By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The late, great Bill Brashier had a saying about bowl games that Kirk Ferentz has embraced throughout his head coaching career.

“There is no such thing as a bad a bowl game. Some are just better than others.”

Brashier promoted that saying while serving as Hayden Fry’s highly successful defensive coordinator at Iowa from 1979 to 1995.

Kirk Ferentz was Fry’s offensive line coach from 1981 to 1989, and a staff member with Brashier for nine years.

Ferentz held Brashier, who passed away in 2022, in the highest regard, with Brashier’s opinion of bowl games just one of many things that made an impression.

However, so much has changed in major college football over the past two decades, most notably the launching and growth of the college playoff, which has expanded to 12 teams this season, and the impact now being felt from the transfer portal and NIL.

And while the playoff obviously takes center stage, most of the the bowl games played so far have been more competitive and more entertaining than three of the first four playoff games, which were boring mismatches.

Maybe that means Iowa and Missouri are about to play a classic in the Music City Bowl on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, even though neither team set out to be in a bowl of this kind, and both teams will also be without their best offensive player.

“Just an overview real quick, a lot is written about bowls and said about bowls, and these are changing times in college football, but each one of these games is significant,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said Sunday. “Anybody that’s ever competed I think realizes any time you go out there and put whatever it is you do on display, you are going to try to do your best. That’s certainly what this is all about.

“This is our 22nd invitation to a bowl game since I’ve been at Iowa, and each one has been special, and they’ve been important. So, again, we’re just thrilled to be here.

“I think our players have done a nice job. Bowls are really interesting. You’ve got the bowl week, which quite frankly, is a story in itself, and that’s a different challenge, but you get the month.”

Missouri has a chance to win 10 games, while Iowa has  a chance to win nine games, and it would be the 11th season in which Iowa has won at least nine games under Kirk Ferentz.

Monday’s game will be just the second time in over a century that Iowa and Missouri have faced each other in football.

Iowa defeated Missouri 27-24 in the 2010 Insight Bowl.

“Bowl games are still a great experience for our student-athletes and for college football, and this is an outstanding bowl game, and we tip our hat to Nashville and everybody who hosted. It’s been an awesome thing,” said Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz. “Our football team is excited. One of the things you look forward to is obviously the host city, but also the competition that you get to play against and the opportunity to play against a traditional powerhouse in Iowa. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Kirk Ferentz and what he has done with the Hawkeye football team over the course of his 26-year career.”

Iowa will be without star running back Kaleb Johnson, while Missouri will be without star receiver Luther Burden, both of whom opted out of playing to start preparing for the 2025 NFL draft.

Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing this season with 1,537 yards and he also set a UI single-season record with 21 rushing touchdowns.

Iowa was 7-1 in games in which Johnson rushed for at least 100 yards and 1-3 in games when he didn’t.

Johnson and Burden are among two players from both teams that have opted out of the bowl game.

Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris also has opted out of the bowl game after having not played in the final two regular-season games.

The opt-outs will be felt by both teams, but only having two from both teams is a small number compared to some other bowl games.

Iowa will also be without All-Big Ten center Logan Jones, sophomore safety Koen Entringer and sophomore receiver Seth Anderson due to injuries, while graduate linebacker Kyler Fisher will miss the bowl game due to what Kirk Ferentz said was an unmet eligibility requirement.

Redshirt freshman Kamari Moulton and sophomore Jaziun Patterson will help to fill the void created by Johnson’s absence. They rushed for 377 and 235 yards, respectively, during the regular season.

“Everybody has an opportunity, and we have a couple of guys between Kamari and Jaz, who are eager to have that opportunity.” Kirk Ferentz said. “For any of us to think they’re going to be Kaleb, that would be mistaken on our part. They don’t have to be. They just have to be themselves because they’re both good players. We have a couple of other guys too that may end up in there. We’ll see how that goes. I would be perfectly happy if the two of them could split the load.”

Patterson is eager to show what he can do, and he is determined to seize the moment.

“It’s definitely a special opportunity because now it’s like, okay, who’s going to be that guy? Who’s going to do what?” Patterson said. “It’s exciting.”

Junior Brendan Sullivan will get the start at quarterback for Iowa after having missed the final two regular-season games due to an ankle injury.

“I think we watched him the first couple of practices, but other than that, he’s been full speed and had a really good morning this morning, so that’s encouraging,” Kirk Ferentz sad Brendan Sullivan, who transferred from Northwestern last summer. “He has to go out and play.

“It’s like every position, but quarterback it’s easier to say it than do it. He doesn’t need to win the game. He needs to play his position and play it well and let the team help out to do their part, and that’s everybody’s job. He does a really nice job. Really pleased with where he is heading.”

Missouri already has recorded two recent wins over Iowa in recruiting as portal recruits Langden Kitchen and Beau Pribula both committed to the Tigers over Iowa just in the last few days.

But they obviously can’t play in Monday’s bowl game.

Kirk Ferentz would tie Woody Hayes for most career wins as a Big Ten head coach with a victory on Monday. Ferentz has 204 wins heading into Monday’s game.

He also has the respect of his opposing head coach.

” I have a tremendous amount of respect for Kirk Ferentz and what he has done with the Hawkeye football team over the course of his 26-year career,” Drinkwitz said. “He is the gold standard of college football and what it takes to build and sustain a program of success and excellence, player development.

“So, it’s a real honor to be on the same football field with him and his program, and our team knows that in order for us to have a chance, we’re going to have to play a clean football game.”

Prediction: Iowa 20, Missouri 17

 

Iowa (8-4) vs. Missouri (9-3)

When: Monday, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Nashville, Tennessee, Nissan Stadium (69,143)

TV: ESPN

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

All-time series: Missouri leads, 7-6