**Iowa Triumphs Over Nebraska Amid Tense Pregame Drama**

In a dramatic showdown filled with pregame tension, Iowa emerged victorious over Nebraska with a 13-10 win. The Hawkeyes' triumph was punctuated by a contentious pregame encounter involving Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers' captains, which did not sit well with the Iowa players.

Linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson openly criticized Rhule postgame for disrupting Iowa's pregame warmups. "We immediately knew what type of game this was," Higgins remarked, referencing Rhule's walk-through. Further heightening the tension, Nebraska's captains snubbed Iowa's captains during the pregame coin toss, refusing to shake hands and avoiding eye contact.

Higgins recounted an exchange during Iowa's first defensive drive where he told Rhule that refusing to shake hands was "probably not a good idea," to which Rhule reportedly responded, "Who are you?" Nebraska held a 10-0 lead at halftime but could not sustain their momentum, crumbling in the second half.

Relishing the comeback, Higgins noted the probable euphoria in Nebraska's locker room at halftime. However, Iowa's persistence paid off as they scored 13 unanswered points, winning the game with a critical 53-yard field goal by Drew Stevens as time expired.

After the final whistle, Higgins sought out Rhule at midfield to shake his hand, perhaps to underscore sportsmanship despite the earlier snub. When posed with the question of whether Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferentz would engage in similar pregame behavior, Jackson replied emphatically, "No, no, no, never," suggesting that joining Iowa would reveal a stark contrast in sportsmanship.

The victory sealed Iowa's regular season with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-3 conference record, while Nebraska concluded their season at 6-6 overall and 3-6 in the conference. Postgame, a reflective Rhule acknowledged the disappointment for Nebraska's seniors. The rivalry’s tension spilled over to social media, where Iowa's social media team posted a video highlighting the pregame handshake refusal with a playful "ope" and a laughing emoji.

This intense matchup, marked by a blend of strategic gameplay and psychological warfare, underscores the high stakes and emotional investment in college football rivalries.