Iowa Outlasts Vanderbilt’s Late Push to Claim ReliaQuest Bowl Crown
It wasn’t exactly a masterclass in aerial warfare for three quarters, but then again, this is Iowa football we’re talking about. If you expected a shootout, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to the Hawkeyes’ playbook over the last decade. But in the end, it was Kirk Ferentz’s squad that found just enough offensive spark to survive a furious Vanderbilt rally, taking home the ReliaQuest Bowl trophy with a 34-27 victory in Tampa.
Wednesday’s matchup was supposed to be a showcase for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the Heisman runner-up who single-handedly dragged the Commodores to a historic 10-win season. And for a while in the second half, it looked like he might just pull another rabbit out of his helmet. But Iowa, stoic as ever, leaned on a surprisingly versatile performance from its own signal-caller, Mark Gronowski, to spoil the party.
The Hawkeyes Find Their Groove Early
For a team that usually treats the forward pass like a dangerous experiment, Iowa came out swinging. Gronowski, playing his final game in the black and gold, looked comfortable from the jump. He wasn’t just managing the game; he was dictating it. He finished 16-of-22 for 212 yards, tossing two scores and rushing for another.
The first half was classic Big Ten grinding, but with a twist. Iowa jumped out to a 14-3 lead, thanks in large part to a Vanderbilt special teams gaffe that would make a high school coach lose sleep. Commodores punter Nick Haberer crossed the line of scrimmage before booting the ball, handing Iowa a golden ticket at the Vandy 10-yard line.
Gronowski wasted no time, finding Reece Vander Zee for a touchdown that felt like a dagger even before halftime.Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes’ defense was doing what it does best: suffocating hope. They held Vanderbilt to a measly three points in the first half, sacking Pavia and making him look mortal for the first time in months.
Pavia Magic vs. Iowa Grit
But you don’t win 10 games at Vanderbilt by rolling over. The third quarter saw the sleeping giant awake. Pavia, who has spent the last two years making defenders look foolish, finally found his rhythm. He launched a 75-yard bomb to Tre Richardson that woke up the entire stadium, cutting the lead and injecting some serious adrenaline into the Commodores’ sideline.
Suddenly, we had a ballgame. The fourth quarter turned into a back-and-forth slugfest that no one saw coming. Gronowski punched in a 1-yard keeper to push the lead to 31-17, but Pavia answered right back with an 11-yard touchdown run, weaving through traffic like he was late for a dinner reservation.
It was tense. It was emotional. You could feel the weight of history on Vanderbilt’s shoulders. They were chasing a school-record 11th win. But Iowa just wouldn’t break. They chewed up over seven minutes of clock on a 13-play drive that ended with a 44-yard field goal from Drew Stevens, pushing the lead back to two scores.
The Final Whistle
Vanderbilt added a late field goal to make it a one-score game, but when Xavier Williams plowed forward for 11 yards on a crucial third-and-1 with under two minutes left, the dream died for the Dores. For Iowa, this was sweet redemption. After a few lackluster postseason trips, they finish the year 9-4, securing yet another winning season under Ferentz.
It’s the kind of win that isn’t always pretty, but it’s tough, gritty, and undeniably compelling, perfectly on brand. For Vanderbilt, the loss stings, but it shouldn’t overshadow what they accomplished. Clark Lea has built something real in Nashville, and despite the L, Pavia’s 347-yard passing performance reminded everyone why he was in New York for the Heisman ceremony
.In the end, the ReliaQuest Bowl gave us exactly what we love about college football: two teams with contrasting styles leaving absolutely everything on the field. Iowa walks away with the hardware, but Vandy proved they belong on the big stage. And hey, at least we got some points on the board, something Hawkeye fans have learned never to take for granted.
