Back to the Big Ten Newsfeed

Defense, big plays carry Florida past Iowa in Outback Bowl

From the moment the Outback Bowl pairing was announced, most people figured it would be a game only a punter could love.

Both No. 17 Florida and Iowa brought hard-hitting defenses to Raymond James Stadium, but their offenses had been underwhelming -- to put it kindly -- most of the season. Neither team's identity changed that much in the postseason, but the Gators came up with all the big plays to run away with a 30-3 victory.

It was no surprise that Florida's defense would dominate. That side of the ball has carried the program to 19 wins and back-to-back SEC East titles the past two years under Jim McElwain, and it continued to shine on Monday despite missing several key players to injury.