TAMPA, Fla. – The 23rd-ranked University of Iowa football team defeated No. 14 Vanderbilt, 34-27, in the 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl on Wednesday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium.

Mark Gronowski completed 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns.

DJ Vonnahme led all Hawkeye receivers with seven receptions for 146 yards and a score, while Reece Vander Zee also hauled in a touchdown.

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.

QUOTING KIRK FERENTZ

"I'll start out by saying this is exactly why bowl games are significant and important. Today was a really special day for our team and what a great environment, what a great place to host a game. Outstanding opponent to compete against.

Today we saw out there two very resilient, very competitive football teams. A ton of respect for Vanderbilt coming in. Even more so now. So just can't say enough about them.

Really proud of our guys and the effort that they exerted out there and the way they competed and played it right until the end. Obviously it was a hard-fought game, both teams really going in. It's a great feeling. Great way to end the season.

We have 27 outstanding seniors on this football team. Those guys really took it over starting in January. We've had some tough losses this year, but one thing they've done is shown up and competed each and every time.

Just really gratifying to see them walk out with a win. And Mark, and representative of all the guys that we have, Mark has only been with us a little bit shorter than the other guys, but just fit right in.

And just really happy for all the guys. Happy for our entire team and our staff, our fans, right down the line there, especially these seniors."

PHOTOS

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• On its first possession, Iowa needed only five plays to drive 72 yards after a 44-yard rush from Gronowski set up Moulton for a four-yard touchdown.
• Iowa threatened on its second possession, but a pinball interception in the end zone ended the drive.
• Vanderbilt got on the board with a 41-yard field goal with 7:53 left in the first half.
• After an illegal kick on a punt attempt, Iowa took over at the Vanderbilt 10-yard line and scored on the next play with a Gronowski-to-Vander Zee touchdown pass with 41 seconds left in the half.
• Iowa extended its lead to 21-3 on a 21-yard flea-flicker touchdown pass from Gronowski to Vonnahme with 8:50 left in the third quarter.
• Vanderbilt answered on its next play from scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown pass.
• After Iowa forced a turnover on downs, Stevens hit a 47-yard field goal to cap a four-play, 9-yard drive with 3:54 left in the third.
• Vanderbilt responded with an eight-play, 70-yard drive, scoring on a 16-yard pass.
• With 13:35 remaining, Gronowski scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to finish a six-play, 70-yard drive.
• The Commodores answered again with a five-play, 72-yard drive, scoring on an 11-yard pass with 11:19 left.
• Stevens’ 44-yard field goal made it a two-score game with 4:13 remaining, capping a 13-play, 49-yard drive that lasted 7:06.
• Vanderbilt added a field goal after a seven-play, 60-yard drive with 2:58 left.
• Iowa recovered the short kickoff, gained a first down, and ran out the clock.

POSTGAME NOTES

• The victory is the 11th bowl win of head coach Kirk Ferentz’s career, moving him past Penn State’s Joe Paterno for the most bowl victories in Big Ten Conference history.
• It is Iowa’s fourth ReliaQuest Bowl victory in program history – 2004 vs. Florida, 2009 vs. South Carolina, 2019 vs. Mississippi State, 2025 vs. Vanderbilt.
  • The four ReliaQuest wins are tied for the most in bowl history with Michigan and South Carolina.
• The win is Ferentz’s 32nd victory over a ranked opponent and Iowa’s first since the 2021 season (23-20 vs. No. 4 Penn State).
• It is the 11th time Iowa has won nine or more games under Ferentz.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• QB Mark Gronowski finished 16-of-22 for a season-high 212 yards with two touchdowns to go along with 10 carries for 54 yards and one touchdown on the ground to earn the 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl Most Valuable Player honors.
  • Gronowski had a 10-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee in the second quarter and a 21-yarder to D.J. Vonnahme on an end around flea flicker in the fourth quarter. They were his ninth and 10th passing touchdowns this season. 
  • He had a 1-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter for his 16th rushing TD of the season. He has had a rushing touchdown in 12 of Iowa’s 13 games.
  • The 16 rushing touchdowns are the most by an Iowa quarterback all-time and are tied for the most rushing TDs in Big Ten history with Michigan’s Denard Robinson.
  • He had a 44-yard scramble to set up Iowa’s first touchdown. It was Gronowski’s and the team’s second-longest rush this season.
  • His 51-yard completion to D.J. Vonnahme in the first quarter was the team’s longest pass play of the season.
  • Gronowski has had a rushing and passing touchdown in seven games this season and in 33 games in his collegiate career.
  • The win is Gronowski’s 58th career victory – the most all-time.
  • He finishes his career with 12,049 passing yards and 103 touchdowns and 2,312 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns.
• RB Kamari Moulton finishing with 14 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown – a 4-yard run in the first quarter.
  • It was Moulton’s fifth touchdown this season and the 10th of his career.
  • He has three rushing touchdowns in the last two games.
  • Moulton has led the position group in rushing in each of the last 10 games.
• TE D.J. Vonnahme finished with a career-high seven receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown – a 21-yarder off an end around flea flicker in the third quarter. It was his third touchdown of the season and second in as many games.
  • Vonnahme is Iowa’s first 100-yard receiver this season and the first since Jacob Gill at UCLA in 2024.
  • He is the first Iowa tight end to have a 100-yard receiving game since Sam LaPorta vs. Kentucky in the 2022 Citrus Bowl (7 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD).
  • His 146 receiving yards are the second-most by a tight end in program history behind Marv Cook (159 yards, 1 TD, at Ohio State in 1987).
  • He had a career-long 51-yard reception in the first quarter. He has six 20+ yard catches in the last two games.
• WR Reece Vander Zee had a 10-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter – his second TD reception of the season and the fifth of his career. He had four catches for 33 yards in the game.
• DB TJ Hall had a career-high eight tackles to go along with two pass breakups.
• LB Jayden Montgomery tied a career-high with eight tackles.
• LB Karson Sharar had five tackles, which included two sacks.
• K Drew Stevens made a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter and a game-clinching 44-yarder in the fourth – his career-best 21st and 22nd makes of the season.
  • His 22 makes are the third-most in a single season in program history.
  • His 76 career made field goals are tied for the fourth-most in Big Ten history.
  • He scored 10 points in the game, giving him 352 points in his career – the second-most in program history.

MISCELLANEOUS 

• The Hawkeyes’ 34 points are tied for the fourth-most points scored in a bowl in program history. They are the second-most points that Iowa has scored in the ReliaQuest Bowl (37 vs. Florida, 2004).
• Iowa went on a five play, 72-yard touchdown drive – all on the ground -- on the game’s opening possession.
  • It is the fourth time this season the Hawkeyes have scored a touchdown on their opening drive and the fifth time the team has scored points.
• Iowa capitalized on a Vanderbilt illegal kick penalty in the second quarter, taking over at the Commodore 10-yard line. It led to Iowa’s second touchdown, giving the Hawkeyes a 14-3 lead. 
• The Hawkeye defense limited the Commodores to 51 rushing yards – the sixth opponent to have less than 100 yards.
• Iowa started the same five offensive lineman for all 13 games for the first time since the 2013 season.
• Vanderbilt won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. The Hawkeyes have played 341 games under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has opened the game on offense 250 times (161-89). The Hawkeyes have opened the game on defense 91 times (52-39).

UP NEXT 

Iowa will open the 2026 season on Sept. 5, hosting Northern Illinois inside Kinnick Stadium.