Iowa's Mark Gronowski Leads No. 23 Hawkeyes to Thrilling 34-27 Win Over No. 14 Vanderbilt in ReliaQuest Bowl

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In a nail-biting ReliaQuest Bowl match, No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski led his team to a 34-27 victory over No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores. Gronowski, who won back-to-back FCS national titles at South Dakota State before joining the Hawkeyes, completed 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and an interception, while adding 54 rushing yards. As the game's Most Valuable Player, Gronowski extended his own NCAA wins record, finishing his collegiate career with 58, the most at any level. Tight end DJ Vonnahme stood out for the Hawkeyes with a career-high 146 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. Running back Kamari Moulton added 95 yards and a score on 14 carries. Vanderbilt's Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia was relatively quiet in the first half, but came alive in the second half to finish with 347 passing yards, a team-high 36 rushing yards, and three scores in his final collegiate game. All-American tight end Eli Stowers opted out of the game, but Tre Richardson and Junior Sherrill stepped up with 127 and 123 receiving yards, respectively. The Hawkeyes took an early lead with a 4-yard score by Moulton, set up by Gronowski's 44-yard scramble on the opening drive. However, Vanderbilt got on the board with a 41-yard field goal by Brock Taylor before halftime. Iowa's 10-yard touchdown to Reece Vander Zee and a 21-yard pass to Vonnahme gave them a 21-3 lead. Vanderbilt's late surge, led by Pavia's 75-yard bomb to Richardson, narrowed the deficit to one score three times in the second half. Despite a valiant effort by the Commodores, Iowa scored the final three times it touched the ball, including twice on field goals by Drew Stevens and once on a 1-yard keeper by Gronowski, to secure the win and never allow Vanderbilt a chance to tie the score.