When North Dakota State kicker Cam Pedersen buried a 37-yard game-winning field goal against Iowa as time expired in Week 3, the Hawkeyes' dream of reaching the College Football Playoff all but evaporated. That stunning realization marked one of several low points for an Iowa team that entered the year with sky-high expectations following an undefeated regular season in 2015.

Iowa added losses to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Penn State to enter its game against No. 3 Michigan as three-touchdown underdogs while sitting at just 5-4 overall. But a late-season push, which included a stirring upset of Michigan, helped Iowa reach the Outback Bowl against Florida on Jan. 2.

Certainly, it's not the playoff game Iowa players envisioned for themselves when the season began. But it's also a far better game than where the Hawkeyes could have been if they did not escape a midseason slide. Here's a look back on Iowa's up-and-down season.

Grading the offense: B-plus

Quarterback C.J. Beathard hasn't been asked to throw quite as much as he did last season, but he has thrown as many touchdown passes (17) as he did in 2015. Losing Matt VandeBerg to injury was a significant blow to the offense, although Riley McCarron has filled in admirably with four touchdown catches. The real story has been the play of running backs LeShun Daniels Jr. and Akrum Wadley. Wadley needs 34 yards rushing in the bowl game to reach 1,000 yards. That's significant because Iowa has never produced two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. Daniels has 1,013 rushing yards, and both players have 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Grading the defense: B-minus

Iowa's defense was uncharacteristically inconsistent for stretches this season, which was a head-scratcher considering how much talent returned off last year's team. During a loss against Penn State, Iowa allowed 599 yards of offense -- the most allowed by the Hawkeyes since 1999. Linebacker Josey Jewell even lamented that communication issues had plagued the defense during various games. But this Iowa defense deserves credit for rallying down the stretch, holding Michigan's high-powered offense to 13 points, shutting out Illinois and handling Nebraska in a 40-10 blowout victory. Iowa finished the regular season ranked fourth in the Big Ten in scoring defense (17.9 points per game) and seventh in total defense (352.8 yards).

Grading the special teams: A-minus

Iowa was among the best return teams in the Big Ten all season thanks in large part to Desmond King. The Hawkeyes finished the regular season leading the league in kickoff return yardage (25.4) and ranking second in punt return yardage (12.3). Riley McCarron also took a punt return 55 yards for a touchdown to spark Iowa in a victory against Illinois. Kicker Keith Duncan was solid in his first season, making 8-of-9 field-goal attempts. And punter Ron Coluzzi ranked fifth in the Big Ten in punting average (41.3 yards).

Grading the coaching: B

In September, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz received a pay raise and a contract extension that will keep him with the program through the 2026 season. Some Iowa fans may have been wondering if it was all worth it when the Hawkeyes lost four of seven games. But Ferentz kept the team together, and the importance of beating Michigan cannot be overstated for the collective psyche of the program. Ferentz, the longest-tenured Big Ten coach, obviously provides stability, and his players still respond to his coaching. Iowa will play in a bowl game for the 14th time in the last 16 seasons under Ferentz. Yes, some will view the season as a disappointment because Iowa didn't repeat as Big Ten West champions. But Iowa can win nine games, including a post-New Year's Day bowl, which is not a bad spot to be in at this stage

Player of the year: It would have been nearly impossible for defensive back Desmond King to replicate the success he experienced during his junior season in 2015. But that's mostly a product of opponents shying away from him this season. King still finished with 53 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups to earn first-team all-Big Ten honors for a second consecutive season. He became the 12th player under Ferentz to win multiple first-team all-conference awards at Iowa. King's work as a return man made him even more valuable. Defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson also deserves a mention for his first-team all-conference honor from the league's coaches. Johnson led the Hawkeyes with 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Top play: Freshman kicker Keith Duncan earns the nod for his 33-yard field goal as time expired to beat No. 3 Michigan 14-13 at Kinnick Stadium, which set off a wild on-field celebration. Iowa was in the midst of a two-game losing streak at the time, and Duncan's kick provided a spark that helped the Hawkeyes rally for three straight wins to close the regular season.