Kirk Ferentz is back in the win column in bowl games.
The Iowa football coach improved to 11-11 as the Hawkeyes’ head coach in bowl games, with Iowa earning a 34-27 win over Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Tampa, Florida.
The Hawkeyes (9-4) held a 21-3 halftime lead and then held on in the second half to knock off the Commodores (10-3).
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Mark Gronowski finished 16-of-22 passing for 212 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while also adding 10 rushes for 54 yards and a touchdown. Kamari Moulton had 14 rushes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the win for the Hawkeyes, while tight end DJ Vonnahme had seven catches for 146 yards and a score.
Pavia finished 25-of-38 passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns and also added a rushing score. He, however, struggled in the first half with accuracy and was sacked four times.
Vanderbilt falls to 5-5-1 all-time in bowl games. The Commodores were playing in consecutive bowl games for only the second time in program history.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates from the ReliaQuest Bowl between Iowa and Vanderbilt. Catch up here:
Iowa vs Vanderbilt score
Iowa vs Vanderbilt highlights
Iowa vs Vanderbilt live score: Hawkeyes 34, Commodores 27 (Final)
Final: Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27
Vanderbilt-Iowa final stats
Iowa takes down Vanderbilt in ReliaQuest Bowl
Iowa holds onto a 34-27 win over Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa Bay, on New Year’s Eve. The Hawkeyes finish the season at 9-4, while the Commodores finish at 10-3.
Brock Taylor field goal cuts Iowa lead to touchdown
Vanderbilt opts to kick a field goal from 37 yards out with 2:58 left in the fourth quarter, but interestingly, Clark Lea calls for it on second down. The scoring drive is seven plays for 60 yards and takes 1:10 off the clock.
Drew Stevens hits second field goal of game to put Iowa up 10
Drew Stevens hits a 44-yard field goal to push Iowa’s lead to 34-24 with 4:1 left in the game. The score makes it a two-possession lead for the Hawkeyes.
The scoring drive is 13 plays for 49 yards and takes 7:06 off the game clock. Vanderbilt was forced to use two timeouts on the drive and has just one more left.
Vanderbilt scores on Diego Pavia TD
Diego Pavia scores on an 11-yard rush to cut the Iowa lead to 31-24 with 11:19 left in the game. Pavia hit Junior Sherrill for a 46-yard pass to set up the scoring opportunity.
The scoring drive is five plays for 72 yards and takes 2:11 off the game clock.
Mark Gronowski rushing touchdown extends Iowa lead
Mark Gronowski scores a 1-yard rushing touchdown to give Iowa a 31-17 lead with 13:35 left in the fourth quarter. That’s his 16th rushing touchdown of the season.
The scoring drive is six plays for 70 yards and takes 2:59 off the game clock.
End of third quarter: Iowa 24, Vanderbilt 17
Vanderbilt scores two touchdowns on passes from Diego Pavia to get back into the game in the fourth quarter.
However, Iowa will have first-and-goal from the 4-yard line with a chance to extend its lead when the final quarter commences.
Diego Pavia draws Vanderbilt within a touchdown
Diego Pavia hits Joseph McVay for an 18-yard touchdown to cut the Iowa lead to 24-17 with 1:41 left in the third quarter.
The scoring drive is eight plays for 70 yards and takes 2:06 off the game clock. Pavia accounted for all of the yards, either passing or running, on the drive.
Drew Stevens extends Iowa lead over Vanderbilt
Following the turnover on downs, the Vanderbilt defense forces a three-and-out for Iowa’s offense. However, with the drive starting in Commodores’ territory, the Hawkeyes turn to kicker Drew Stevens, who hits a 47-yard field goal to extend the Iowa lead to 24-10 with 3:54 left in the third quarter.
Vanderbilt turns ball over downs
Diego Pavia misses a throw on a fourth-and-1 from the Vanderbilt 38-yard line and the Commodores turn the ball over on downs. Iowa will take over in Vanderbilt territory with a chance to extend its lead.
Diego Pavia responds with long TD for Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia drops a dime into the hands of Tre Richardson, who takes it in for a 75-yard touchdown to cut the Iowa lead to 21-10 with 8:37 left in the third quarter.
Mark Gronowski hits DJ Vonnahme for touchdown
Iowa extends its lead to 21-3 with 8:50 left in the third quarter on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Mark Gronowski to tight end DJ Vonnahme.
The scoring drive is six plays for 58 yards and takes 3:18 off the game clock.
Vanderbilt goes three-and-out on first drive of second half
Vanderbilt gets the ball first out of halftime and is not able to do much with it. The Commodores go three-and-out, exasperated with a 5-yard penalty for an illegal formation on fourth-and-1, where it looks like Diego Pavia was ruled to have a first down.
Iowa takes over on its own 42-yard line following a 21-yard return from Kaden Wetjen.
Halftime: Iowa 14, Vanderbilt 3
Vanderbilt-Iowa halftime stats
Iowa holds a 14-3 lead over Vanderbilt at halftime. The Commodores opted for a Hail Mary at the end of the half rather than trying to get into field goal range.
The miscue on the punt cost Vanderbilt seven points, as Iowa started its final drive of the first half from the Commodores’ 10-yard line and took advantage with the score.
Iowa extends lead to 14-3 before halftime
A Vanderbilt gaffe on special teams leads to an Iowa touchdown before halftime. Commodores’ punter Nick Haberer is called for crossing the line of scrimmage before punting, resulting in a penalty and a turnover.
Starting from the Vanderbilt 10-yard line, Mark Gronowski hits Reece Vander Zee for a touchdown with 41 seconds left to push the Iowa lead to 14-3.
Brock Taylor gets Vanderbilt on board with field goal
Brock Taylor connects on a 41-yard field goal to cut the Iowa lead to 7-3 with 7:53 left in the first half. The field goal caps a 13-play, 59-yard drive that takes 7:05 off the game clock.
Diego Pavia completes 5 of his 7 passes on the drive for 43 yards.
End of first quarter: Iowa 7, Vanderbilt 0
Iowa dominates the first quarter, outgaining Vanderbilt 147-29, but only scores one touchdown. A second red zone trip resulted in an interception in the end zone. The Commodores have seen both of their first two drives end due to a sack by Karson Sharar of Diego Pavia on third down.
Martel Hight intercepts Mark Gronowski pass in end zone
Just as it looks like Iowa was going to go up two scores over Vanderbilt, Martel Hight picks off a Mark Gronowski tipped pass in the end zone to give the Commodores life.
The Hawkeyes had the ball a the Vanderbilt 4-yard line following a 51-yard pass from Gronowski to tight end DJ Vonnahme. However, the scoring drive is stalled due to the interception.
Karson Sharar sacks Diego Pavia to end Vanderbilt’s first drive
On a third-and-3 from the Iowa 42-yard line, Karson Sharar sacks Diego Pavia for a 9-yard loss to put an end to Vanderbilt’s promising opening drive.
Iowa will start its second drive from its own 17-yard line.
Kamari Moulton opens scoring for Iowa
Kamari Moulton scores on a 4-yard touchdown to give Iowa a 7-0 lead with 12:55 left in the first quarter. The score was set up by a 44-yard scramble by quarterback Mark Gronowski on a third-and-7.
The scoring drive is five plays for 72 yards and takes two minutes off the game clock.
Iowa to open ReliaQuest Bowl on offense
Vanderbilt wins the coin toss and defers to the second half. Iowa will receive, and the Commodores will defend the south goal.
Pregame
Iowa has no opt outs for ReliaQuest Bowl
According to Iowa’s NIL X account, the Hawkeyes do not have a single opt-out for the ReliaQuest Bowl today against Vanderbilt. That is quite a coup in 2025 for a bowl game.
Eli Stowers opted out of ReliaQuest Bowl
While Vanderbilt will have quarterback Diego Pavia under center for the ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Iowa, he will be without one of his top playmakers. Tight end Eli Stowers opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Stowers ― who caught 62 passes for 769 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Commodores’ receivers ― is the lone major opt-out for Vanderbilt, according to the Nashville Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Mark Gronowski stats
Mark Gronowski will close out his lone season with Iowa football with a start against Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Gronowski, 24, transferred to the Hawkeyes following a five-year collegiate stint with South Dakota State.
Here’s a look at Gronowski’s stats:
- 2020 (South Dakota State): 109-of-189 passing (57.7%) for 1,584 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions; 83 rushes for 577 yards and nine touchdowns
- 2021 (South Dakota State):Did not play
- 2022 (South Dakota State): 232-of-356 passing (65.2%) for 2,967 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions; 111 rushes for 408 yards and 12 touchdowns
- 2023 (South Dakota State): 209-of-307 passing (68.1%) for 3,058 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions; 93 rushes for 402 yards and eight touchdowns
- 2024 (South Dakota State): 206-of-338 passing (60.9%) for 2,721 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions; 98 rushes for 380 yards and 10 touchdowns
- 2025 (Iowa): 150-of-240 passing (62.5%) for 1,529 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions; 120 rushes for 491 yards and 15 touchdowns
Diego Pavia stats
Diego Pavia is set to make what could be his final start with Vanderbilt football against Iowa. The Commodores QB finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2025 after leading the program to a 10-2 finish.
Pavia has been a star with Vanderbilt over his two seasons after a two-year stint with New Mexico State.
Here’s a look at Pavia’s stats:
- 2022 (New Mexico State): 101-of-190 passing (53.2%) for 1,450 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions; 93 rushes for 508 yards with six touchdowns
- 2023 (New Mexico State): 221-of-366 passing (60.4%) for 2,973 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions; 177 rushes for 923 yards with seven touchdowns
- 2024 (Vanderbilt): 177-of-298 passing (59.4%) for 2,293 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions; 193 rushes for 801 yards with eight touchdowns
- 2025 (Vanderbilt): 242-of-340 passing (71.2%) for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions; 152 rushes for 826 yards with nine touchdowns
What time does Iowa vs Vanderbilt start?
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31
- Time: Noon ET | 11 a.m. CT
- Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
The ReliaQuest Bowl between Iowa and Vanderbilt is scheduled to start at noon ET (11 a.m. CT) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
What TV channel is Iowa vs Vanderbilt on today?
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
Iowa and Vanderbilt’s game will air nationally on ESPN, with Mark Jones and Roddy Jones broadcasting the game from the booth and Alyssa Lang reporting from the sideline. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
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Iowa vs Vanderbilt predictions in ReliaQuest Bowl
Here’s who experts within the USA TODAY Network predicted to win the ReliaQuest Bowl between Vanderbilt and Iowa:
- Matt Hayes: Vanderbilt
- Jordan Mendoza: Vanderbilt
- Paul Myerberg: Iowa
- Erick Smith: Vanderbilt
- Eddie Timanus: Vanderbilt
- Blake Toppmeyer: Vanderbilt
Iowa vs Vanderbilt odds, spread for ReliaQuest Bowl
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Spread: Vanderbilt (-5.5)
- Over/under: 46.5
- Moneyline: Vanderbilt (-220) | Iowa (+180)