The annual Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers football game was filled with drama even before kickoff. The traditional pre-game handshake between team captains was conspicuously absent, with Nebraska players declining to engage with their Iowa counterparts. This set the stage for a tense matchup.

The pre-game tension escalated when Nebraska coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa's warm-up area, a move that didn't sit well with the Hawkeyes. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins expressed his team's displeasure, stating, "Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup. So we immediately knew what type of game this was." The on-field friction continued with a heated exchange between Higgins and Rhule during the first quarter, with Higgins questioning Rhule's pre-game actions.

Despite an early 10-0 lead by Nebraska, Iowa rallied to score 13 unanswered points. A dramatic 53-yard field goal by Iowa kicker Drew Stevens in the final seconds sealed the victory for the Hawkeyes.

Following the game, Higgins made a point of shaking Rhule's hand, emphasizing the importance of sportsmanship. He later contrasted the actions of Rhule with the long-standing traditions under Iowa's long-time coach Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz, who has coached at Iowa for over 25 years, downplayed the pre-game incident, stating he hadn't witnessed it firsthand.