Iowa trolls Nebraska after some Cornhuskers players decline pregame handshake

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The Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers met on Friday in their annual rivalry game.

Shortly before kickoff, Iowa's team captains and Nebraska's team captains met at the 50-yard line for the coin toss. It's customary for players from opposing teams to greet one another and shake hands before referees explain which side of the coin represents heads and which side will serve as tails. 

But Nebraska's players decided not to engage in the handshaking ritual with their opponents. At least one of the four Cornhuskers' captains appeared to shake and look towards the ground as the Hawkeyes players approached.

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Long snapper Luke Elkin, #39, and punter Ty Nissen, #99 of the Iowa Hawkeyes, carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after the win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium on November 29, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa.  (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Tensions were already heightened before the coin toss moment after Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa's warmup area. Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins explained how his team took exception to Rhule's pregame actions.

"Our guys are warming up, doing our pregame and their head coach walked through the warmup," Higgins told reporters after the game. "So we immediately knew what type of game this was."

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But emotions remained high even after the game kicked off. Higgins was seen getting close to Rhule when the Hawkeyes were on defense in the first quarter.

Higgins said he had told Rhule during the interaction that "it probably