IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. The TaxSlayer Bowl is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. (CT) on Friday, Jan. 2. The game will be televised by ESPN from EverBank Field (77,511).
The Hawkeyes are making their second appearance in the TaxSlayer Bowl, having lost to Florida (14-6) following the 1983 season. The attendance for that 1983 contest, 81,293, still ranks as the fourth highest attendance in the history of the event. Iowa has posted a 14-12-1 record in 27 previous bowl appearances.
Iowa posted a 7-5 record in 2014, including a 4-4 record in Big Ten play (West Division). Four of Iowa’s five losses were by a touchdown or less. Tennessee (6-6) finished its conference slate 3-5 and tied for fourth in the SEC East Division.
Iowa and Tennessee have met twice previously, with each team earning a victory. The Hawkeyes beat the Volunteers, 28-22, in the 1982 Peach Bowl played in Atlanta. Tennessee registered a narrow, 23-22, win over the Hawkeyes in the 1987 season opener played in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Hawkeyes are 4-2 against current SEC teams in bowl games under coach Kirk Ferentz having beaten Florida (2004 Outback), LSU (2005 Capital One), South Carolina (2009 Outback) and Missouri (2010 Insight) when the Tigers were members of the Big 12. Iowa lost to Florida and LSU in the 2006 and 2014 Outback bowls, respectively.
Iowa ranks third amongst Big Ten teams in bowl appearances and is bowl eligible for the 13th time under coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has posted a 6-5 bowl record under Ferentz, including wins in four of seven January bowl games. Since the 2001 season, no Big Ten team has won more bowl games or has a higher winning percentage in bowl games than Iowa.
