LINCOLN, Neb. – The University of Iowa football team defeated Nebraska 40-16 on Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

The Hawkeyes outgained the Huskers in total yardage, 379-300, and held Nebraska to 69 yards passing.

Mark Gronowski completed nine of 16 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown. He added 64 yards on the ground and two scores with his legs.

Kamari Moulton led the way on the ground, scoring twice and recording 93 yards on 18 attempts. DJ Vonnahme caught three passes for 91 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes were led by Rashad Godfrey Jr., who had nine tackles (six solo), and Jayden Montgomery with seven tackles. Zach Lutmer had a tackle for loss, and Godfrey and Karson Sharar each forced a fumble.

Drew Stevens was 1-for-1, connecting on a 41-yard field goal. Kaden Wetjen had two kickoff returns for 71 yards.

QUOTING KIRK FERENTZ

"Obviously, we’re really pleased with the win. First and foremost, we’re just happy for our players. They have been great and I’m extremely proud of our whole team with the way they have performed, not only today, but going back to January. It’s been 11 months since we started this thing, and they have been great at every turn to work with. I really appreciate that. It’s a long road and there are only 12 guaranteed chances to compete. There’s a lot of work that goes into it. It’s been easy to work with these guys. 

PHOTOS

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• With 10:40 in the first quarter, Nebraska struck first using a 70-yard rush to set up a 1-yard touchdown run. The score capped a four-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 1:47.
• Iowa’s next possession started on the Nebraska 29-yard line after a 51-yard kickoff return from Kaden Wetjen and a facemask penalty. The Hawkeyes capitalized on the field position as Drew Stevens connected on a 41-yard field goal.
• After forcing a Nebraska punt, the Hawkeyes used three plays to cover 51 yards, and Gronowski connected with DJ Vonnahme for the 35-yard score.
• Nebraska tied the game at 10 apiece with a 31-yard field goal that ended an 11-play, 62-yard drive that lasted 4:22.
• After the Huskers’ special teams unit got the ball back at the Iowa 26-yard line on a short kickoff attempt, the Iowa defense held them to a field goal with 13:53 in the second quarter.
• Iowa answered back with a 75-yard, 10-play drive that culminated with a 3-yard touchdown rush from Kamari Moulton with 8:13 left in the first half.
• Nebraska made it a one-point game with 2:53 left in the first half on a 35-yard field goal ending a 10-play, 56-yard drive.
• With :37 left in the half, the Hawkeyes punched it in on a 1-yard QB sneak from Gronowski to end a nine-play, 75-yard drive.
• After a fumble on a punt return by the Huskers forced by Karson Sharar, the ball rolled into the end zone where it was recovered by the Huskers for an Iowa safety.
• Gronowski found the end zone again on a 6-yard rush up the middle with 4:47 left in the third quarter.
• With 13:40 left in the game, the Hawkeyes continued to pull away with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown rush from Moulton.
• A Nebraska fumble at the Iowa 1-yard line gave the Hawkeyes the ball back, and Iowa ran out the remaining clock.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Iowa has won three straight and 10 of the last 11 games over Nebraska.
• The Hawkeyes have won seven straight games in Lincoln dating back to the 2015 season.
• Iowa went 3-1 in trophy games in 2025 and is 32-11 in its last 43 rivalry trophy contests.
• The Hawkeyes have won eight or more games in 10 straight seasons (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season) and 17 times under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
  • Iowa has finished in the top half of the Big Ten 19 times in Ferentz’s 27 seasons.
• Iowa has posted a 23-4 record in the month of November in its last 27 games.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• QB Mark Gronowski finished 9-of-16 for 166 yards and one touchdown – his seventh of the season. He also had 13 carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns -- a 1-yarder in the second and a 6-yarder in the third.
  • Gronowski had a 35-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Vonnahme in the first quarter – his longest passing touchdown of the season.
  • He had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second and a 6-yarder in the third -- his 14th and 15th rushing TDs (16th overall) on the season.
    • He has had a rushing touchdown in 11 of Iowa’s 12 regular season games.
  • Gronowski’s 15 rushing touchdowns are the most by an Iowa quarterback in program history.
    • The 15 rushing touchdowns are the second-most in Big Ten history by a quarterback in the last 30 years, trailing Michigan’s Denard Robinson (16).
  • Gronowski has had a rushing and passing touchdown in six games this season and in 32 games in his collegiate career.
  • With his 64 rushing yards, Gronowski became Iowa’s all-time rushing yards leader by a quarterback with 491.
• RB Kamari Moulton finishing with 18 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns – a 3-yard run in the second and 1-yarder in the fourth.
  • It is Moulton’s second career two touchdown game (Western Michigan, 2023).
  • Moulton had a season-long 34-yard run in the second quarter – the second-longest rush by an Iowa running back this season.
  • It was Moulton’s third and fourth touchdown this season (eighth and ninth of his career).
  • Moulton has led the position group in rushing in each of the last nine games.
• TE D.J. Vonnahme led Iowa’s passing attack with three receptions for a career-high 91 yards and one touchdown.
  • He had a career-long 35-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter and a career-long 43-yard catch in the third quarter.
  • It was his second touchdown of the season and career.
• KR Kaden Wetjen had a 51-yard kickoff return in the first quarter. He had two returns for 71 yards in the game.
  • It was his fourth 50+ yard return this season (two punt, two kickoff).
• LB Karson Sharar had a forced fumble on a Jacory Barney, Jr., punt return in the third quarter and the ball bounced into the end zone. Nebraska recovered the fumble for a safety.
• DL Brian Allen recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter – his first career fumble recovery. It was recovered for a touchback.
• DB Rashad Godfrey, Jr., had a career-high nine tackles in the game – the most on the team.
• K Drew Stevens had a 41-yard field goal in the first quarter – his 20th make of the season, tying a career-high.
  • His 20 makes are tied for the sixth-most in a single season in program history.
  • His 74 made field goals in his career are the sixth most in Big Ten history.
  • He scored eight points in the game, giving him 342 points in his career – the second-most in program history.

MISCELLANIOUS

• Friday’s game was the first game in the series not decided by a single possession since 2017.
• Iowa’s 40 points are its most points scored in the series since 2017 (56). They are the second-most points scored by the Hawkeyes in the series all-time.
• The Hawkeyes recorded their second safety of the season on a fumble on a punt return in the third quarter.
  • It is Iowa’s second safety of the season (Indiana) – the most since 2023 (3 safeties).
  • It is the fifth straight season the Hawkeyes have recorded a safety, dating back to 2021.
• Iowa’s offense scored on its final four drives of the first half (FG, TD, TD, TD), including a 10-play, 75-yard drive in the second quarter.
  • Iowa scored on six possessions in the game.
• Iowa played in snow flurries beginning in the second quarter.
  • It was Iowa’s third game in the elements in November (Oregon, at USC, at Nebraska).
• The Hawkeyes started the same five offensive lineman throughout the regular season for the first time since 2013.
• Iowa allowed Emmett Johnson to rush for 200+ yards – the most by an opponent since Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim (263) in 2022. The Hawkeyes also won at Minnesota in 2022, 13-10.
  • Johnson had 70-yard run in the first quarter – the longest play given up by the Iowa defense this season.
• Nebraska won the toss and elected to receive. The Hawkeyes have played 340 games under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has opened the game on offense 249 times (160-89). The Hawkeyes have opened the game on defense 91 times (52-39).

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes will await their bowl destination, which will be announced on Dec. 7.