How to Watch Nebraska Football vs. Iowa with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

It's Black Friday week, and that means only one thing if you're a college football fan — rivalries.

For the Nebraska football team, it's Iowa week. The 56th edition of the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry commences Friday morning at Memorial Stadium as each program vies for its eighth win of the season before setting off on its (hopefully) own sunny bowl trip somewhere across the country.

The Huskers enter Friday on a short turnaround after a disaster in Happy Valley against Penn State, getting blown out 37-10 against head coach Matt Rhule's alma mater. Progress has clearly been shown in year three under Rhule, even if the highs didn't reach the ceiling like everyone wanted them to. However, if NU drops another egg on Friday and comes up short in the bowl game, a little bit of heat will come knocking in the offseason.

But that's a discussion down the road, and if it happens. For now, the worry is Iowa, which faces a Husker team coming off short rest and sending out a true freshman quarterback to the wolves that is the Hawkeye defense, which is still coordinated by maestro Phil Parker. Before an early morning kickoff in Lincoln, here's all you need to know as Nebraska tries to end the regular season in style.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: Nebraska (7-4, 4-4 B1G) vs. Iowa (7-4, 5-3 B1G)
When: Friday, Nov. 28
Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 11 a.m. CST
Watch: CBS
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Iowa Scout

Head Coach

Kirk Ferentz | 27th season at Iowa; 30th as HC | 211-128 (.622) at Iowa; 223-149 (.599) Career Record | 2x B1G Titles (2002, 2004), 3x B1G West Division Titles | 4x B1G Coach OTY, AP CFB COY, Walter Camp Coach OTY, Bobby Dodd Coach OTY, Eddie Robinson Coach OTY, Region 3 Coach OTY, Woody Hayes Coach OTY | Previous head coach at Maine | Previous assistant at Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Worchester Academy (MA) and UConn.

2024 Finish

L, 24-27 to No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl.

2025 Record

7-4 (5-3 B1G)

Wins: Albany, UMass, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Penn State, Minnesota and Michigan State.
Losses: #16 Iowa State, #11 Indiana, #9 Oregon and #17 USC.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 30-22-3 (Nov. 29, 2024, last matchup, 13-10 Iowa)

Iowa running back Kamari Moulton leads the team with 690 rushing yards while running for two touchdowns. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Kamari Moulton | RB | So. | The heir apparent to Johnson at running back and has piled up 690 yards (5.0 AVG) and two touchdowns as the lead back in 2025.
Jacob Gill | WR | Gr. | On track to lead the Hawkeyes in receiving for the past two seasons, but he won't likely reach the 411 yards he had in 2024.
DJ Vonnahme | TE | R-Fr. | Third on the Hawkeyes with 197 yards on 19 catches and one touchdown in his first season as the starting tight end.
Kaden Wetjen | WR | Gr. | The best return man in college football with six career touchdowns (4 Punt, 2 Kickoff) while posting a three-year average of 37.3 return yards per kickoff and 24.4 per punt return.
Karson Sharar | LB | Sr. | Team's leading tackler (73) that also leads Iowa with TFLs (10) while adding two sacks.
Koen Entringer | DB Jr. | One of four game captains this season for Iowa, who is second on the team with 67 tackles and has four pass breakups.
Xavier Nwankpa | DB | Sr. | Former five-star recruit who's collected 64 tackles (third on team) and one pick in his final season in Iowa City.
Ethan Hurkett | DL | Sr. | Tied for the Iowa team high in sacks (6) and near the top in TFLs with 8.5.
Max Llewellyn | DL | Jr. | Another homegrown Iowan that's tied with Hurkett for the most sacks and second with nine TFLs.
Aaron Graves | DL | Jr. | Creates a monster trio with Hurkett and Llewellyn up front and slots right behind them with five sacks, 6.5 TFLs, and one interception.
Zach Lutmer | DB | R-Fr. | A standout second-year player who has a team-leading three picks and is one of four players with more than 60 tackles.
DeShaun Lee | DB | Soph. | Started 9 of 12 games as a true freshman before becoming a full-time starter in 2025, recording two picks.
TJ Hall | DB | Jr. | California native who's leading the Hawkeyes with eight pass breakups.
Drew Stevens | K | Sr. | No. 2 scorer in school history who hit the game-winning 53-yard field goal to beat Nebraska last season in Iowa City.

Former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round after a historic 2024. — Former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round after a historic season in 2024. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Key Departures

Kaleb Johnson | RB | NFL Draft | Has struggled to see the field in his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was a third-round pick after being one of the nation's best running backs in 2024.
Yahya Black | DT | NFL Draft | Joined Johnson in Pittsburgh as a fifth-round pick after being an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention as a senior.
Mason Richman | OL | NFL Draft | 6-foot-6 tackle taken in the seventh round after starting in all but two games (due to injury) across his four-year career.
Connor Colby | OL | NFL Draft | All-Big Ten First Team selection in 2024 before getting taken in the seventh round by the San Francisco 49ers.
Luke Lachey | TE | NFL Draft | Third-to-last pick in the NFL draft by the Houston Texans. continue Iowa's run of stellar tight ends.
Cade McNamara | QB | Transfer | Once the starting quarterback for a College Football Playoff Michigan team, McNamara transferred to East Tennessee State after a couple of turbulent seasons with Iowa.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Sam Phillips | WR | Sr. | Senior transfer from Chattanooga, where he led the SoCon in yards (823), but has only recorded 249 yards with no scores for Iowa.
Mark Gronowski | QB | Gr. | FCS National Champion transfer from South Dakota State, who's become more of a threat with his legs than arms, rushing for 13 touchdowns compared to his 6-to-7 touchdown to interception ratio.
Rhys Dakin | P | Soph. | Aussie newcomer that's averaging 42.6 yards per punt.

Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski has struggled to throw in the Hawkeyes' scheme, but has 13 rushing touchdowns. — SDSU transfer and Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski has struggled to throw in the Hawkeyes' scheme, but he has become a red zone threat with 13 rushing touchdowns this year. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Three Things to Watch

Do the Iowa fronts expose Nebraska like Penn State?

There was nothing pretty in Nebraska's blowout loss to Penn State last week on the road — especially as the line play was exposed like it was against Michigan, Minnesota and USC. The Nittany Lions gained 231 yards on the ground as star running back Kaytron Allen gashed the Blackshirts for 160 yards and two touchdowns on senior night.

Doak Walker Finalist snub Emmett Johnson recorded 103 yards, but quarterback TJ Lateef was sacked three times and was pressured on a constant basis. Both NU fronts look to be facing an uphill battle against an always fearsome Iowa offensive and defensive lines. The Hawkeyes' offense has seemed to regress under offensive coordinator Tim Lester, but they're still fifth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (174.5) and are 12th nationally in red zone offense.

It's basically a given that any Phil Parker will be good and that's the case again in 2025. Iowa ranks inside the top 15 in all of rushing, passing, total and scoring defense. It's a tough ask for your freshman quarterback to be productive against any unit like the Hawkeyes, but that's the mission on Friday.

Iowa's Kaden Wetjen is the best returner in college football with three punts and one kickoff returned for touchdowns. — Iowa's Kaden Wetjen is the best returner in college football this season with three punts and one kickoff returned for touchdowns. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

A special teams showdown.

Mike Ekeler has rejuvenated the Nebraska special teams, ranking 17th nationally in punt returns (13.61), 11th in kick return defense and fourth in kick returns (28.86). NU kick returner Kenneth Williams' status will be something to watch approaching Friday after not playing versus Penn State.

On the other side, Iowa possesses the best return man in college football with receiver Kaden Wetjen. The senior has six career return touchdowns, with four of them coming this season — three punting and one kicking. And with Drew Stevens back at kicker, who nailed the game-winning 53-yard field goal, this could be Nebraska's most interesting special teams battle in some time.

How does TJ Lateef fare against Phil Parker and the Iowa defense?

The Hawkeyes are ferocious on defense once again under Phil Parker, holding opponents to 14.5 points and 267.9 yards per game. Linebacker Karson Sharar has taken over as Iowa's fearless leader, recording a team-high 73 tackles with ten tackles for loss. Ethan Hurkett (6.0 sacks), Max Llewellyn (6.0) and Aaron Graves (5.0) spearhead a dangerous front seven while a veteran secondary that's allowing 166.3 passing yards a game.

That's going to be a monster challenge for freshman quarterback TJ Lateef, who went 21-for-37 for 187 yards with one rushing touchdown last week against a Penn State defense loaded with NFL talent. The offensive line will have to hold up in pass protection to give the California native a chance to throw. If not, Emmett Johnson may have to play Superman, but that probably won't be enough against this elite unit. The team and program's confidence appears to be at stake on Friday, so Lateef and the offense will need to play their part.

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