The last time Missouri played Iowa, future NFL 1st round quarterback Blaine Gabbert was driving Missouri late in the game until he threw game-sealing pick six to future Buffalo Bill Micah Hyde.

It’s been 14 years since the Tigers played Missouri’s Hat, and during that time Iowa has been fairly consistent if not uninspiring: some of the worst offenses you’ve ever seen paired with the most effective defenses on the planet. All they do is beat teams they should beat and play the most boring brand of football you can think of. But, hey, it works!

And now, Missouri – minus its best athlete and lineman on offense – goes up against yet another elite-tier Iowa defense and a lackluster offense that struggles to do even the most basic stuff consistently well. Should be…fun?

When Missouri Has the Ball

When a defense is 6th in the nation in SP+ there’s very few things that they struggle with. And, in particular with the Hawkeyes, they are the most basic bitch defense you can think of: no big plays allowed, mediocre havoc, one of the most accurate tacklers in the country, and one of the more effective scoring defenses out there. It’s going to be zero fun watching an underwhelming Mizzou offense with several weeks off try to restart the offense against these eleven defenders.

Run the Ball

Usually, Iowa has supremely stout run defenses but that isn’t the case this year. The Hawkeyes rank a shocking 106th in rushing success rate allowed, as well as 119th in opponent’s opportunity rate. We all know that Mizzou would prefer to run the ball 50 times per game and this is the group that will let them do it. The Tigers should shoot for at least a 48% rushing success rate.

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Iowa’s defense in standard downs: 74th. Iowa’s defense in passing downs: 42nd. But considering that Iowa pass defense ranks 30th overall it would be best to avoid all obvious passing down situations and keep the Hawkeyes guessing. A 45% standard downs success rate should suffice.

Finish Your Dang Drives

This will be the second straight stingy scoring defense Missouri will see, and Mizzou was able to crack open Arkansas’ stranglehold inside the 40 in their matchup this year. Iowa, on the other hand, comes into this game with a mere 3.7 points allowed per opportunity, almost right where Arkansas was. Missouri has scored at least 20 points in every victory this year and Iowa has allowed at least 20 points in every loss so let’s start there: 6 scoring opportunities at 3.5 points per opportunity for a total of 21.

When Iowa Has the Ball

With two quarterbacks and one of the best running backs in the country missing this game, Iowa’s already anemic offense will be sputtering with backups at the key positions on offense. Missouri hasn’t been nearly as stout defensively as the year has gone on but should see a renaissance against a bad unit with backups.

Keyword: should.

Stop the Run

Iowa isn’t very good at running the ball but they are 5th in the nation in run rates on standard downs with a 73% chance of running the ball in that situation. They also rank 52 in running the ball in passing downs (35%). Stop the run -> make them pass -> profit. I’d like to see Iowa’s rushing success at 40% or less.

Turnovers!

Given the amount of fumbles and types of passes batted around, Iowa should have turned the ball over 10.7 times and, in reality, they’ve had 11 turnovers, so they’re right on track. But Iowa’s defense should have had 19.6 turnovers while in reality they’ve grabbed 24. So the Hawkeye’s have benefited from a little bit of luck and an opportunistic defense…and Mizzou’s defense is going to need to flip the script. Mizzou’s defense has been good at taking advantage when the opportunity presents itself and they need to ride that to a +2 in the turnover department.

Conclusion

Iowa is a more extreme version of Missouri which means this game could go very quick and be very boring. Mizzou’s penchant for waiting until the 4th quarter to score points would be a very bad idea against this type of opponent, but Iowa’s offense could be so ineffective that it might not matter. Hopefully we’re pleasantly surprised by an entertaining game because this has all the makings of a snoozer of a low-scoring result.

Two teams just shy of a College Football Playoff berth are set to clash in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, aiming to end their seasons on a high note.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch and listen to the Miami (FL) vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game, plus plenty more.

Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game: Date and kick-off time

The Hurricanes will take on the Cyclones in a highly anticipated 2024 Fenway Bowl game on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at 3:30 pm ET/ 12:30 pm PT, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

How to watch Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game on TV & stream live online

TV channel: ABC

• Broadcasters: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color) and Cole Cubelic (color analyst) are on the game call.

Streaming service: FuboTV

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How to listen to live play-by-play commentary of Miami (FL) vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game

Audio Stream: Away: 198 (CAR), 952 (NE) | Home: 84 (CAR), 84 (NE) | National: 80 (CAR), 80 (NE)

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Hear exclusive interviews with players and coaches, plus expert analysis from the top names in sports radio. Listeners will need either a Platinum or Streaming Platinum plan.

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Miami vs Iowa State team news & key players

Miami Hurricanes team news

Miami boasts the top-ranked offense in the country, averaging an eye-popping 44.2 points and 538.3 total yards per game during the regular season.

Cam Ward, a transfer from Washington State, has shattered numerous school records this season, amassing 4,123 passing yards and 36 touchdowns with a 67.4% completion rate and only seven interceptions. His primary target, All-American Xavier Restrepo, has yet to confirm his participation in the bowl, while senior running back Damien Martinez, a future NFL draft pick, has announced he will play.

Iowa State Cyclones team news

On the other side, the Iowa State Cyclones come into this game with a 10-3 record (7-2 in conference play) after a tough 45-19 loss to Arizona State in their last outing. The Cyclones were tied 10-10 in the second quarter before conceding 35 unanswered points. They were outgained 467-341 in total yardage, turned the ball over three times, and converted just 7-of-14 third downs. Rocco Becht threw for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, while Jayden Higgins hauled in seven catches for 115 yards.

The Cyclones have also suffered defeats to Kansas and Texas Tech but secured victories over North Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas State, Houston, Baylor, West Virginia, UCF, Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State. Iowa State’s offense has averaged 31.2 points per game with 254.6 passing yards and 161.7 rushing yards per contest, while their defense has allowed just 21.5 points per game. Rocco Becht has completed 59.3% of his passes for 3,235 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions this season, with Carson Hansen contributing 670 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns to their ground game.

More college football news and coverage

Marcus Benjamin, publisher of CanesCounty.com, is joined by Bill Seals, publisher of CycloneReport.com, to discuss the matchup between Miami and Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

First, Seals shares his thoughts on the feel of the Iowa State program going into Saturday’s game (2:07) and what the Cyclone is looking to prove in Orlando (4:08).

Next, Seals talks about the strengths and weaknesses of Iowa State and whether they were exposed against Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game (7:00).

Seals describes the type of offense Iowa State runs and the looks to expect on defense (10:03). He also shares thoughts on the matchups to watch between the Hurricanes and Cyclones (13:37).

Next, Seals shares his thoughts on ISU QB Rocco Becht and what makes him dangerous (14:51).

Benjamin and Seals discuss key players who will not play in the bowl game (16:20) and share predictions of the outcome (19:53).