PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Mark Gronowski led a fourth-quarter surge with two rushing touchdowns, lifting Iowa to a 38-28 comeback win over Rutgers on Friday night in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
The South Dakota State transfer finished with 186 passing yards and three rushing scores, becoming the first Iowa quarterback to run for three touchdowns in a game since Matt Rodgers in 1990.
Trailing 28-24 early in the fourth, the Hawkeyes (3-1) turned the game around thanks to Gronowski’s late heroics and a timely interception by Jaxon Rexroth that set up Iowa’s go-ahead score with just over five minutes remaining. The win also extends Rutgers’ struggles against Iowa — the Scarlet Knights are now 0-5 all-time in the matchup.
“He just keeps getting better,” said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz of Gronowski. “He’s a high-caliber guy. It’s not surprising. We played complementary football, made some big stops, and finally gained some traction in the second half.”
Balanced Attack Boosts Hawkeye Offense
After entering the game ranked 103rd nationally in total offense, Iowa showed significant improvement, racking up 346 yards with a balanced game plan — 186 through the air and 160 on the ground.
The game began with fireworks as Kaden Wetjen returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown — the first time a Hawkeye had done that since C.J. Jones in the 2003 Orange Bowl against USC.
Rutgers Falters Late After Fast Start
The Scarlet Knights (3-1) looked poised for a statement win when quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis passed for 330 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. But costly mistakes down the stretch proved fatal. Defensive end Max Llewellyn pressured Kaliakmanis into his first interception of the season, which Rexroth snagged with 5:39 left in the game.
“We made too many mistakes against a very good football team,” said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. “We didn’t deserve to win this game. This team will be a good football team — right now, we’re not there yet.”
Strong’s Strong Return
After sitting out last week’s game due to injury, wide receiver Ian Strong returned to action and made an immediate impact, hauling in a career-best 151 receiving yards. Alongside KJ Duff and DT Sheffield, Strong helped power one of the more explosive deep-ball receiving corps in the nation.
Injury Update
Schiano confirmed after the game that running back CJ Campbell will miss the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed injury. Campbell was the team’s second-leading rusher through three games.
Atmosphere
A sellout crowd of 55,942 filled SHI Stadium for Rutgers’ “Blackout Game,” providing an electric atmosphere under the Friday night lights — but ultimately left disappointed.
What’s Next:
Iowa will return home to face Indiana on September 27.
Rutgers hits the road to take on Minnesota, also on September 27.
