Iowa Becomes Bowl Eligible With Blowout Win Over Minnesota

The Iowa Hawkeyes hosted the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. The two teams were evenly matched with a 5-2 record and a two-game winning streak. However, the visitors were no match for Kirk Ferentz’s team in the Week 9 matchup.

Oct 25, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Recap

Iowa’s offense was a poor host as they annihilated the Golden Gophers. They had their way with Minnesota and scored touchdowns for fun.

Mark Gronowski added another rushing touchdown to his name in the first drive itself. The Hawkeyes’ quarterback rushed in for a two-yard touchdown after throwing three completions of four passes for 44 yards. Kamari Moulton set up Iowa’s 1st and Goal with a 21-yard run, and the QB did the rest.

Wide Open Spaces 😏@mgronowski11 x #Hawkeyes

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— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 25, 2025

Iowa’s defense held the Golden Gophers to just three plays and five yards of gain in their first drive. Drew Stevens converted his field goal attempt from 34 yards to make it 10-0 for the Hawkeyes.

The Hawkeyes continued to make it worse for Minnesota in the first quarter. Defensive back Zach Lutmer caught Drake Lindsey's pass off an attempted wheel route and returned it for a touchdown, extending Iowa’s lead to 17 points.

The house called. 📞@LutmerZach x #Hawkeyes
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— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 25, 2025

Life was no better for Minnesota in the second half either. After a rushing TD in the first quarter, Gronowski added a passing touchdown to his tally less than 90 seconds into the second quarter. The Hawkeyes QB’s pass was caught by Reece Vander Zee in the end zone for a 29-yard TD.

Right on the Mark 🎯@mgronowski11 x @reece_vanderzee

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— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 25, 2025

Kaden Wetjen added to the misery of the Golden Gophers on the next drive. The senior receiver/kick specialist caught Tom Weston’s punt and returned it for a 50-yard touchdown. He is now tied at 5th for most punt return touchdowns (2) in a single season in Big Ten history.

.@cooperdejean… thoughts on this?! @WetjenKaden x #Hawkeyes
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— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 25, 2025

For the first time since 2019, the Hawkeyes scored an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the same game. To make it more impressive, Iowa did it all in the first half and led the Golden Gophers 31-0 at halftime.

Stevens converted his field goal attempt from 46 yards to add three more points in the third quarter. Brady Denaburg scored a FG to put Minnesota on the board in the third quarter. It was the quietest 15 minutes of the day.

Ferentz decided to rest his primary QB in the fourth quarter and sent Jeremy Hecklinski to see the Hawkeyes through the end, who didn’t go easy on already dismantled Minnesota. The backup QB threw a six-yard pass before rushing in for a six-yard TD just two plays later.

The Hawkeyes secured a dominating 41-3 win over the Golden Gophers, their 10th win in the last 11 games. Gronowski threw 12 completions of 19 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown, and recorded nine carries for 24 yards and one TD.

Dominant on Both Sides of the Ball

Iowa’s defense was in iron-hot form today, catching three interceptions. One of those picks was returned for a TD. Kamari Moulton led the way in rushing, charting 15 carries for 75 yards. The Hawkeyes held Floyd of Rosedale and are now bowl eligible.

The Hawkeyes were all over the Golden Gophers throughout the 60 minutes. They gained 141 passing yards compared to Minnesota's 109 and a whopping 133 rushing yards compared to the visitors' mere 24. They gained nearly twice as many yards per play as Lindsey's team in the 41-3 win.

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