Tag: Heartland Trophy

Series History: Wisconsin vs. Iowa

The series history between the Wisconsin Badgers and Iowa Hawkeyes:

On Saturday afternoon, the Wisconsin Badgers will face off on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes for the 96th time in their history to battle for the Heartland Trophy. The first time these two teams played was in 1894 when the Badgers shut out the Hawkeyes 44-0.

Wisconsin has won eight of the last ten matchups between them, including the latest matchup at Camp Randall in 2021 where they won 27-7 over Iowa. Badgers’ running back Braelon Allen ran for 105 rushing yards, while quarterback Graham Mertz threw for a touchdown and took two in for himself at the 1-yard line.

The Badgers will have a tough task this weekend because of the Hawkeyes’ talented defense, but hopefully, their revamped offense is up to the task to keep the Heartland Trophy.

Below are photos from the last few matchups between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Wisconsin Badgers:

LOOK: Wisconsin gives The Heartland Trophy a new look

The Badgers return the trophy to Madison

Wisconsin’s defense, as they have done all year long, showed up in the Badgers’ 27-7 win over Iowa.

Iowa turned the football over three times and failed to pick up a first down on their first six drives of the game. As a result, Wisconsin took The Heartland Trophy back to Madison.

The Badger defense showed off a new tradition on Saturday, when they brought out a turnover trucker hat. Whenever a Wisconsin player came up with a turnover, they got to wear the prestigious hat.

Where did the hat end up? Well, of course it ended up on the trophy. Wisconsin safety Collin Wilder shared a picture of “the grit factory,” hat proudly worn by the bull:

Why Wisconsin wins, why Wisconsin loses Saturday vs. Iowa

Why Wisconsin wins, why Wisconsin loses Saturday vs. Iowa

Wisconsin and Iowa will take the field Saturday and battle for control of the Heartland Trophy.

Iowa currently holds the trophy thanks to its 28-7 victory last season. The Badgers enter the contest having won 7 of the last 9 meetings, though, including 2019’s 24-22 triumph.

It’s safe to say Iowa’s control of the trophy has not been the norm over the last decade.

The game on Saturday will likely boil down to a few key areas: turnovers, rushing success and time of possession. These two teams are near mirror images of each other, so Wisconsin fans should expect the game to look like what we know as classic, Big Ten football.

After running through where each team has advantages, five keys to victory. one area that may decide the contest and a complete Iowa team preview, here is Why Wisconsin wins, or Why Wisconsin loses tomorrow:

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