“Obviously, a disappointing result for us tonight,” Golden said to the press. “Credit to Iowa, I thought they played well, especially in the first half. Had us on our heels a little bit, and I thought they were physically tougher than us in the first half, and [it] took a little bit for us to regain our footing.”

In a dramatic finish worthy of the competition, the Gators fell just seconds before the game ended. The final score was 73–72, sending the Hawkeyes into the Sweet 16.

No back-to-back champion

The Florida Gators will not be able to repeat as March Madness champions following a stunning second-round upset against No. 9 seed Iowa. This loss marks the first time since 2024 that Florida has failed to reach the Sweet 16, ending the Gators’ hopes of defending the title they secured in 2025.

In that historic 2025 final, the Gators defeated Houston 65-63 in a dramatic comeback, fueled by an 81% performance from the free-throw line and 18 points from Will Richard.

Chasing their first March Madness title

The Iowa Hawkeyes have long been a respected program in college basketball, though a national championship has remained just out of reach. Their most iconic run occurred in 1956 when they reached the NCAA Championship game, ultimately falling 83-71 to a legendary San Francisco team led by Bill Russell.

Decades after Ronnie Lester’s 1980 team reached the Final Four, the Hawkeyes have continued to be a strong tournament presence. Their 2026 campaign marked their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999, cementing their status as consistent March Madness contenders despite not winning a title.

Folgueiras’ emotion

The hero of the night had a name: Alvaro Folgueiras. With just seconds remaining, he knocked down a clutch three-pointer that sealed the win. The emotion afterward was overwhelming, with a special dedication to his mother.

“We’ve been through a lot of moments this season—and in my life. My mother is there watching the game after fighting for me my entire life, and this is very special. March is for dreamers, and there are no bigger dreamers than us,” he said.

Week 5 of the 2025 NCAA season had no shortage of drama. Across the country, Saturday was packed with tension and high-voltage action. That was also true for the matchup between Indiana and Iowa, which ended in a 20-15 victory for the visiting Hoosiers in Iowa City.

However, the game could’ve ended in a 20–13 triumph had it not been for a controversial play by Mendoza to close things out. With only three seconds left on fourth down, Mendoza was snapped the football before running all the way back to his own end zone.

Taking the safety assured Iowa two points, but not the football back. The clock, however, had already hit zero well before Mendoza reached the end zone. As a result, many fans across the nation erupted in outcry as their bets were lost on a seemingly meaningless play. Now, Indiana’s signal-caller has spoken on the “money-costing” fiasco.

“I didn’t want to ever put our team in jeopardy,” Fernando Mendoza said after the game, per On3. “Maybe if I slide with one second left, there might be some quirk where we might have to punt it. I just wanted to get out of the safety, and I know I shouldn’t be saying this, I probably cooked people’s spreads and I really apologize for that. However, in that moment, my goal was to win the game.”

Betting on themselves

As much or as little as Mendoza’s apologies do to the fans upset across the country, fans in Bloomington couldn’t care any less about it. Neither do the Hoosiers, who remain undefeated at 5-0 in the NCAA and 2-0 in the Big Ten. If anything, Indiana is happy to cash in on the wager they care: winning football games. The Hoosiers are putting all of college football on notice.

“They aren’t happy,” Mendoza added. “But I definitely put my apologies out to them. For us, we are looking out for the Indiana moneyline, which is a win.”

This win on the road over Iowa is a big step in the right direction and morale-boosting for a team that will need to be firing in all cylinders in their upcoming matchup. On October 11, the Hoosiers will make a trip to the Northwest, where the Oregon Ducks await in Eugene for one of the biggest matchups of college football’s Week 7.

The level of exposure Clark had to deal with in the years leading up to her jump to the pros was anything but typical, given the relevance and impact of her game. In a short period of time, she became one of the most sought-after figures — not only by the media, but also by major brands.

That’s why her coach at the time, a self-proclaimed fan of reading, revealed that she leaned heavily on the dynamic between Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson — who had to navigate a similar situation during their time with the Chicago Bulls.

During a recent interview published on The Athletic, Bluder shared a message she gave to Clark, in which she advised her to follow the example set by His Airness himself — referring specifically to how Jordan handled the media and off-court commitments throughout his career. “Caitlin,” she said, “you have to do the brunt of this. So did Michael. The great ones do.”

Even so, she warned her about the reality of the situation: “It’s fun to do once in a while,” Bluder also added, “but if you have to do it every single day and once or twice a day, it gets old and that’s hard.”

Learning from the Phil Jackson model

Lisa Bluder has proclaimed herself a fan of reading, often finding inspiration in books to guide her teams throughout her career. In Phil Jackson’s book Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior, she found the motivation to lead her years with the Hawkeyes, especially during her time with Clark.

“The things that Michael Jordan had, that Phil had to help Michael with, were some of the same things that I feel like I had to help Caitlin with,” the experienced head coach said.

Clearly, things have gone well for both Bluder and Clark, who is now firmly established in the WNBA as one of the league’s top players. Many believe her potential still has no limits.

Caitlin Clark’s rise to the top has been a long time in the making. She became the face of college basketball when she played for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and he carried that distinction to the pros.

However, the WNBA isn’t anything like college basketball. That’s why fellow Hawkeye and Indiana Fever teammate Natasha Howard wants her to trust her teammates.

Natasha Howard doesn’t want Caitlin Clark doing everything

“Everybody knows she can shoot the heck out the ball. And she can pass,” Howard said. “But just letting her know you don’t have to do everything like you had to do in Iowa. You have great teammates and phenomenal players around you that can take that weight off your shoulders.”

Of course, Clark isn’t the type of player who strikes as selfish or who usually resorts to hero ball. Then again, she still needs to figure out when to deflect attention away from her.

Clark has every single thing she needs to be the best female basketball player in the world, perhaps even of all time. Still, even the legendary Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen.

Once she made it to college, Clark’s popularity reached a new high. She recalled that mostly friends and family members attended her first game. Once people started to learn about her, Iowa Hawkeyes fans packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena whenever Clark played.

Back in 2023, following a 41-point outburst from Clark, former coach Jan Jensen explained what made Clark a star, clarifying that it was something beyond her game. For her, former coach Lisa Bluder helped Clark take her popularity to another level.

Caitlin Clark’s connection with the coaching staff made all the difference

“Caitlin Clark is Caitlin Clark because I think she felt the connection with Lisa, our staff, and me — all of it,” Jensen said, per Sportskeeda. “But she needed the right head coach to let her be who she was, and she studied it. We’ve always scored points. We’ve led the nation in scoring a whole bunch of times, and I think Caitlin watched that. But I’m not certain that Caitlin would be Caitlin without Lisa Bluder … even tonight, she took 3 — but she also hit six that if you’re always putting your thumb on it, you don’t get that. And I think Lisa has always understood that. Lisa has been really firm when she needed to be — in her office and in practice.”

After entering the WNBA as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, Caitlin Clark remained close to her old team. She even paid a special visit to it during the offseason.

The team honored her, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall, among others, as part of the teams that made it to back-to-back national championship games. In February, Clark’s number was retired, adding another major achievement in her still-young basketball career.

Less than a day passed between the Hawkeyes losing not only their head coach but also one of the team’s biggest stars announcing he will no longer continue with the program as they look ahead to the future.

Through a heartfelt statement on his social media, forward Owen Freeman announced his entry into the Transfer Portal and will no longer be part of the Iowa program. Undoubtedly, this is a significant loss for the Hawkeyes.

“I am forever grateful for my two years in lowa City,” Freeman stated. “Being able to play in the Black and Gold has been nothing but amazing. lowa City will always hold a place in my heart. With that being said, and with the recent coaching change, my family and I have decided it would be in my best interests to enter the transfer portal.”

Despite playing only 19 games last season, Freeman led in both points per game (16.7) and rebounds per game (6.7).

The firing of McCaffery

If there was anyone who held their position for a long time, it was none other than Fran McCaffery. However, after 15 extensive seasons, the experienced coach was fired just days ago by the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The news was reported by college senior writer Pete Thamel, who, through his official X (formerly Twitter) account, shared the news of the coach’s firing after several years in the position.

“Sources: Iowa is set to dismiss basketball coach Fran McCaffery after 15 seasons. He reached seven NCAA tournaments in his 15 years and is the school’s all-time leader in wins with 297. Iowa finished 17-16 this year,” the reported stated via @PeteThamel.

McCaffery, 65, holds the record for the most wins in Iowa’s history, but his win rate had been dropping for four straight seasons.

[Watch Iowa vs Missouri online for FREE in the US on Fubo]

The Music City Bowl sets the stage for an intriguing matchup as the Missouri Tigers face the Iowa Hawkeyes. Missouri enter as 2.5-point favorites, with the game’s total set at a conservative 40.5 points, signaling a likely low-scoring and tightly contested battle.

The Tigers capped their regular season with a 28-21 win over Arkansas, showcasing a balanced attack, while the Hawkeyes leaned on their signature defensive grit to edge Nebraska 13-10 in their finale. Both teams aim to carry that momentum into what promises to be a compelling clash.

When will the Iowa vs Missouri match be played?

Iowa will face Missouri this Monday, December 30th, in the highly anticipated 2024 TransPerfect Music City Bowl. The game will kick off at 2:30 PM (ET).

Iowa vs Missouri: Time by State in the USA

ET: 2:30 PM

CT: 1:30 PM

MT: 12:30 PM

PT: 11:30 AM

How to watch Iowa vs Missouri in the USA

Catch the 2024 college football clash between Iowa and Missouri live on Fubo (free trial). Alternatively, you can tune in to ESPN.

Kentucky didn’t have a good season based on their 7-5 record. They had a good start with four wins in a row, but then everything changed since that was followed by a 3-5 mark. The Wildcats lost three of their last five matchups, so they need a victory to end the tournament well. Their latest clash was a 26-13 win over the Louisville Cardinals.

Iowa had the exact same record than their rivals. The main difference in that 7-5 is that they were able to have a good finish of the year. They lost their last appearance 24-17 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, although they were improving until that point with four consecutive victories. The Hawkeyes should rely on their fantastic defense to win.

Kentucky vs Iowa: Date

Kentucky will take on Iowa in the Music City Bowl of the 2022 NCAA College Football Season this Saturday, December 31 at 12 PM (ET). The game will be played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kentucky vs Iowa: Time by State in the US

ET: 12 PM
CT: 11 AM
MT: 10 AM
PT: 9 AM

How to watch Kentucky vs Iowa in the US

The game between Kentucky and Iowa in the Music City Bowl of the 2022 NCAA College Football Season will be available to watch or live stream on FuboTV (free trial) in the US. ABC is the other option.