Iowa Kicks A

Big Ten rolls this year. Even the losses were extremely competetive. It appears that the BT at 4-3 is the red headed ba$tard stepchild no longer.

No. 10 Iowa solved Tech's explosive triple option and Ricky Stanzi threw two early touchdown passes for a 24-14 victory Tuesday night.

Despite a temperature of 49 degrees at kickoff, the Hawkeyes had Tech sweating from the start. The ninth-ranked Yellow Jackets averaged 35 points during the regular season, but their only score in the first three quarters came on Jerrard Tarrant's 40-yard interception return.

"This was Hawkeye weather," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We feel right at home right now."

The Hawkeyes (11-2) earned their first Bowl Championship Series bowl win, matched the school record for victories and could claim their highest final ranking since finishing No. 3 in 1960.

Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech (11-3) totaled nine first downs and 155 yards, both season lows.