We’ve gone through signing day, a Christmas break and most of portal season, but it’s time to get back to getting ready for the final football game of the season.

The Missouri Tigers (9-3) take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) in the Music City Bowl at 1:30 p.m. Monday (ESPN).

The Tigers enter on a two-game winning streak and looking for their second-consecutive 10-win season as they face Iowa in a rematch of the 2020 Music City Bowl that never came to be.

Iowa enters on a two-game winning streak and is playing in its 11th bowl game (and 12th bid) in the past 12 years. Iowa is 4-6 in the 10 bowl games it has played since 2014.

Missouri opened as a four-point favorite according to Circa sports but is now a 2.5-point favorite.

Here’s a glance at Iowa and what Missouri will face in the Music City Bowl.

When: 1:30 p.m., CT, Monday

Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

TV: ESPN

Radio: Tiger Radio Network

The Tigers and Hawkeyes have faced off 13 times, but only once in the past 100 years.

The teams faced off every year from 1892-1896, then again in 1902 and 1903 before a series from 1906-1910.

After that, it took 100 years to match up on the gridiron again with the teams facing off in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, in 2010.

Missouri holds a 7-6 lead in the all-time series, but Iowa won 27-24 in 2010.

Scoring offense: 28.0 (No. 69)

Scoring defense: 17.1 (No. 9)

Rushing offense: 199.8 (No. 20)

Rushing defense: 117.5 (No. 27)

Passing offense: 131.7 (No. 130)

Passing defense: 196.1 (No. 36)

Brendan Sullivan, QB

With regular starter Cade McNamara still in the transfer portal, the Hawkeyes are set to turn to junior Brendan Sullivan (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), who is returning from an ankle injury that forced sophomore Jackson Stratton (6-4, 193) into the final two games of the regular season after McNamara missed the final four games with a concussion.

Sullivan played in nine games this season, starting two and completing 24-of-35 passes for 344 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

In the three games he attempted more than five passes, Sullivan completed 22-of-33 passes for 330 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, while rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts.

His best performance yards wise came against UCLA, the game he injured his ankle, when he completed 6-of-9 passes for 157 yards, but threw both of his interceptions.

While leading the Hawkeyes to a win against Northwestern, he completed 9-of-14 passes for 80 yards, while rushing for 40 yards and a score on eight tries. Then in a win against Wisconsin, he completed 7-of-10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.

Kamari Moulton, Jaziun Patterson, RBs

With starting running back Kaleb Johnson missing the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft, the Hawkeyes will turn to redshirt freshman Kamari Moulton (5-11, 206) and sophomore Jaziun Patterson (5-10, 195) to power the rushing attack that led the Hawkeyes to most of their wins this year.

Johnson took the vast majority of the carries and created the vast majority of the production this season, running for 1,537 of the team’s 2,398 rushing yards this season on 240 of the teams 463 attempts.

Moulton was next on the team with 70 attempts for 377 yards and two touchdowns, while Patterson had 54 carries for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Moulton produced a 114-yard performance on 12 carries against Maryland, breaking a 68-yard touchdown run in the process. He also had 74 yards on nine attempts against Wisconsin and had 65 yards on 19 attempts against Illinois State.

Otherwise, he did not reach 50 yards in any of his other eight games and rushed for -4 yards on three attempts against Nebraska his last time out.

Patterson had 72 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts against Troy and 66 yards on 18 tries against Minnesota. He also rushed for 56 yards and a score on 10 tries against Wisconsin.

Otherwise, his game-high was 11 yards in his other six games, including one rush for no yards against Nebraska last time out.

Jacob Gill, WR

Gill, a 6-0, 185-pound junior, was the team’s leading receiver at 382 yards and 32 catches to go with two touchdowns.

His best performance, by far, was six catches for 138 yards against UCLA, otherwise he didn’t reach 50 yards in a game.

His other touchdown came against Illinois State when he had three catches for 46 yards. He also added four catches for 47 yards against Iowa State and five catches for 44 yards against Troy. Then his high for a game drops to 29 against Maryland.

DEFENSE

Jay Higgins, LB

Fifth-year linebacker Jay Higgins (6-2, 232) was the most productive member of the Hawkeye defense with 118 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack. He also batted five passes, intercepted four more and forced two fumbles.

His interceptions came against Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Maryland. His sack came against Ohio State.

He had a run of three consecutive games, Ohio State, Washington and Michigan State, where he recorded 14 tackles in each performance, while adding 11 against Iowa State and 10 against Wisconsin.

Ethan Hurkett, DL

The 6-3, 260-pound defensive lineman led Iowa with 6.5 sacks to go with 11.5 tackles for loss.

He recorded 55 total tackles and had three tackles for loss and two sacks against both Maryland and Nebraska to end the season.

He also forced three fumbles, one against Nebraska and two against Troy.

Nick Jackson, LB

With defensive back Jermari Harris not playing as he prepares for the draft, graduate linebacker Nick Jackson (6-0, 235) leads the Hawkeye defense with seven passes batted.

He also recorded 83 tackles, including five for loss and 2.5 sacks. He intercepted one pass against Wisconsin and produced 12 tackles against UCLA and 11 each against Washington and Michigan State.

Nate Noel and Marcus Carrol vs. Iowa’s run defense

When taking Johnson leaving into consideration, the Hawkeye run defense is its best unit on the field.

The Tigers should be able to throw a bit with a more healthy Brady Cook for the first time in a handful of games, but Missouri has based its offense off the run during the final few games of the regular season and it worked very well.

To do that again, it will be strength on strength with the Iowa defense.

Mizzou’s run defense vs. Iowa’s offensive line

I don’t know how much to expect from the pair of Iowa running backs we’re likely to see, but the offensive line is still stacked and third-string running backs can look great if the offensive line gets them 4 yards before contact.

The Tiger defense that has struggled against the run this season is going to need to force Iowa to throw.

If it can, the Tigers will be in about the best position they can be.

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