Trojans find Hawkeyes aren’t so slow, after all

Hawkeyes rout USC as offense comes alive, defense solid

Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-marsette showed he could do it all for the Hawkeyes — other than catch a ball that he threw — in Friday night’s San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl game against USC.

Smith-marsette rushed for one touchdown, returned a kickoff for another TD and caught a pass from Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley for still another score.

And that was just in the first half.

Backed by one of the nation’s best defenses — and benefiting from an injury to USC quarterback Kedon Slovis midway through the game — it all proved more than enough for No. 16 Iowa in a 49-24 win over No. 22 USC before 50,123 at SDCCU Stadium.

In assuming a 28-17 halftime lead, Iowa both scored more points than it averaged in a game this season (23.8) and gave up more points than it allowed in a game this season (13.2).

Tendencies have a way of going out the window where the Holiday Bowl is concerned. This game fell right in line •

Ihmir Smith-marsette does it all for Iowa in first half.

The tired, dusty talking points about Big Ten football and Iowa in particular is that they lift hay bales at sun-up and register somewhere between a tortoise and molasses on the radar gun.

The Pac-12, those are the fast guys. They transform scoreboards into video games. They swivel hips, you miss. The Big Ten, minus speedy Ohio State, are the broad-shouldered bruisers. They run over you, rather than away from you.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, the dean of FBS coaches, has heard it all before around bowl season — against Florida in 2003, LSU in 2004, Texas in a 2006 nail-biter, Mississippi State in 2018.

The Hawkeyes wadded up the frayed holiday narrative again, this time at the Holiday Bowl itself in No. 16 Iowa’s 49-24, blink-and-you-missedthem win Friday at SDCCU Stadium. Ferentz fended off the question one more time before kickoff.

“The myth about the Big Ten, I think gets a little blown out of proportion,” Ferentz said. “We

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Fiesta Bowl

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Clemson Today: 5 p.m., State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Line:

On the air: ESPN; 600-AM

Clemson by 11 ⁄2

HAYNE PALMOUR IV U-T Iowa’s Ihmir Smith-marsette points to the sky as he runs for a touchdown on a 98-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.

CHADD CADY USC quarterback Kedon Slovis looks on after he injured his arm in the second half against Iowa.