored three plays later on a 14-yard pass from Thompson.

Iowa, leaning heavy on its run game, got on the scoreboard on their next drive. The Hawkeyes got two runs from Leshon Williams for 8 and 3 yards and four runs by Kaleb Johnson for 4, 4, 5 and a 44-yard touchdown run.

The 24-7 score carried into the third quarter after the teams trade punts.

The Huskers grabbed a first down on the first play of the fourth, but four plays later attempted to punt the ball. What resulted was a 15-yard unsportsman-like conduct penalty by Iowa's Sebastian Castro that gave Nebraska a first down. But NU was unable to make the most of it and the drive stalled on its own 49.

The Hawkeyes came back with a vengeance. Iowa burned 2:45 minutes off the clock on a 9-play, 90-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown pass from Padilla to Luke Lachey to cut Nebraska's lead to 24-14.

On the next play, Rahmir Johnson rushed up the middle for a 2-yard gain but then fumbled the ball. Iowa recovered, and, three incomplete passes later, the Hawkeyes further cut the Huskers' lead with a Drew Steven's field goal.

Nebraska struggled during the next series. Two Grant runs end with losses of 2 and 5 yards before a 16-yard pass from Thompson to Palmer came up a yard short of the first down. The Huskers punted.

The Hawkeyes were able to grab a first down, but couldn't get a second with four straight passes by Padilla going incomplete — including one that was ruled incomplete after a review.

The Huskers next drive lasted three plays and resulted in a one-yard loss, but burned 1:01 off the clock.

With 1:05 left on the clock, Iowa ran for two, then threw two incomplete passes. Nebraska's Chris Kolarevic intercepted Padilla's pass and closed out the Husker win.

Nebraska once again did not qualify for a bowl game, and the Huskers will end the season with a 4-8 record. NU hasn't been to a bowl game since 2016.

World-Herald staff writer Josie Whelan contributed to this report.