The Hawkeyes nearly knocked off eventual Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and Indiana in September.

Later this month, they have a second chance to defeat another Heisman finalist, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia threw for more than 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has the Hawkeyes’ full attention.

“He’s a guy that can do a little bit of it all. He can run it, he can throw it. So that just adds more layers, more things you have to prepare for defensively, but I think we’ve seen little bit of elements, you know,” said Jayden Montgomery, an Iowa junior linebacker. “You get guys that can run, quarterbacks who are great passers. So you see elements of that throughout the season that you can kind of combine. It gives you an idea of kind of what we are going to face so.”

“(Pavia) really can make any throw, he can do anything with his feet. He’s real capable in both aspects, he really runs the offense really well and that whole team and coaching staff has a lot of trust in him,” said Xavier Nwankpa, an Iowa senior defensive back. “He has playmaking ability so we gotta go out there and try to limit him. He’s done a great job obviously going and being a Heisman finalist. You gotta do a good job to get that. He’s been a really good guy going around and makes plays, and makes that team better so we gotta try to limit him the best capability we can.”

“He’s got a good yards per carry on him, but where it really gets scary is if you chart the yards per carry on scrambles, it’s times two basically,” said Kirk Ferentz, Iowa football’s head coach. “I think that’s pretty telling. Somehow, some way, you’ve got to try to keep him contained. Easier said than done because what you don’t want to do is just start running in place up there, too. You still have to try to pressure the quarterback and disrupt him.”

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The Iowa Hawkeyes will take on Vanderbilt on December 31st at the ReliaQuest Bowl, and for the seniors on the team they talk about playing for Iowa one last time.

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Tavion Banks has become a household name in Iowa.

“(Tavion’s) just a hungry, tough, kind of pit bull type kid,” said Ben McCollum, Iowa men’s basketball’s head coach.

Banks’ journey to Iowa City, though, started 4.5 hours away.

“Growing up in Kansas City, it has a lot of ups and downs,” Banks said. “It has its moments where it’s fun, it has it’s moments where it’s tough, but you learn a lot in Kansas City.

Banks takes pride in wearing the black and gold, but understands he didn’t get here by himself.

“Just needing help (throughout life). I have single mother, and I know it’s very tough,’ Banks said. “At a young age, I started working very young. I just realized, like, my heart is to give back, and that’s just who I am.”

During elementary school, Banks met one of his lifelong mentors, Nodie Newton.

“Tavion’s level of empathy is 1,000. So that’s what makes it just so much better when you know that you were that kid, and he was that kid, and he feels what those kids are feeling,” Newton said.

While Banks enjoys dunking inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, his dream is to give back.

“It’s not just about yourself, it’s about making other people’s day, and making them smile, and just being a leader,” Banks said.

This past offseason, Banks’ dream became a reality. He used a portion of his name, image, and likeness money to buy cleats for kids at a Kansas City charity.

“You just see everybody smiling and the moms smiling. I was nervous, too, because it was my first time doing it, but they helped me out by just seeing them smile and talking to me,” Banks said. “We all took pictures. It was just a great environment.”

For Banks, it’s about creating an impact that goes beyond the box score.

“Bring hope to your city, and just give hope to other kids,” Banks said. “It’s a great thing to do that because that’s what you got to do, spread hope.”

Next up, Banks and the Hawkeyes take on UMass Lowell on Dec. 29 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Hawkeye Headquarters is presented by Veterans Choice Contracting LLC, your premier roofing and exterior improvement contractor.

For more Hawkeyes coverage, follow @HawkeyeHQ on Twitter and Facebook. You can find Hawkeye Headquarters at HawkeyeHQ.com all season.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.