The Iowa Hawkeyes have accepted a bid to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, where they will take on 14th ranked Missouri on December 28th. Iowa is 7-5 after dropping three straight games to end the regular season.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says they are “absolutely thrilled and very appreciative” of the bowl bid and look forward to playing a quality opponent. Ferentz says the bowl game will give the Hawkeyes a chance to finish on a positive note. He says it has been a tough month for them and he says this game is really important after finishing the way they did. Ferentz says losing the last three games left a bad taste in their mouth.

The Hawkeyes will have their hands full against a Missouri team thats only losses came on back-to-back weekends against Nebraska and Texas Tech. He says Gary Pinkel has done a great job in building the Mizzou program.

The invitation to the Insight Bowl capped a day that saw the Hawkeyes get passed over by the Outback and Gator Bowls.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta says they didn’t have a great November, so he speculates that’s why they got passed over. Barta says the three bowls are very similar in the level of payout and the opponents.

The Outback selected Penn State and the Gator chose Michigan, two teams the Hawkeyes beat during the regular season. Barta says they didn’t get a call saying they were selecting someone else. Barta says the Hawkeyes are playing a better opponent than they would have in the Outback or Gator. He says it’s exciting to take on a great opponent and Missouri is ranked the highest among the Outback, Gator and Insight bowls.

The Insight Bowl will be the first football game between Iowa and Missouri in 100 years.