Iowa and Missouri Travel to Arizona for the Insight Bowl

     As most of you should know, the Missouri Tigers and Iowa Hawkeyes have accepted bids to play in the 2010 Insight bowl that is scheduled to be played on December 28th. The Hawkeyes and Tigers are very similar but at the same time very different. Although you still don't know how they will match up against one another due to the fact that they haven't faced off since 1910.

     The Missouri Tigers started off the season just like the Hawkeyes did as they beat a strong Illinois by 10 at a neutral site, and then destroyed McNeese state at home 56-6. The Tigers were the Michigan State of the big 12 as fans found out they could be the real deal as they beat then #1 ranked Oklahoma 36-27.

     That set up the week 8 game of the week, the Tigers and Cornhuskers collided in a Big 12 matchup in Lincoln. Missouri suffered their first loss of the year. You could argue there the Tigers suffered a bit of a hangover as they fell to Texas Tech the following week. Missouri got back onto the right path as the won their final three games including a 14-0 win in ames, the only opponent both the Hawks and Tigers faced, the Hawks beat the Cyclones 35-7 in Iowa City.

The Hawks and Tigers have similar stat lines as Missouri, led by quarterback  Blaine Gabbert ranks 43rd in passing offense. Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes rank 45th. Missouri clearly leads in rushing between the two schools as they have multiple guys that can make plays on the ground. Blaine Gabbert , the 6-5 junior out of Ballwin Missouri can run up field at any moment. Gabbert had 74 rushing yards @ Nebraska and 84 rushing yards vs Kansas State. De'Voin Moore and Henry Josey are the two running backs and have combined for nearly 1000 yards. The two leading receivers for the Tigers are T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew. They are much alike the DJK McNutt combination, although DJK wont make the trip due to the drug arrest on December 7th.  

Both Missouri and the Hawkeyes have solid defenses. Missouri ranks 6th in the country in points scored against them and Iowa ranks 7th.  

via sportsthenandnow.com

If you look at the Schedule and results for the Missouri Tigers you would think that they should completely blow Iowa out of the water. But then again if you take a look at how Iowa has lost and the fact that they have lost by a combined total of 18 points it may make you wonder, especially when a lot of the major statistical categories are the same. It should be a good game to stay up late and watch.