Jonathan Parker's gaffe sums up the TaxSlayer Bowl

Iowa's performance against Tennessee in the first half of the TaxSlayer Bowl was not ideal.

Tennessee, which entered the game at 6-6, took a 35-7 lead into halftime against the 7-5 Hawkeyes.

While Tennessee put up excellent performances on both sides of the ball, it was Iowa's special teams that drew the most buzz of the game ... for all the wrong reasons.

After a Joshua Dobbs touchdown pushed Tennessee to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter, redshirt freshman Jonathan Parker fielded the ensuing kickoff, and that's where things got interesting.

It's unclear exactly what Parker was hoping to accomplish. The ball almost surely would have gone into the end zone for a touchback.

Luckily for Iowa, Parker was assessed an illegal forward pass penalty. It was the best-case scenario for Parker, as Iowa got to keep the ball.

The foolish decision didn't end up hurting Iowa too much in the grand scheme of things, but it will be the symbol of Iowa's struggles and disappointment during the 2014 season.