Gronowski Era Begins: Iowa Outlasts Vanderbilt in ReliaQuest Bowl Thriller
Mark Gronowski’s first collegiate start became a Nashville masterpiece, as Iowa erased a late deficit to defeat Vanderbilt 34–27 in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Fourth-quarter magic from first-time starter Mark Gronowski sends Hawkeyes past Commodores, 34–27
NASHVILLE—The question all week was whether a quarterback who had never started a collegiate game could handle the bright lights of a bowl stage. Iowa’s Mark Gronowski answered with a resounding yes, engineering two touchdown drives in the final six minutes to lift the Hawkeyes over Vanderbilt 34–27 in Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl.
The calm in the storm
Down 27–20 with 5:42 left, Gronowski coolly converted a pair of third-and-longs, capping the march with a 19-yard dime to wideout Seth Anderson. On the next possession, the sophomore from Naperville, Ill., audibled at the line, tucked the ball on a read-option and raced 31 yards to pay-dirt, sending the Iowa sideline into a frenzy.
“We told him all week, ‘Play free, play fast,’” head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “He did more than manage—he took the game over.”
Commodores’ bid falls short
Vanderbilt had one last breath after Gronowski’s go-ahead score. Quarterback Ken Seals, who threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, moved the ‘Dores to the Iowa 38 with 14 seconds left. But a last-gasp Hail Mary fluttered incomplete as the clock hit zero, sealing Iowa’s ninth bowl victory under Ferentz.
By the numbers
- Gronowski: 18-for-25, 214 yds, 2 TD; 11 rush, 67 yds, 1 TD
- Hawkeye defense: 5 sacks, 2 takeaways, held Vandy to 3 third-down conversions in 13 tries
- Iowa improves to 9–5; Vanderbilt finishes 7–6
What it means
The win caps a turbulent season for Iowa, which opened 3–3 before reeling off six wins in seven games. More importantly, it anoints Gronowski—who spent two years behind Spencer Petras and Cade McNamara—as the presumed starter heading into 2025. “This is just the beginning,” he told ESPN post-game, cradling the ReliaQuest Bowl MVP trophy.
For Vanderbilt, the narrow loss still represents forward momentum under Clark Lea, who guided the program to back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 2012–13.