As the Iowa Hawkeyes await their bowl destination they have climbed to 12th in the latest USAToday/ESPN Coaches poll. The Hawks closed out the regular season with a 9-3 record after Saturday’s 27-21 victory at Wisconsin that was not secured until a Badger pass was broken up in the endzone on the final play. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says it was a great way to end the regular season and the Big Ten race. He says ending up 5-3 in the conference and 9-3 overall was a great feeling. He says the loss at Purdue that knocked them out of a chance to defend the Big Ten title lingered a bit and they needed to finish strong. Injuries have forced a number of new faces to contribute this season and junior defensive tackle Tyler Luebke was the latest. The Iowa City native had ten tackles, including two for losses. Ferentz says all season long players have stepped up and played well when needed. The victory boosted Iowa’s chance of playing in a New Years Day Bowl.
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