Tampa Bay Football History Network

2004 Outback Bowl

For the second year in a row, the Outback Bowl selected the University of Florida. Under head coach Ron Zook, the Gators were 8-4, ranked seventeenth and this was the school's thirty-first bowl game. The University of Iowa, and head coach Kirk Ferentz, made the Hawkeye's first visit to the Outback Bowl. Iowa was 9-3, ranked thirteenth and making the school's nineteenth trip to a bowl game. The schools had met once previously, in the 1983 Gator Bowl, and the game sold out.

The game's first score came on a 70 yard touchdown pass from Florida freshman quarterback Chris Leak (22 of 41 for 268 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT) to Kelvin Kight. It was the longest TD pass in Outback Bowl history, however, Iowa would score the next twenty-seven points. Iowa would win it on the ground with game MVP Fred Russell rushing for 150 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown. The Hawkeye's rushed for 238 yards, while holding Florida to a Outback record low 57 rushing yards. Iowa QB Nathan Chandler (13 of 25 for 170 yards) threw a TD pass and ran for a score, while Nate Kaeding kicked three field goals. The Gators had to punt ten times, one of which was blocked and recovered for a TD, in a 37-17 defeat. Kirk Ferentz said of the game, and the season, "Our guys feel awfully good about what they've accomplished."

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