PREGAME
Shining in the secondary
Inside Iowa defensive back Zach Lutmer’s journey to becoming a key member of the Hawkeye defense.
5 things to watch
you go back and watch the film, they couldn’t have played it any better. Jayden Maiava was making incredible throws left and right, and his two future NFL wide receivers were consistently able to make plays.
Iowa is suffering one of the unluckiest seasons in program history. Having a season defined by losing close games has been a recurring theme in the Kirk Ferentz era, and the 2025 Hawkeyes have lost four games by a combined 15 points.
Losing so many close games could easily destroy a season, but Iowa has proved it can bounce back after a difficult loss. Facing a three-win Michigan State team looks like the perfect opportunity to get back off the mat. Quarterback Mark Gronowski and the rest of the Hawkeyes maintained pristine professionalism after the USC loss, but you can tell the losing is bothering them.
With emotions already soaring because of Senior Day, expect Iowa to open this game with some highlight-reel plays.
Scoring points has been an issue for Michigan State all season. Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles has been inconsistent all year, but the one constant in the passing game has been the performance of sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh. The sophomore leads the Spartans with 559 yards and five touchdowns on 48 receptions.
“They have a good offense.Theyhave weapons. We have to be prepared to hopefully stop the run and then deal with the pass after that,” fourth-year defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett said.
Though USC carved them up through the air, the Trojans were carried by some incredible catches by star wideouts Makai Lemon and Ja’ Kobi Lane. Iowa fans were frustrated with how their secondary performed, but if
That’s exactly what senior safety Xavier Nwankpa said after the loss, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the secondary respond in a big way against Michigan State. The Spartans’ aforementioned quarterback carousel alone is enough to raise an eyebrow, but it feels like this group is due for some takeaways. They failed to get one when it mattered against Oregon and USC, so expect to see the “DoughBoyz” back in action.
No matter the record, Senior Day is always an emotional event in college athletics. Last week, an image of a Boston College player sitting alone underneath the goalpost went viral on social media, and the Hawkeyes certainly have something to play for. These emotions usually trickle down to one of the seniors having a big game.
That leads to wide receiver Jacob Gill. No Iowa wideout has eclipsed 300 yards this year, but Gill is in position to be the leading receiver for the second consecutive season. The senior had a 44-yard reception to set up an opening drive touchdown against USC, and could be in line for a big game on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes never win in blowout fashion due to their playing style, but this feels like the game where Iowa finally clicks on every side of the ball. The Oregon and USC losses were a massive gut-punch, so expect to see Ferentz’s team come out and lay the hammer down against an out-matched Spartans team that could be searching for a new head coach in the offseason. The Hawkeyes are 16.5-point favorites, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them win by three touchdowns at home.
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Rising from Rock Rapids
Zach Lutmer’s competitive edge fueled him to stardom on the Hawkeye defense.
Mark Lutmer was a diehard Minnesota Golden Gophers fan for decades. His maroon Gopher coat with the gold “M” logo stamped on the top left side was worn religiously, along with his hat and blankets appearing at almost every Minnesota football game he attended.
He hoped his son, Zach Lutmer, would play football for his favorite team, as did Zach. But Minnesota never looked Zach utmer’s way until Iowa offered him first, and the ock apids, Iowa, native wasted no time committing to the home-state team that believed in him first.
“He’s playing at a really high level,” Iowa head coach Kirk erent said o the de ensive back. s a coaching staff, we’re not surprised because we thought he was really good when we recruited him, probably under recruited, and then certainly we’ve gotten to watch him on a daily basis.”
Since then, the Lutmers have proudly embraced their newfound Hawkeye fandom.
“I got rid of all my Gophers equipment,” Mark Lutmer said. “I don’t use it. I got rid of it all.”
Sports were a staple in the Lutmer household. Mark Lutmer, a Minnesota native, played football, basketball, and baseball and continued his basketball career at Worthington Community College in Worthington, Minnesota.
Zach Lutmer’s mother, Dana, played basketball and ran track in high school, and his older sister, Mackenzie Lutmer, did the same. Zach Lutmer’s older brother and Mackenzie Lutmer’s twin, Nic, played football, basketball, and ran track in high school
and went on to play basketball at riar liff niversity in Siou City, Iowa.
Zach Lutmer was ushered into sports as early as one could be. As a baby, he tagged along with his father – an assistant football coach at Central Lyon High School – to basketball and football practices and watched sports with him, whether that was scouting opponents or tuning in to Minnesota Vikings games on the couch.
As an elementary school kid, Zach Lutmer often competed against his older brother. An eight-year age gap between the two, Nic Lutmer and his friends waddled on their knees while Zach Lutmer was on his feet and tackled him without pads on.
Sometimes his brother’s hits were too hard, and Zach Lutmer would cry in frustration.
But one thing he never did was quit.
It’s like he ipped a switch. ou’re going to do that to me, I’m going to do this to you,’” Dana Lutmer said. “He got right back up and got after it.”
Outside of backyard football games, Nic Lutmer acted as a trainer to his brother. He helped him work on his baseball fielding skills by hitting ground balls to him, improve his basketball shooting form by constantly putting him at the free-throw line, and develop his football receiving ability by playing catch.
Whenever Zach Lutmer messed up, Nic Lutmer forced him to run around the family’s 2,500 square-foot home in under a minute as punishment.
“He was probably the harshest coach that I had, but the best coach that I had, and I needed that when I was really young,” Zach Lutmer said. “He would tell me that I wasn’t good, which helped me get better every single day and keep wanting it.”
That meticulous practice regimen helped Zach Lutmer dominate against his peers. His dad remembered a time when
ach was playing baseball and fielded a ground ball. ather than toss it to first base, he would ust run to the bag.
hen he played outfield, the same thing happened. His mom recalled a time where her son ran across the outfield to catch a y ball instead of letting his teammate make the catch.
ach utmer recalled getting iggy with it as a running back in youth flag football and catching full-court passes from his grade school teammates for game-winners in youth basketball.
That ust taught me the competitive edge o everything, ust having un out there, en oying everything and en oying your teammates,” he said.
Throughout his childhood, Zach Lutmer closely studied his family members.
hen ark utmer would study game film o the team he was coaching or his ne t opponent, ach utmer watched and analyzed with him. When their beloved Vikings played, Zach Lutmer would always watch and question the schemes the players were running. After Nic Lutmer lost one of his college basketball games, middle school-aged Zach Lutmer watched his brother get some shots up the ne t morning.
Basketball was Zach Lutmer’s first love, and watching his older brother play in college inspired him to be a college basketball player in his own right. He rotated between football, basketball, track, and baseball, but basketball was his best sport, as he averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists as a reshman on the Central Lyon High School varsity team. In a game against Okoboji that year, he scored 39 points. With the Lions trailing by two with five seconds le t, ach utmer caught the ball, drove to the paint from the right elbow, saw the help defender biting, and kicked it to the corner to his open teammate, who missed the shot. Had he taken the shot and made it, he would have broken the school’s single-game scoring record.
Football was a close second. After playing several positions during his ag ootball years and through the two seasons of tackle football before high school, Zach Lutmer began his high school career out as the junior varsity starting quarterback. By his sophomore year, he earned the varsity starting role and also played defensive back.
ach utmer’s stellar first season o varsity football earned him Class 2A Player of the Year honors. He logged 1,194 yards, eight touchdowns as a passer, 1,609 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, while also collecting four interceptions.
Central Lyon would advance to the 2020 Class 2A Championship Game, where they lost, 28-14, to Waukon.
Playing varsity basketball during his
freshman season helped lay the foundation for Zach Lutmer’s football success.
“It really taught me the competitive side of things, getting the game speed down,” Zach
utmer said. bviously, basketball is different from football, but just the level of athletes that I’m going to play. And seeing that helped.”
Mark Lutmer, however, attributed his son’s success to the work he put in during the COVID19 pandemic. The world shut down towards the end of his freshman year, which kept him at home and away from sports. While he had a hard time keeping weight on and couldn’t work out at school, he composed a workout plan and used the 4,000-yard combined space between his backyard and his neighboring grandma’s house to his advantage.
Zach Lutmer would strap a pulling sled to his waist using a belt and run with it to improve his quickness. He’d work on his quarterback drop-steps with Mark Lutmer as his receiver, even if it was hot and humid or raining outside. day off wasn’t an option.
“I always told him, there’s three things that
are going to happen every day, and I still tell him to this day — either you’re going to stay the same, get better, or you’re going to get worse.,”
Mark Lutmer said. “You make that choice.”
“He doesn’t like to sit around,” he continued. He wants to get better.”
While his parents were traveling to one of Zach Lutmer’s basketball games during his sophomore campaign, they received a phone call that struck far into their hearts – doctors told Dana Lutmer she had cancer.
Despite the tough news, they still attended the game. At halftime, the phone rang again. This time, the call was from his sister – something she never did during games. She revealed to Mark Lutmer that their father was diagnosed
— Stage IV.
“We thought he needed to know. And I think he realized, don’t take things for granted,” Dana Lutmer said. “Life is short. Don’t take things for granted.”
Everything changed for Zach Lutmer during his unior year. His offensive totals or his unior football season took a dip, though he stood out on defense with 46.5 tackles, 36 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, and four interceptions for 100 return yards and a touchdown.
At this point, he realized football was his path over basketball, as colleges began scouting him as a defensive back.
During a basketball practice that year, a South Dakota scout went to Rock Rapids and paid him
with cancer.
Two family members, two cancer diagnoses, same day.
His parents made the conscious decision to not tell Zach, but eventually did after a few days. hen ach utmer was told, the first thing he asked was what stage his mom’s cancer was in
a visit. After that practice, Zach Lutmer received his first college ootball offer. Soon, rival South Dakota State came calling.
“I just want a Division I offer from wherever it be,” Zach Lutmer said. “I felt like once I got that first offer, a few more would roll in. And that’s pretty much what happened.”
He held out on those offers with the hope that bigger I schools would offer, specifically Minnesota, but it was hard for the three-star prospect to get noticed in the small northwest Iowa town, that is until LeVar Woods arrived.
Woods, Iowa’s special teams coordinator and an Inwood native, listened to his brother rave about Zach Lutmer. Woods went back to his hometown and liked what he saw, and eventually brought the rest of the Hawkeyes’ staff with him. n ay 1 , , Iowa assistant head coach Seth Wallace called Zach Lutmer and gave him a ull-ride offer. He committed the next day.
nce the Iowa offer came, innesota began to subtly recruit him. But by that point, he was fully committed to the Hawkeyes.
“The defensive system that has been in place for 20 some years, and then just seeing the loyalty that teammates have for one another, there’s not many guys that enter the (transfer) portal,” Zach Lutmer said. “So seeing that definitely helped and made me want to come here.”
He wrapped up his high school football career as a three-time first-team ll-State and threetime first-team ll- istrict honoree and one “Elite All-State” nomination along with school records of 4,417 rushing yards, 3,567 passing
yards, and 99 total touchdowns.
Zach Lutmer would also pass Nic as Central Lyon’s all-time leading scorer with 1,346 career points and lead the basketball team to the 2022 state title.
“Passing [Nic] my junior year was super awesome because he helped me ever since I was really young,” Zach Lutmer said. “He was super happy for me.”
their strong work ethic, tagging alongside them in drills and watching film to pick up certain tactics.
Zach Lutmer appeared in 13 games at cornerback in 2024, and tallied 14 total tackles, 11 solo tackles, and one interception — his first career pick being one o the lone bright spots in a disappointing 20-17 November loss to UCLA. He joked the turnover marked his first time touching the ball since high school. ter an offseason that saw nearly hal o the Iowa defense transition to the NFL, Lutmer got his opportunity and ran with it. Through 10 games this season, he’s compiled 57 total tackles, 34 solo tackles, four passes defended, one sack, and two interceptions returned for 72 yards and a touchdown playing the “cash” position — a position that combines the duties of a defensive back and a linebacker.
“Anytime I get a chance to go out there and compete on the field, I’m super blessed, ach Lutmer said. “And obviously, the coaches have a lot of trust in me to play those positions, so I’d never want to let them down. Never want to let my teammates down.”
ach utmer’s first season with Iowa was in 2023, where he redshirted and sat behind veterans Quinn Schulte, Sebastian Castro, and Cooper DeJean. Zach Lutmer emulated
Zach Lutmer’s ultimate goal is to be another local Iowa product that makes it to the NFL, and his work ethic and production this season is a step in the right direction.
“We’re proud of him either way,” Dana Lutmer said. “He’s just a good kid that every mom dreams of having.”
Mark Gronowski reflects on lone season with Hawkeyes
The South Dakota State transfer has accumulated 19 total touchdowns this year.
On Jan. 7, former South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski announced his intention to transfer to Iowa for his final season o eligibility. The announcement sent Hawkeye ans into pure euphoria, knowing they landed a potential superstar quarterback.
ronowski turned down an opportunity to enter the ra t a ter his senior season at South akota State, taking the chance to become the leader o a surging Iowa offense.
The aperville, Illinois, native accumulated over 1 , total yards and 1 total touchdowns in his our seasons with the ackrabbits. ronowski’s , 5 passing yards and total touchdowns in earned him the alter ayton ward, the ootball hampionship Subdivision’s version o the Heisman Trophy.
The fi th-year uarterback missed most o Iowa’s spring practices, rehabbing rom a shoulder in ury he suffered in . ronowski’s in ury created some worry or Hawkeye ans, but the e citement was still through the roo . early seven and a hal months later, ronowski made his Iowa debut in innick Stadium. Iowa de eated lbany with ease, - , but as the crowd lowed out o innick, murmurs o ronowski’s struggling passing ability grew louder. ronowski inished the game -o -15 with ust passing yards and a touchdown, including a severely underthrown ball to a wide-open Sam hillips in the end one on the opening drive.
ronowski didn’t throw or over 1 yards until eek against ass, where he threw or 1 9 yards and two touchdowns. Since then, he has thrown or over 1 yards in all but one game, when he threw or 6 yards but rushed or 1 in a victory over enn State.
Iowa’s contest against ichigan State marks ronowski’s final game at innick Stadium. Including the bowl game, the uarterback has three contests remaining. s his college career comes to a close, the graduate student has cherished his time at Iowa and the relationships he’s built with his teammates and coaches.
It’s always di cult being a trans er, ronowski said. Trying to become riends with people, and getting out o your
com ort one a little bit. Hayden arge was one o the first people who really reached out to me. I started hanging out with
him, and it branched out rom there.
ronowski also said his e perience with the Iowa ity community and Hawkeye ans has been un, even in his short time on campus.
It’s been a lot o un to meet so many different people, ronowski said. ven the people oach erent has brought in to talk with the team, I always try to go up and talk to them a little bit and build a network o people I’ve met here, and that’s been really special.
hile the passing statistics have seemed underwhelming considering the e pectations , ronowski’s ability to win or put the team in a position to triumph has kept the Hawkeyes in every game this season.
gainst enn State on ct. 1 , Iowa trailed by as many as 11 points in the third uarter. ronowski struggled through the air,
but led the Hawkeyes to a comeback victory with a game-sealing, 6 -yard run with under one minute on the clock.
ronowski said the win over the ittany ions was his avorite memory o this season because o the team’s ability to come back rom down two scores, considering the historical ailures o Iowa attempting to do so.
To have the e citement at the end o that game to score with a couple o minutes le t, to be in a sold-out crowd in innick, and to do it with the guys that are around me ust made it a lot more un, he said.
ronowski’s re ection brought one conclusion no regrets. It’s been a lot o un, ronowski said. I’m e cited or Saturday, it’s going to be a cool moment or all the seniors, all the guys that have put in so much work. verall, my e perience, I wouldn’t change it.
One on One: Trevor Lauck
The second-year o ensive lineman discussed his favorite NFL player, hobbies, and biggest pet peeve.
The Daily Iowan: What are your hobbies?
Trevor Lauck: I play video games a little bit, just like and college ootball, stuff like that. I like to play cards, like poker. laying cards is a big deal or me and my amily.
Who is your favorite NFL player? robably uentin elson, ust because he’s been a legend up ront or so long.
What’s your favorite holiday and why? It’s got to be hristmas. esus’ birthday, spirits are high.
What does your average weekend look like in the offseason?
I usually try to lay low. ike I said, playing cards in the offseason is usually a big deal. e’ve got a good group o guys, got a group chat, so I’d say cards is something I try to do as much as I can.
What’s your favorite music genre, and who is your favorite artist?
rowing up, it was like 19 s country. I eel like my avorite artist is illy oel. I went to his concert about a year ago, so illy oel is my avorite.
What’s your biggest pet peeve? ad drivers. ot using your turn signal when you’re going slow, stuff like that. It’s bad everywhere.
What is your dream car?
robably a big hevy truck. hite or black, something basic. I’ve got one right now, but I want a newer one eventually.
What’s the most ridiculous nightmare you’ve had? I feel like one time, my family got attacked by aliens, and it was pretty reaky because I believe in aliens and stuff. I was like, Is this going to happen in the uture or not
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
Teleportation. That’ll save time, and time is money, so I eel like that’d be awesome.
What are you most thankful for?
efinitely my amily. That’s a clich answer, but they are the reason I do what I do. They’re what keep me motivated. so I’ll definitely say my amily.
Iowa seniors reflect on Kinnick Stadium finale
ne o the long-standing traditions o Iowa ootball is The Swarm where every member o the team holds hands with one other and trans orm a uiet walk down the tunnel into an slightly awkward, but united og. ack in lack by slowly ignites the capacity crowd at innick Stadium, and game time is here.
The tradition was created by longtime Hawkeye head coach Hayden ry and kept by his successor, irk erent . Some o the players involved may not even touch the field during the game, but that isn’t the point. The Swarm was created to show solidarity and that every man who dons the black and gold is a part o a special brotherhood. layers who e perience The Swarm or the first time are o ten encompassed with a surreal eeling, but they never anticipate the emotions their final Swarm will bring them.
Saturday’s game against ichigan State will mark the final time Iowa’s seniors can participate in the tradition. ust nothing but top respect or all these guys, and ust really grate ul ans in innick can have a chance to salute them and honor them, erent said at media availability Tuesday. ertainly, it’s not the end o their careers here, but it’s a very special.
Some, like star returner and wide receiver aden et en and de ensive lineman than Hurkett, will go through Senior ay ceremonies or the second time. ast season, both players walked through the tunnel knowing they may still get to play another season or the Hawkeyes.
This year, there’s no ne t time.
Hurkett is in his si th season o college ootball. The edar apids native irst arrived on campus or the I -19shortened season, but wouldn’t see substantial playing time until a ter redshirting his reshman year and missing most o the 1 campaign with an in ury. Hurkett played in all 1 games during the and seasons be ore earning the starting ob last year, a role he has held ever since.
Hurkett has also served as one o Iowa’s our team captains this year, alongside oen ntringer, ark ronowski, and ogan ones.
I think this will be a little bit more special ust to know that it really is the last time, Hurkett said. nd there’s no eligibility le t, so ust to soak it in and be with my brothers one last time in innick will be really special.
hile Hurkett has played or the Hawkeyes or his entire career, some o the seniors have only e perienced the Swarm or one or two seasons. ide receiver acob ill spent his first three seasons with ig Ten rival orthwestern be ore trans erring to Iowa in . Though ill was on the other sideline, he witnessed The Swarm in each o his three years in vanston, including once at innick Stadium.
hen you get in here and you go out there and you swarm, it’s ust special, ust know that you’re going to battle with those guys ne t to you that you’re holding hands with, ill said. It’s awesome. It’s different, and I en oy it.
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DeJean Dynamite
The 2023 Iowa football season was defined by a historically poor offense and the dubious rive to 1 5 contract re uirement or thenoffensive coordnator rian erent , but the Hawkeyes still ound a way to carve out some memorable moments. - start had Iowa ans eeling optimistic about their team, but those hopes were uickly dashed
a ter a 1- loss at enn State to open ig Ten play. The Hawkeyes would return to the riendly confines o innick Stadium or a matchup against struggling ichigan State, which was mired in turmoil a ter firing head coach el Tucker two games into the season or se ual harrassment. Iowa dominated on the de ensive side o the ball, but the offense came to a screeching halt a ter starting uarterback ade c amara went down with a season-ending in ury in the
first hal . ith the scored tied at 16 in the final minutes o the third, it was up to star returner ooper e ean to make a play. e ean took the punt and ound a gaping hole on the le t side. Several Spartans were in pursuit, but they were no match or e ean, who outraced everybody or the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning touchdown. espite their bad offensive per ormance, the Hawkeyes finished the season with a 1 - record and claimed the inal ig Ten est division championship with a win over Illinois on Senior ay.
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The Daily Iowan sta shares their thoughts on this week’s upcoming games
Ray Walker’s inspiring journey
Ray was diagnosed with a rare brain condition requiring functional hemispherectomy.
Ray Walker was born slightly premature but was a perfectly healthy baby up until his four-month appointment at the family’s local hospital in Des Moines.
At the appointment, doctors suspected something abnormal was happening with Ray, and initially thought he had Down syndrome. After a blood draw test came back negative, Ray’s medical journey began.
A pediatrician noticed an unordinary growth in Ray’s head size when he was six months old. The pediatrician recommended the family see a craniofacial specialist to confirm if his sutures were closing too soon.
Four months later, Ray underwent a CT scan at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The scan revealed a spot on his brain which the doctors thought was a tumor.
“They referred us to get another CT with contrast, and that’s when they found he was actually born with a brain abnormality,” Ray’s mother, Cassi Walker, said. “His brain didn’t develop correctly in utero. At that point, he started to have seizures.”
After Ray was diagnosed with his first seizure type, he was overdosed with medication due to a pharmaceutical error. After the overdose, the family was recommended to return to Iowa City for
medication would not stop the seizures. Ray then underwent a functional hemispherectomy, a surgery that disconnects one side of the brain from the other, at just 19 months old.
Cassi and Ray’s father, Nate Walker, said finally getting answers for Ray was a huge relief for their family, as they had been fighting for nearly one year to find the right diagnosis after Ray was misdiagnosed multiple times.
further treatment. Ray’s seizures were then properly diagnosed at the UI Children’s Hospital, and the doctors explained to the Walker family that the original
was a “night and day” difference compared to their local hospital and praised the hospital staff and nurses for their knowledge and care for each patient.
“You walk in the door, and you’re there for scary appointments, and they take such good care of calming the kids down,” Cassi Walker said. “[Ray] usually leaves with a trinket, and he just smiles the whole time… they do a really good job making sure it’s not scary for him.”
“All your attention goes to [a diagnosis], compared to your regular life, going about your daily activities, and raising a kid,” Nate Walker said. “So with a diagnosis like that, your attention is hyper-focused on that diagnosis, and you’re doing research and learning how to support your kid going forward.”
Cassi and Ray said the treatment they received at the UI Children’s Hospital
On Aug. 9, 2025, Iowa football hosted its annual Kids’ Day at Kinnick Stadium, an open practice where the team gets to meet each Kid Captain and sign autographs for them. Ray said his favorite part of the Kids’ Day practice was going onto the field with the players.
Ray, like his father, was an Iowa State fan before being selected as a Kid Captain this season. The seven-year-old told his dad after Kids’ Day that he might rethink his choice of his favorite college football team.
“After we did the Kid Captain day, we got in the truck and he goes, ‘I’m sorry, Dad, I’m going to have to switch teams,’” Cassi Walker said. Now seizure-free for five years, Ray attends Emerson Elementary School in Indianola, Iowa, and is in second grade. Ray’s favorite color is rainbow, since he likes all colors, and likes riding go-karts, playing with his dogs, and reading books. His favorite subject in school is art.
The Walkers hope Ray’s story can help other families going through similar situations with their kids, and are honored to see Ray selected as a Kid Captain, just as Cassi Walker promised.
“When we were in the hospital, we went up to the 12th floor and looked at the field, I told him, ‘Someday you’re going to be a Kid Captain,’” she said. “I think the importance of it for us is just getting his story out and helping other families going through it.”
Key moments against USC
With Iowa off to a 14-7 start, offensive coordinator Tim Lester called for a trick play nicknamed “Stella”, after the Iowa City bar and grill located across the street from Kinnick Stadium. Quarterback Mark Gronowski took the snap and handed the ball to wide receiver Kaden Wetjen, who in turn tossed it to fellow wideout Reece Vander Zee. That left Gronowski wide open in the end zone, and Vander Zee, a former high school quarterback, rifled a perfect pass for a dramatic score and a 21-7 lead.
Most of the Iowa and USC fans thought their respective teams would play a run-first offense due to the heavy rainfall, but the Hawkeyes had other ideas. Iowa opened the game with three consecutive passing plays, and Gronowski found Jacob Gill for a 44-yard gain on the third play to put the Hawkeyes in prime scoring position. The Trojans forced a 4th and 1 from the two-yard line, but Iowa gambled, which paid off when Gronowski found sophomore wide receiver Dayton Howard in the back of the end zone. It marked Howard’s first touchdown of the season.
Iowa led by 11 points at halftime, but it didn’t take long for USC to snatch the momentum back. Consecutive Trojan scoring drives cut the lead down to 21-19, and Gronowski’s third down pass on Iowa’s next drive was deflected and interecepted, allowing USC to take the lead
