Football fans flooded Ybor City on Tuesday night during the ReliaQuest Bowl parade, ahead of Wednesday's matchup between Iowa and No. 14 Vanderbilt.

Football fans flooded Ybor City on Tuesday night during the ReliaQuest Bowl parade, ahead of Wednesday's matchup between Iowa and No. 14 Vanderbilt. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.

ADVANTAGE: Iowa The Hawkeyes’ defensive excellence is their path to victory. If Iowa can force Pavia into mistakes and limit explosive plays, they’ll keep this competitive. Vanderbilt’s passing defense vulnerabilities will only matter if Lester can find a way to get Gronowski comfortable and in rhythm early.

The Dec. 31 matchup between the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University provides millions in economic impact and rare winter sunshine for Midwestern fans.

For one final time before the ReliaQuest Bowl, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and Vanderbilt’s head coach Clark Lea met with the media to give their final thoughts prior to the contest at Raymond James Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea address the media ahead of the ReliaQuest bowl set for Wednesday, Dec. 31 at Raymond James Stadium at 11 a.m. CST. Lea commented on how each football program operates similarly.

Vanderbilt football teammates shared their first impressions of 5-star quarterback Jared Curtis at ReliaQuest Bowl practices.

No. 12 Vanderbilt (10-2) plays Iowa (8-4) in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN) at Raymond James Stadium. Some Tampa-area sports figures have made appearances at the bowl. Tom Moore, a Buccaneers offensive consultant and a former longtime NFL offensive coordinator, spoke to the Hawkeyes on Dec. 27.