Iowa football OC shares secret of Hawkeyes' lack of bowl-game opt-outs

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In an era of college football where bowl game opt-outs have become commonplace, Iowa football offensive coordinator Tim Lester shared how the Hawkeyes have avoided the opting-out phenomenon.

Thus far, no Iowa football players have opted out of the Hawkeyes‘ Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl date against No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 SEC) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is expected to be without All-American tight end Eli Stowers. Lester was asked by a Tampa TV station why there weren’t any bowl-game opt-outs for the Hawkeyes.

“They love playing together, and they couldn’t imagine being out there without the guy next to him, and it’s such a unbelievable bond. It’s what football’s supposed to be like and I don’t even think it crossed anyone’s mind, Lester said.

“We’re all going out there, we’re going to go out there and play together. That’s the program that coach (Ferentz) runs. And it’s awesome to be a part of,” Lester said.

The ReliaQuest Bowl between the Hawkeyes and Commodores is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on New Year’s Eve from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., with the game airing on ESPN.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football OC shares secret of Hawkeyes’ lack of bowl-game opt-outs

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