LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Mark Stoops has stitched together a dazzling string of achievements during his nine-season run at Kentucky but on New Year’s Day Stoops will have an opportunity to add a fresh line to his resume:
A victory over his alma mater.
Kentucky will celebrate the first day of 2022 by playing Iowa in the VRBO Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Stoops is a Hawkeye.
Like his brother, Bob, Mark Stoops played at Iowa for Hayden Fry. In fact after playing defensive back for the Hawkeyes from 1986-88, Stoops served as a graduate assistant for 2 seasons.
This will be the first time Kentucky and Iowa have played in football. It will also be a school record sixth-straight bowl appearance for the Wildcats, who finished 9-3 and second place in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.
Like Kentucky, Iowa won its first six games. Then the Hawkeyes were upset, 24-7, by Purdue. They also lost the following week to Wisconsin, 27-7.
Iowa rallied to win its final four, earning the Big Ten West Division title.
But the Hawkeyes were no match for Michigan in the Big Ten championship game Saturday night, losing 42-3.
Iowa earned No. 15 in the college football rankings Sunday while Kentucky was ranked No. 22. Jeff Sagarin’s computer power formula favors the Hawkeyes by 1.05 points.
Kentucky beat another Big Ten team, Penn State, during its last trip to the Citrus Bowl three seasons ago.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
