This was the complete game we expected all season from the Iowa Hawkeyes. The offense we hoped for all season and a defense that could keep a high scoring offense in check as needed. It was a game of two halves as Iowa’s defense dominated the first half with multiple pressures and three sacks of Diego Pavia. His final stat line looked great because of a great second half but the Iowa defense did a number of great things early to slow him. The Hawkeyes had four sacks in the game, including two from senior linebacker Karson Sharar and 1 1/2 from senior edge rusher Ethan Hurkett. Phil Parker brought the heat, and Iowa made life very difficult for the Heisman Trophy runner-up in the first half.
Pavia got popped by Karson Sharar, playing in his last game as a Hawk pic.twitter.com/49ZC9HeYWE
— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) December 31, 2025
Pavia found his rhythm in the second half and made some big plays, but all those early hits definitely took a toll. The Heisman Trophy runner up wasn’t the runner he normally is, finishing with 36 rushing yards on 15 attempts. And he left a few passes short, which could’ve led to a few Iowa interceptions. But he did come alive with several precision passes that led to 21 Vandy points in the second half keeping them in the game. The pass rush did its job in the first half, and the defense bent but didn’t fully break in the second half, making stops when they had to in the 4th quarter to secure Kirk Ferentz’s Big Ten leading 11th Bowl win. The Hawkeyes also beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2021, ending a 14 game skid against ranked teams.
If you just look at the box score, it would be easy to be unimpressed with Mark Gronowski. He didn’t throw for a large number of yards or touchdowns, but he made several key plays and fueled an Iowa offense that kept pace and stayed ahead of Vandy the entire game. He finished the ReliaQuest Bowl going 16 of 22 for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and added 54 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Late in the second quarter, he was sacked and fumbled, and Vanderbilt jumped on the ball. It looked like a game-changing turnover until the replay showed Gronowski ripped the ball away from the defensive lineman to keep possession. It was the kind of play that defined the ReliaQuest Bowl for Iowa as they silenced many critics who said Vanderbuilt was a 10 win playoff team.
One of the first half highlights for the Hawks was this 44 yard scramble from Gronowski. It’s the second longest run of the season for Iowa, behind Gronowski’s 67 yarder against Penn State.pic.twitter.com/dCckMAzB04
— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) December 31, 2025
The other star on offense was redshirt freshman tight end DJ Vonnahme. He shredded the Vandy defense all day with seven receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. He made big catches on third down, showed impressive elusiveness to pick up yards after the catch and was the go-to guy all afternoon for Gronowski. He ends the 2025 season as Iowa’s leading receiver with 29 receptions for 434 yards and three touchdowns after starting the year as the Hawks 4th tight end.
On the ground, Kamari Moulton rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown, and Gronowski added 54 yards and a score.
Defensively, TJ Hall and Jayden Montgomery paced Iowa with eight tackles apiece. The Hawkeyes recorded four sacks, led by Karson Sharar with two and Max Llewellyn with 1.5. Drew Stevens was 2-for-2 on field goals, connecting from 44 and 47 yards.
Coverage of Hawkeye football is brought to you by Muscatine Power and Water, Community Health Care Dental Clinic, the 2026 Mississippi Valley Fair, Ed Morse Chevy, Buick and GMC and Meineke Muffler.
