After a tough one last minute loss at home last week to Oregon, the Iowa Hawkeyes hoped to rebound with a win on the road against 17th ranked USC. The Trojans high profile offense was ranked second in the country in total yard while Iowa’s defense gave up the 4th least yards this season.
It was a tale of two half’s as Iowa moved the ball and controlled the line of scrimmage on offense scoring three times while bending but not breaking on defense throughout the first half. But it didn’t stay that way as USC controlled the second half on both sides of the ball.
Another game against a ranked team, another one-score loss for the Hawkeyes. That’s been the story of this season for Iowa, as they haven’t been able to close out close games or like today sustain momentum from one half to the next. Iowa was held scoreless in the second half, after controlling both sides of the lines of scrimmage for almost the whole first half. The Trojans turned up the defensive pressure and picked up the pace on offense in the third quarter to put themselves in the lead to stay as the 4th quarter opened. In the second half the Trojans got the breaks to fall their way as the Hawkeyes lost another heartbreaker. They’ll return home for senior day against Michigan State next weekend.
Everything that could go wrong went wrong for Iowa in the third quarter. From a ball bouncing backwards off a receiver for an interception to numerous missed holding calls on the USC offensive line, Iowa couldn’t catch a break in the third. In the 4th quarter they had a chance late but a 4th down pass from Gronkowski to Caden Wetjen was completed but Wetjen’s left foot landed just out of bounds at the 12 yard line and the Trojans managed to run the clock out to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Makai Lemon had 10 catches for 153 yards for USC, none bigger than the touchdown he scored in the third quarter to finally turn the tide in a game that seemed to be headed in the other direction before that.
Mark Gronowski did have a historic moment in the first half as he became the 7th Big Ten player/5th Big Ten QB since 2000 with a pass TD, rush TD and a rec TD in the same game catching a TD reception to put Iowa up 21-7.
The Iowa Special?!
Reece Vander Zee to Mark Gronowski for the touchdown! pic.twitter.com/uSLAdA3jPY
— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) November 15, 2025
Iowa hosts Michigan State next Saturday on Senior Day. You can hear the game on MC 93 and coverage is brought to you by Ed Morse Chevy, Buick and GMC, Muscatine Power and Water, Meineke Muffler and Community Health Care Dental Clinic.
