IOWA WR SCORES TDS THREE WAYS
In Iowa’s Holiday Bowl media guide, on the page with the biography of receiver Ihmir Smithmarsette, the first note about the 6-foot-1, 183pound junior read: “Has scored touchdowns in 2019 via receiving, rushing and kickoff return.” Impressive, to be sure. They’ll have to add a few words for the 2020 season media guide.
“In one game.” Smith-marsette pulled off one of the most impressive feats in the 42 years of the Holiday Bowl on Friday night, earning Offensive MVP honors when he scored on a 6-yard reverse run, a 12yard reception and a game record-tying 98-yard kickoff return in Iowa’s 49-24 victory over USC.
More astonishing: He did it all in the first half as the Hawkeyes powered to a 28-17 halftime lead. Smithmarsette’s yardage contribution in the first 30 minutes: 125 of Iowa’s 209 total yards.
Going into the bowl, Smith-marsette was the Hawkeyes’ season leader in receiving yards (676), allpurpose yards (1,130) and touchdowns (7).
The kickoff return against USC, which gave Iowa a 21-14 lead, was the second in as many games for Smith-marsette, who had a 95-yard TD return in a victory over Nebraska in the regular-season finale. He’s the first player in Iowa history to have two kick returns for TD in the same season.
The 98 yards on the return tied the Holiday record set by USC’S Adoree Jackson in 2014.
“It’s huge, being able to come here and show my talent,” Smith-marsette said in the postgame ceremony on the field. “Give credit to the rest of the guys behind me.”
Sneak attack
With a quarterback who’s 6-feet-4, 243 pounds, it would be ridiculous to not use that size. Iowa could not have been better this season at taking advantage on short yardage with Nate Stanley.
Four more times in the Holiday Bowl, Stanley’s number was called for a quarterback sneak, and that gave him an extraordinary 27 such efforts for the season.
Twice against USC, Stanley got first downs with sneaks. His 3-yard gain on fourth-and-1 at the Hawkeyes’ 47 kept Iowa’s second touchdown-scoring drive alive. In the third quarter, the senior and his line powered forward for 8 yards on second-and-2 in getting to the USC 3.
Stanley immediately followed with two other sneaks, but was stopped for 2 yards and no gain, respectively, before handing the ball on third down to Tyler Goodson, who scored from 1 yard out to give Iowa a 35-24 lead.
For the season, Stanley gained 21 first downs or touchdowns on sneaks.
Wave is a hit
The Iowa Wave was as touching as advertised.
The tradition first begun at Iowa two years ago came to SDCCU Stadium after the first quarter. Fans were asked to turn on their cellphone lights and wave them at the scoreboard to families on the 12th f loor of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City.
The tradition began at Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, which the 12th floor of the hospital overlooks.
More than 70,000 fans do The Wave each game at Kinnick, but the Holiday Bowl was one of the few times it was done outside of Iowa City. With SDCCU divided almost in half between Iowa and USC faithful, Trojans fans fully joined in to do The Wave.
Beyond the Iowa families on the scoreboard, more than 400 people were seated at the stadium’s east end, courtesy of tickets donated to Rady Children’s Hospital.
Notable
The Holiday Bowl doesn’t have it on record, but the temperature of 58 degrees at kickoff had to be among the coldest in the game’s 42 years. A frigid breeze picked up as the game progressed and the temperature dropped to 53 at halftime. At that time in the evening, it wasn’t that much colder in Iowa City — 34 degrees.
• After several years of declining attendance, the bowl bounced back with an announced crowd of 50,123. It helps to have USC involved. The last time the game topped 50,000 was in 2014, when the announced attendance was 55,789 for the Trojans’ win over Nebraska.
• The game’s Defensive MVP was junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa. A native of American Samoa, Epenesa played in front of dozens of family members and friends who live in Southern California, including Oceanside. The junior has yet to announce if he will enter the NFL Draft, for which he has been projected as a potential top-10 pick. As he accepted the MVP award, his teammates chanted behind him, “One more year! One more year!”
tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com