Outback Bowl notebook: Daniels, Wadley make history in frustrating loss
By Tyler Devine
TAMPA, Fla. – Running backs LeShun Daniels and Akrum Wadley set a goal before the season to become Iowa's first two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.
They accomplished that goal on Monday in the Outback Bowl, but there wasn't much to celebrate because it came during a 30-3 loss to Florida at Raymond James Stadium.
Wadley needed 34 yards going into the bowl game to eclipse 1,000 for the season. He easily surpassed that mark, rushing for 115 yards and finishing with a team-high 1,081 yards on 178 carries this season.
Daniels rushed 45 yards in the Outback Bowl, which was the senior's last appearance as a Hawkeye. He finished the season with 1,058 rushing yards on 213 carries and with 1,888 yards in his career, which ranks 16th on Iowa's all-time list.
"It's a huge accomplishment," Daniels said of becoming Iowa's first two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. "That was one of the goals that me and him talked about before the season started that, you know, it would be special if we were able to get to that point. We didn't even know that it hadn't been done yet, but now putting our names into Hawkeye history is obviously a huge accomplishment for ourselves and I think for the team as well.
"You get a chance to put your name in the record books and we have names in the record books it's really truly special."
Daniels, whose younger brother James Daniels plays center for Iowa, would be the first to say that neither running back could have achieved their goal without an offense line that won the Joe Moore Award as the nation's top collegiate offensive line.
Or maybe Wadley would be the first to say it because both of Iowa's running backs appreciate their blockers up front.
"Hats off to our offensive line," Wadley said. "They're the ones that took me over that 1,000 yard mark. Guys like Ike (Boettger), Sean Welsh, James (Daniels), Boone (Myers), they're all working hard. They took the stress off of me and LeShun a lot this year."
The senior-to-be Welsh was humble in the face of praise, as offensive linemen often are, and gave credit to Daniels and Wadley for making his job easier.
"I think you've got to give a lot of credit to those guys, too," Welsh said. "They've certainly done a great job with making our jobs easier. And there were times where we didn't help them out a whole lot and then they still found a way to make it happen.
"I think I'd deflect any credit there. They do a great job."
The only question now is whether Wadley will return for his senior season or try to build off his success this season and declare for the 2017 NFL Draft.
"I'm not really sure," Wadley said. "Not really sure. I'm still thinking. My concentration and my focus was on this game. I still have to talk with my parents and my coaches."
Injury report: Senior quarterback C.J. Beathard pulled his hamstring while scrambling in the second quarter, but sayed in the game until the closinbg minutes.
"I pulled my hamstring pretty bad on the one run where I got down to the one (yard line)," Beathard said.
Freshman cornerback Manny Rugamba and senior cornerback Greg Mabin both sat out Monday's game with shoulder and ankle injuries, respectively. Sophomore Joshua Jackson started in place of Rugamba, who had been playing in place of Mabin.
Beathard's legacy: Beathard finished his career with a 21-7 record as a starter and with the best all-time winning percentage among quarterback with 20 or more career starts. His 21 wins as Iowa's starting quarterback ties Matt Rodgers and Drew Tate for third all-time. Only Chuck Long and Ricky Stanzi had more wins, totalling 34 and 26 wins, respectively. Beathard joins Long, Tate, Stanzi and Rodgers as the only players in program history to throw for 40 or more touchdowns in their career.
King of the castle: Senior cornerback Desmond King appeared in his 53rd career game and made his 51st career start for Iowa on Monday, both program records. King recorded an interception on Florida's second possession of the game. It was King's 14th career interception, tying Damien Robinson for fourth all-time at Iowa.
Tackling machine: Junior linebacker Josey Jewell led Iowa with 10 tackles on Monday. The Decorah native finished the season with 124 tackles, marking the second consecutive season that Jewell has had at least 100 tackles. He now has 301 career tackles to rank 18th on Iowa's all-time list. If Jewell matches that total next season, he would pass long-time Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway for fifth all-time at Iowa.
Dropping below .500: Iowa is now 2-3 all-time in the Outback Bowl and 1-2 against Florida in the Outback Bowl.
Mr. Do-It-All: Wadley led Iowa in receiving for the fourth time this season and now has at least one reception in 15 consecutive games. The Newark, N.J. native also recorded his ninth career 100-yard rushing game, and his sixth this season.