Iowa QB Mark Gronowski Reveals Keys to Victory vs. USC

The Iowa Hawkeyes are aiming to bounce back from an 18-16 loss to the Oregon Ducks when they visit the LA Memorial Coliseum to face the No. 17 USC Trojans on November 15.

Iowa enters the USC matchup at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play, sitting 20th in the College Football Playoff rankings. All three of Iowa's losses have come against ranked opponents: Indiana (20-15), Penn State (25-24), and Oregon (18-16).

Quarterback Mark Gronowski addressed the media ahead of this week’s game against USC and talked about the challenge the Hawkeyes face when trying to pull off an upset against one of the nation's most talented defensive units.

"They've got a lot of guys that are fast and move really well,” Gronowski said. “They're really, really multiple. They like to throw a lot of different things at you on base down and D. They run every single coverage that you can think of. On third downs, they really buckle down and run a lot of man-coverage. We've got to make sure our guys are winning, and I'm throwing good, catchable balls where we can let our playmakers make plays."

USC sits at 7-2 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten play. The Trojans are undefeated at home and have outscored Big Ten opponents 114-61 in Los Angeles this season.

Iowa’s Poor Record Against Ranked Opponents

More concerning for the Hawkeyes is their historic struggle against ranked teams. Iowa has now lost 12 consecutive games against ranked opponents dating back to 2021, when they defeated No. 4 Penn State 23-20.

Against No. 25 Indiana in Week 2, Iowa fell 20-15 in a game that came down to the final moments. Two weeks later, Iowa faced No. 3 Penn State at home in a primetime matchup. Despite playing well for much of the game, Iowa ultimately fell 25-24 in a heartbreaking defeat.

Most recently, No. 9 Oregon visited Kinnick Stadium in a sold-out blackout game. With the game on the line, a long-snapper miscue led to an early safety, and Oregon's late field goal resulted in an 18-16 victory.

These losses have once again nearly knocked the program out of contention for conference titles and College Football Playoff berths, despite a talented roster. A 6-0 record against non-ranked teams generates minimal positive recognition when that record is put against a 0-3 record against ranked competition.

If Iowa can defeat USC and potentially win its final two games, the program could finish 9-3 and potentially earn a respectable bowl destination. Gronowski and Co. would aim to snap the streak and get the job done in Los Angeles.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!