On the final day of 2025, No. 23 Iowa faced No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. The Commodores, out of the SEC, entered with a 10–2 record and were one of the first teams left out of the College Football Playoff. They marked Iowa’s fifth ranked opponent of the season, and the Hawkeyes had lost all four previous matchups, extending a 12-game losing streak against ranked teams dating back to 2021. With Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia at quarterback, Vanderbilt entered the game as the clear favorite.
Right out of the gate, the Hawkeyes came out swinging. Senior Mark Gronowski, playing in his final game with Iowa, broke a sack and burst out of the pocket for a 42-yard scramble down the sideline, with a late-hit penalty tacked on at the end. Two plays later, running back Kamari Moulton found the end zone for the game’s first points.
An offensive start like that was encouraging, but Hawkeye fans had learned their lesson in the USC game.
It was nothing to get too excited about just yet.
The momentum continued on the following drive when redshirt freshman tight end D.J. Vonnahme caught a pass and rumbled for a 51-yard gain. It capped off a career day for Vonnahme, who finished with seven catches for 146 yards.
But the momentum came to a sudden halt.
On the very next play, a slant pass intended for running back Xavier Williams bounced from his grasp, ricocheted into the air, and landed in the arms of Commodore defender Martel Hight for an interception and touchback.
Fortunately, the defense cleaned up the mess the offense had left.
A familiar theme for Iowa.
Pavia was sacked four times in the first half, two of them by Karson Sharar. And as the defensive line consistently pressured the quarterback, the Hawks held Vanderbilt to just three points through two quarters.
Iowa wouldn’t be the only team to make a critical mistake. Late in the half on a fourth-and-long, Vanderbilt punter Nick Haberer appeared ready to run before hurriedly punting the ball away at the last second.
The problem?
He he had already crossed the line of scrimmage, resulting in a turnover on downs and giving Iowa the ball at the Vanderbilt 10-yard line. On the very next play, Gronowski lofted a jump ball to Reece Vander Zee. The sophomore, who hasn’t seen as many targets as he probably deserves, made a phenomenal contested catch for the touchdown, sending Iowa into halftime with a 14–3 lead.
The momentum carried into the second half.
Iowa forced a quick three-and-out, then marched down the field, capped off by a double reverse that resulted in a Gronowski touchdown pass to Vonnahme, extending the lead to 21–3.
Down three scores, Vanderbilt had no choice but to open things up. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Pavia launched a deep ball to Tre Richardson, who split two defensive backs and raced 75 yards for a touchdown. When they weren’t scoring on one-play strikes, the Commodores increased the tempo, and it began to disrupt the Iowa defense. Late in the third quarter, Pavia connected with Joseph McVay for a 16-yard touchdown, trimming Iowa’s lead to 24–17.
But all season long, Iowa had been comfortable putting the ball in Gronowski’s hands.
This moment was no different.
There was no safe or nervous play-calling, just trust. First-down completions to Vonnahme and Gill jump-started the drive, followed by a 32-yard burst from Moulton that pushed the ball inside the Vanderbilt five. Moulton finished the day with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown as Iowa’s leading rusher. The Hawkeyes leaned on Gronowski’s legs near the goal line, and he punched it in on the play dubbed the “Gronowski Plowski,” his 13th game with a rushing touchdown, pushing the lead to 31–17.
Vanderbilt responded once more with an 11-yard Pavia scramble for his third touchdown of the game, but Iowa’s offense stayed composed. The Hawkeyes converted three third downs on their next drive and moved well into field goal range. With Vanderbilt burning timeouts, Drew Stevens drilled his second field goal of the game from 44 yards out with 4:13 remaining, restoring a two-score lead.
Pavia moved the Commodores 60 yards downfield in just over a minute, quickly reaching the red zone. Still down two possessions with only one timeout remaining, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea elected to play it safe and kick a field goal early on second down, making it 34–27 with 2:58 left.
The most crucial play came on Iowa’s next possession.
Facing third-and-one with 2:01 remaining and Vanderbilt out of timeouts, the Hawkeyes lined up in their familiar heavy formation, the same look used so often for Gronowski sneaks. Instead, Gronowski took the snap and handed it off to Xavier Williams on an outside run, and Williams picked up 11 yards for the first down. An offsides penalty on Vanderbilt made the ending anti-climactic, but for Hawkeye Nation, it was a fitting finish. The penalty and the expectation of the sneak showed just how much defenses had to account for Gronowski.
Gronowski was named the game’s MVP after going 16-for-22 for 212 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding 54 rushing yards and a score on the ground. It was a proper sendoff for the senior quarterback and a fitting way to close the season.
The win marked Kirk Ferentz’s 11th bowl victory, evening his bowl record at 11–11 and snapping his 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
While the season included its share of tough losses, this group proved to be a special one. Iowa had 27 graduating seniors, and not a single one opted out of the bowl game. In an era defined by NIL deals and constant transfers, loyalty like that is increasingly rare.
Ferentz has kept tradition alive in the program.
Looking ahead to 2026, there is uncertainty, much like there was a year ago entering 2025. But there is also genuine excitement about what this team can become. Whatever the circumstances, Ferentz has seen it all, and he’ll once again be at the helm to deliver another season of Hawkeye football.