Nebraska @ Iowa preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 27, 2015 ) Iowa 28, Nebraska 20

If being without its top quarterback wasn't enough of a problem, No. 15 Nebraska enters its regular-season finale Friday at Iowa facing the real possibility of being without its top two signal-callers in a game it needs to keep its slim Big Ten Championship game hopes alive. Tommy Armstrong Jr. was sidelined with a hamstring injury for the Cornhuskers' 28-7 victory over Maryland last weekend, while backup Ryker Fyfe underwent surgery this week after breaking a bone in his left wrist.

Nebraska needs a win over the improving Hawkeyes, who handed No. 4 Michigan its only defeat on Nov. 12, and a home loss by No. 6 Wisconsin to Minnesota on Saturday to win the Big Ten West and earn a trip to Indianapolis for the first time since 2012. Coach Mike Riley hasn't ruled out either one of his two quarterbacks for the game, although Armstrong appears to be in the early lead after getting in a limited practice early this week. Iowa enters this rivalry game - dubbed the Heroes Trophy because each school chose to honor a native from each state for an extraordinary act - playing perhaps the best it has all season, following up its shocking victory over the previously undefeated Wolverines with a 28-0 drubbing of Illinois. Recent history does not favor the Hawkeyes, however, as Nebraska has defeated them in each of its last three trips to Kinnick Stadium and the visiting team has won the last four meetings overall.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Iowa -3.

ABOUT NEBRASKA (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten): Should Armstrong and Fyfe be unable to play Friday, the Cornhuskers could be forced to turn to third-string sophomore Zack Darlington, who was once a top-15 dual-threat quarterback in high school before making the transition to receiver last spring and has split first-team reps with Armstrong this week. Jordan Westerkamp finished with a season-high eight catches for 85 yards and a touchdown against Maryland, moving him within 55 yards of Johnny Rodgers (2,479) for second place on the school's all-time list. Terrell Newby has run for 707 of his team-high 825 yards during conference play - including 364 in the fourth quarter alone - scored a career-high three touchdowns last weekend and is 175 yards shy of turning in the 36th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.

ABOUT IOWA (7-4, 5-3): With 82 and 159 yards last week, respectively, Akrum Wadley (861) and LeShun Daniels, Jr. (855) became the third set of running backs in program history to have 800-plus rushing yards in the same season. Cornerback/returner Desmond King collected his 13th career interception versus Illinois and is the only Big Ten player in the last 20 years with at least 12 interceptions and 1,500-plus combined kickoff/punt yards. Butkus Award finalist Josey Jewell ranks second in the conference with 105 tackles, while defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson is tied for fourth with a team-high 7.5 sacks - a mark that puts him on track to become the first Iowa defensive lineman to lead the team in sacks since current Green Bay Packers standout Mike Daniels in 2011.

EXTRA POINTS

1. A win against the Hawkeyes on Friday would mark only the third time in school history that Nebraska made a five-win improvement from the previous season.

2. With Iowa's victory last weekend, Kirk Ferentz moved into a tie with former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr for the sixth-most wins by a coach in conference history (81).

3. The Cornhuskers have gone two straight games without a turnover for the first time since 2003.

PREDICTION: Iowa 21, Nebraska 20