2017 Outback Bowl

The 2017 Outback Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on Monday, January 2, 2017, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The 31st annual Outback Bowl featured the Iowa Hawkeyes from the Big Ten Conference and the Florida Gators from the Southeastern Conference, and was one of the 2016–17 NCAA football bowl games concluding the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game was nationally televised by ABC, and its title sponsor was the Outback Steakhouse restaurant franchise.

2017 Outback Bowl
31st Outback Bowl
Florida Gators Iowa Hawkeyes (8–4) (8–4) SEC Big Ten 30 3 Head coach:  Jim McElwain Head coach:  Kirk Ferentz AP Coaches CFP 20 18 17 AP Coaches 21 25
1 2 3 4 Total Florida 3 7 7 13 30 Iowa 3 0 0 0 3
Date	January 2, 2017
Season	2016
Stadium	Raymond James Stadium
Location	Tampa, Florida
MVP	Chauncey Gardner
Favorite	Florida by 1[1]
Referee	Brad Van Vark (Big 12)
Attendance	51,119
Payout	US$3,500,000[2]
United States TV coverage
Network	ABC
Announcers	Mike Patrick (play-by-play) Ed Cunningham (analyst) Jerry Punch (sidelines)
Outback Bowl  ← 2016  2018 →

Teams

On December 4, 2016, Florida and Iowa were selected to play one another.^[3] This was the fourth overall meeting between the teams, and was the third time the Gators and Hawkeyes played each other in the Outback Bowl, with each team having won one of the previous meetings. This was also the fifth time each school played in the Outback Bowl.

Florida

Main articles: 2016 Florida Gators football team and 2016 Southeastern Conference football season

Iowa

Main articles: 2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team and 2016 Big Ten Conference football season

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP FLA IOWA 1 8:56 5 9 1:25 IOWA 36-yard field goal by Keith Duncan 0 3 1 5:42 8 49 3:14 FLA 44-yard field goal by Eddy Piñeiro 3 3 2 1:46 1 85 0:16 FLA Mark Thompson 85-yard touchdown reception from Austin Appleby, Eddy Piñeiro kick good 10 3 3 0:48 12 80 6:47 FLA DeAndre Goolsby 6-yard touchdown reception from Austin Appleby, Eddy Piñeiro kick good 17 3 4 14:44 FLA Interception returned 58 yards for touchdown by Chauncey Gardner, Eddy Piñeiro kick good 24 3 4 9:46 4 -1 1:25 FLA 25-yard field goal by Eddy Piñeiro 27 3 4 5:57 4 6 1:39 FLA 48-yard field goal by Eddy Piñeiro 30 3 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 30 3

Statistics

Statistics	FLA	IOWA
First Downs	11	14
Plays-yards	57–331	65–226
Third down efficiency	6/15	4/15
Rushes-yards	109	171
Passing yards	222	55
Passing, Comp-Att-Int	14–25–2	7–24–3
Time of Possession	28:45	31:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
FLA	Passing	Austin Appleby	14/25, 2 int., 222 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jordan Scarlett	14 r./94 yds, 0 TD
	Receiving	Antonio Callaway	7 rec./55 yds, 0 TD
IOWA	Passing	C. J. Beathard	7/23, 3 int., 55 yds, 0 TD
	Rushing	Akrum Wadley	22 r./115 yds, 0 TD
	Receiving	Akrum Wadley	4 rec./21 yds, 0 TD

^[4]