Football: Vanderbilt falls to No. 23 Iowa in ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27 – The Vanderbilt Hustler

Students react to university’s decision to resume in-person classes.
VUMC anesthesiologist charged with 15 counts of sexual exploitation
UPDATED: Classes canceled, some students left without power, water and heat following winter storm
Film Room: New kid on the block
IN PHOTOS: Snowpocalypse
BREAKING: University cancels in-person classes due to inclement weather
BREAKING: All in-person classes canceled for Jan. 29, and Jan. 30
Vanderbilt moves forward with full-time undergraduate campus in San Francisco, graduate campus in West Palm Beach
Men’s Basketball: Vanderbilt dominates Kentucky, wins 80-55 in Memorial Gymnasium
Vanderbilt LifeFlight helicopter crash leaves 1 dead, 2 critically injured
On a sunny day in Tampa, Florida, No. 14 Vanderbilt Football (10-3) took on the No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes (9-4) in the ReliaQuest Bowl. With a prestigious postseason trophy on the line, the Commodores fell in their final game of the 2025 season, losing to the Hawkeyes, 34-27, in Raymond James Stadium.  
The game had many notable implications, as it was the first meeting between the two teams as well as a ranked matchup in a New Year’s Eve bowl. Vanderbilt’s defense couldn’t stop Iowa’s offense, led by quarterback Mark Gronowski who threw for a season-high 212 yards in the victory.  
The first half was a struggle for the Commodores, as they failed to move the ball with ease and went down 14-3. Pavia threw for 110 yards in the first 30 minutes but was sacked four times, and Vanderbilt failed to establish the run game against a strong Iowa defensive line.  
The Commodores’ offense picked up in the second half, but the defense still couldn’t contain Gronowski and Co. A late field goal by Vanderbilt was too late, and the Hawkeyes eventually ran out the clock in this tightly contested game. 
“Credit to Iowa, coach Ferentz, his staff [and] players, they played better football,” head coach Clark Lea said postgame. “That team we played against is going to make it hard on you if you don’t play a clean game. We did not. We did not do that. The three phases never really synced up. Offensively, we were taking on sacks and putting ourselves in tough situations to get out of.”
First quarter 
Vanderbilt won the toss and opted to defer, giving Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski the ball first in this heated matchup. An incompletion and false start penalty backed the Hawkeyes up, setting up a critical third down. Gronowski broke through for a massive 44-yard run to push them into Vanderbilt territory, compounded by a late hit penalty on Randon Fontenette. The Hawkeyes punched it in shortly after on a 4-yard rush from Kamari Moulton to take a 7-0 lead with 12:55 remaining in the quarter.  
Pavia was then given the ball in his final college game, as he was met with a variety of boos and cheers from the crowd. The graduate quarterback made quick work, finding receiver Tre Richardson on the edge for a 19-yard pickup. A third down just inside Iowa territory was critical for Vanderbilt’s momentum, but Pavia was sacked, forcing the Commodores to punt the ball away. 
Moulton broke away for a 16-yard gain on Iowa’s next drive, followed by a massive 51-yard pickup as Gronowski hit DJ Vonnahme over the middle of the field to set the Hawkeyes up at the 4-yard line. A batted pass in the end zone gave way to a pick by Vanderbilt cornerback Martel Hight, though, giving the Commodores the ball right back with 3:56 to go.  
They couldn’t turn this turnover into points, however, punting the ball away after going three-and-out. Iowa took over on their own 22-yard line as the clock on the quarter expired with Iowa in the lead, 7-0. 
Second quarter 
The Hawkeyes punted the ball away to start the quarter, setting up Vanderbilt on the 18-yard line. After a sack on Pavia early in the drive, he found Sherrill over the middle of the field for a solid pickup, extended even further by a roughing the passer penalty on Iowa.  
The Commodores eventually settled for a field goal attempt, though, as momentum on the drive stalled. Kicker Brock Taylor split the uprights, bringing the score to 7-3 with 7:49 to go in the half. The entire drive lasted seven minutes and 11 seconds.  
Moulton continued to make headway on the ground for the Hawkeyes, picking up consistent yardage on the drive. A 17-yard completion to Reece Vander Zee and a 20-yard completion for Vonnahme put them past the 50-yard line, before Vanderbilt’s Bryce Cowan punched the ball out of Gronowski’s hands. The graduate quarterback fell on the ball, but it put them in a third-and-long which they couldn’t convert. 
Pavia took over deep in his own territory, as two run plays set up a third down. A pass interference call on Iowa’s Koen Entringer bailed the Commodores out as they advanced down the field. Back-to-back completions to Junior Sherrill and Tristen Brown gave them momentum, but several incompletions and a sack set up fourth down. On the attempted punt, punter Nick Haberer crossed the line of scrimmage before kicking the ball, resulting in a loss of down and a five-yard penalty. This meant Iowa was given the ball in the red zone. 
“Obviously, the special teams penalty there to in the first half was a gut punch,” Lea said postgame. “[But] we had what we needed to overcome it.”
The Hawkeyes scored on the very next play, a 10-yard fade route to Vander Zee, to take a 14-3 lead with 41 seconds left in the half.  The Commodores couldn’t do anything with the ball before time expired.  
Diego Pavia had arguably his worst half of football this season, throwing for just 103 yards while losing 17 yards on the ground through several tackles for loss.  
Third quarter 
Vanderbilt received the second half kickoff, and Pavia hit Richardson on the triple option for a small gain. Several unsuccessful plays set up fourth-and-one, but Vanderbilt suffered an illegal formation penalty on the fourth down attempt to force a punt.  
Moulton kicked things off with a 5-yard rush before gashing the Commodores for 15. Gronowski eventually found Vonnahme for a 21-yard touchdown pass, placed perfectly in his hands to bring the score to 21-3 with 8:50 left in the quarter. 
Vanderbilt wasn’t dead yet, though. On the first play after the kickoff, Pavia found Tre Richardson for a 75-yard touchdown to breathe life into the Commodores’ sideline and take Iowa’s lead down to 21-10. A forced three-and-out on Iowa’s next drive made the Vanderbilt crowd erupt with 7:02 remaining in the quarter.  
Vanderbilt then proceeded to turn the ball over on downs at its own 38-yard line, giving Iowa fantastic field position to score once again. They had three unsuccessful plays setting up a field goal from 47 yards, which Iowa kicker Drew Stevens nailed.  
Vanderbilt found rhythm on its next drive, as Pavia found Spence for a 16-yard pickup. Several Pavia scrambles put the Commodores in the red zone, as they threatened to bring it to a one-score game. Pavia eventually found receiver Joseph McVay over the middle of the field for a 16-yard touchdown, and Vanderbilt trailed 24-17.  
Moulton immediately found a massive seam on the line of scrimmage, taking it 32 yards to Vanderbilt’s 4-yard line as the quarter ended.  
Fourth quarter 
Gronowski punched it in on the QB sneak to start the quarter, which took the air out of Vanderbilt’s sideline. After the kickoff, Pavia hit three straight completions, including a 46-yard bomb to Sherrill down the left sideline to put the Commodores into the red zone. Pavia then scampered into the end zone at the right pylon, reducing Vanderbilt’s deficit to seven at 31-24 with 11:19 to go in the game.  
But when Vanderbilt needed a stop, it couldn’t get one. Gronowski and Co. took the ball down the field with ease, converting two critical third downs to extend their drive. They capped it off with a made 44-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10 at 34-24.  
Vanderbilt responded with a 37-yard reception from Sherrill, with Taylor later knocking in the 37-yard field goal to bring the deficit to a touchdown. Iowa later sealed the game, though, after it converted a single third down and kneeled the ball out.  
Pavia ended the day with 347 total passing yards while Vanderbilt’s running backs accumulated just 11 yards on the ground. The 2025 season still marked Vanderbilt’s most successful year in program history, reaching the 10-win mark for the first time ever.
“Painful way to finish, but that’s what’s great about the arena. You go in [and] you’re not guaranteed. [You’ve] got to go in, and we didn’t do that,” Lea said postgame. “But that doesn’t take anything away from that group of players, that coaching staff and that support staff [and] what they poured into this. We’re disappointed, but my emotion right now has nothing to do with that. It’s the end, and this team has set a new bar for the program.”
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University
Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *

source