Mark Story

Blue Preview: Your guide to the Citrus Bowl between Kentucky and Iowa

By Mark Story

Updated January 1, 2022 10:04 AM

Citrus Bowl preview: Kentucky vs. Iowa

The University of Kentucky football team concludes its 2021 season Saturday against Big Ten West Division champion Iowa in the VRBO Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Click below to view all the stories previewing the game that have been published on Kentucky.com.

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Citrus Bowl: No. 22 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Iowa

When: 1 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 1, 2022).

Where: Camping World Stadium (capacity 65,438) in Orlando, Fla.

TV: ABC — Channel 36 in Lexington (play-by-play, Dave Pasch; analysis, Dusty Dvoracek; sideline, Tom Luginbill)

Radio: WLAP-AM 630; WBUL-FM 98.1 for UK Sports Network broadcast; WLXG-AM 1300; WLXG-FM 92.5 for ESPN Radio national broadcast

Satellite radio: UK stream: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 138, Internet Channel 961; ESPN Radio national stream: XM Channel 81, Sirius Channel 81, Internet Channel 81

Records: Kentucky (9-3, 5-3 SEC); Iowa (10-3, 7-3 Big Ten).

Series history: First meeting

Line: Kentucky is favored by three points.

The story line

In a postseason matchup between Mark Stoops and Mark Stoops’ college alma mater, Kentucky will seek to secure only its fourth double-digit-win season in school history — but its second in four years — by beating the Big Ten West champions.

Mark Stoops made 69 tackles with three interceptions during his career (1986 through 1988) as an Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back.

The number to watch

Iowa interceptions. The Hawkeyes lead the nation in picked-off passes at 24. Meanwhile, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis has been susceptible to throwing the ball to the other team. The Penn State transfer has been picked off 12 times in the regular season and threw an interception in nine of 12 games. Whether Levis can “play clean” may be the single biggest factor for Kentucky.

Iowa cornerback Riley Moss (33) was chosen the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and was a Third Team AP All-America selection. Charlie Neibergall AP

The big threat

Tyler Linderbaum. The Iowa redshirt junior is considered one of the best ever to play the position of center in NCAA football. A 6-foot-2, 270-pound product of Solon, Iowa, Linderbaum was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and won the Rimington Trophy, signifying the nation’s best center. Linderbaum’s battle with disruptive Kentucky nose guard Marquan McCall should be epic.

Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum (65) was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and won the Rimington Trophy, signifying the best center in college football. A Solon, Iowa, product, Linderbaum was a First Team AP All-America selection. Charlie Neibergall AP

On the spot

Will Levis. The Kentucky quarterback closed out the season on an uptick, throwing for 419 yards and four touchdowns vs. New Mexico State in UK’s 11th game, then running for 113 yards and four scores in the regular-season finale vs. Louisville. In the Citrus Bowl, Levis gets a chance to show his development has reached the point that he can throw effectively against the country’s premier ball-hawking defense.

The mood

Is buoyant. Kentucky’s 52-21 road victory over archrival Louisville to close out a nine-win regular season and a lavishly praised class of 2022 recruiting haul engineered by Mark Stoops and Co. have exhilarated the Big Blue Nation. A bowl victory over a respected Iowa program to produce Kentucky’s second 10-win season in the last four years would be a cherry atop the sundae.

This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 9:11 AM.

Mark Story

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-444-4731

Mark Story has worked in the Lexington Herald-Leader sports department since Aug. 27, 1990, and has been a Herald-Leader sports columnist since 2001. I have covered every Kentucky-Louisville football game since 1994, every UK-U of L basketball game but three since 1996-97 and every Kentucky Derby since 1994. Support my work with a digital subscription