Iowa vs. Nebraska: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Behind running back Jordan Canzeri's big second half, the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 28-20 on Friday to finish the regular season at 12-0. 

It is the first time in program history that Iowa has won 12 games. 

Canzeri carried the Hawkeyes offense in the second half, scoring two touchdowns on his way to 140 yards on 17 carries. Another big factor in Iowa's win was the turnover battle, as the team intercepted Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. four times.

In Nebraska's cold, overcast Memorial Stadium, neither offense could get anything going early, combining for a total of 83 yards in the first quarter. The quarter also included an Armstrong interception, a 17-yard punt from Iowa's Marshall Koehn and five penalties for 50 yards. 

Yet some, like KOCO's Carson Cunningham, couldn't turn off the game:

Iowa provided the breakthrough a little more than a minute into the second quarter, when quarterback C.J. Beathard hit tight end George Kittle from 10 yards out. It was Kittle's sixth touchdown of the season on just his 17th reception.

ESPN showed the replay:

With 44 yards of total offense through the game's first 18 minutes, Nebraska got a gift when Iowa's Desmond King fumbled a punt, which the Huskers recovered on the 31-yard line. It wasn't a good first half for King, who was suspended for the first quarter of the game for breaking team rules.

ESPN College Football showed King's error:

CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb joked about King's status for the rest of the game after his gaffe:

"

Breaking- Desmond King's suspension was just extended to the end of the game #IOWAvsNEB

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) November 27, 2015"

Thanks to a short field and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Iowa sideline, Nebraska tied the game with Imani Cross' four-yard touchdown run and Drew Brown's ensuing extra point.

It was a fitting score for Cross, who got Memorial Stadium rocking during his final home game. ESPN provided video of the run and the celebration that followed (via Hawk Eye):

Following a punt that pinned the Huskers inside the 10-yard line, Iowa's defense made up for King's mistake. Parker Hesse showed off his athleticism and hands when he picked off Armstrong's pass at the 4-yard line and returned it for a score.

ESPN showed the replay:

The play was quintessential Iowa football, according to Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer:

After seeing Nate Gerry, the team's top defensive back, ejected for a targeting call, Nebraska stopped Iowa toward the end of the first half, got the ball back and drove down the field for three points to end the second quarter down 14-10.

Iowa came out firing to start the second half and expanded its lead less than three minutes in. Canzeri put the exclamation point on Iowa's opening drive, scampering 29 yards for a touchdown. He had just 33 yards before his touchdown run.

Cross then got his second touchdown of the game at the end of the 75-yard drive that followed, helping bring Nebraska back within four points. It was much like his first of the day, as he powered up the middle and shed tacklers on his way to paydirt. 

Canzeri's monstrous second half continued on Iowa's next play from scrimmage, as the senior went 68 yards for a score to answer Nebraska's touchdown.

ESPN showed a replay of his second score (via Aaron Van Noy):

It was clinical blocking from the Hawkeyes offensive line, as Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel pointed out:

Nebraska attempted a last-gasp comeback with less than two minutes to go, kicking a field goal to bring the game to within eight points, but the Hawkeyes recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.

After the loss, Nebraska will not be bowl-eligible this season, having finished the year at 5-7. It's the first time since 2007 that the team has finished a season with fewer than six wins. 

Iowa, on the other hand, will set its sights on the Big Ten Championship Game, where they will face Ohio State, Michigan State or Michigan, depending on how Saturday plays out. It will be the Hawkeyes' biggest test of the season, and a win would cement their place in the College Football Playoff.

Post-Game Reaction

A four interception game won't sit well with any quarterback, especially in a losing effort. It holds true with Armstrong after Saturday's game as he spoke with the Lincoln Journal Star's Brian Christopherson:

But Cross, who had both of Nebraska's touchdowns on the day, was quick to take some heat off of Armstrong, per Christopherson:

In the other locker room, spirits were much higher as Iowa completed a historic regular season. Head coach Kirk Ferentz wasn't sure what to tell his team after the game, per AllHawkeyes.com's Pat Harty:

Though they aren't the flashiest team in the nation, Ferentz is getting things done, per Harty:

It's working, as Iowa is on the cusp of a Big 10 championship. They now have to wait on who they are playing. The Hawkeyes have an opportunity to silence a lot of doubters who believe they shouldn't be ranked so high due to their strength of schedule. 

But if Iowa is able to win the conference by beating either Ohio State, Michigan State or Michigan, there should be no reason why they aren't competing for a national championship in January. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.