Orange Bowl
Tuesday, Jan. 5
No. 10 Iowa (10-2) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (11-2), 8:05 p.m. (FOX)
Line: Georgia Tech by 5.
Series Record: First meeting.
What’s At Stake
This is Georgia Tech’s biggest bowl berth since losing to Florida in the 1967 Orange Bowl. The Yellow Jackets have a shot at their highest final ranking since 1990, when they finished No. 1 in two polls and No. 2 in the AP poll. Iowa is playing in a Bowl Championship Series game for the first time since losing to Southern Cal in the 2003 Orange Bowl. The Hawkeyes could earn their highest final ranking since finishing No. 3 in 1960. Both teams have a chance to match the school record for wins.
Key Matchup
wa ranks 10th in scoring defense (15.5 points per game) and 11th in total defense (286.7 yards). The Hawkeyes shut out Minnesota in their regular-season finale and held three other bowl-bound teams to 10 points or fewer.
Players to Watch
Iowa: QB Ricky Stanzi. The junior has thrown 14 interceptions, but he also led fourth-quarter rallies in four games to help the Hawkeyes to a 9-0 start. Stanzi was sidelined by a sprained ankle in a 17-10 loss to Northwestern and sat out the final two regular-season games. After undergoing surgery, he returned to practice in December.
Georgia Tech: WR Demaryius Thomas, a third-team All-American, has totaled 1,154 yards on 46 receptions, an average of 25.1 yards. With opponents geared to stop the run, Tech has gained at least 50 yards on passes 11 times.
Figures
Georgia Tech has rushed for more than 200 yards in 12 of 13 games, while Iowa has allowed one team to top 200 yards. The Hawkeyes trailed in eight victories and overcame deficits of 10 points or more four times. They blocked a field-goal try on the final play for one win and earned another with a TD pass on the final play. The Yellow Jackets won five games by a total of 21 points, including victories where they gave up 44, 34, 31 and 31 points. Georgia Tech has had only 14 three-and-outs this season, fewest in the nation, and has not punted in the past two games.
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