Iowa’s seniors hope to end their careers with a win when the 23rd ranked Hawkeyes play 14th ranked Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Years Eve. The Hawkeyes are 8-4 and leave for Tampa on Friday.

That’s defensive end Ethan Hurkett. Bowl games don’t carry the importance they once did but Hurkett says this one has a great deal of meaning for the Hawkeyes.

It will be Iowa’s final chance to post a win over a rated team this season.

The chore for the defense will be finding a way to slow down Vanderbilt quarterback and Heisman finalist Diego Pavia. The dual threat quarterback has passed for nearly 32 hundred yards and rushed for more than 800.

Vanderbilt finished the regular season with a record of 10-2.