Mark Gronowski ends Hawkeye career with stellar performance

TAMPA, Fla. — Iowa’s veteran quarterback saved his best for last in the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Vanderbilt Wednesday, and left a lasting impression on the fans in attendance.

Although all of the hype before the matchup was about Vanderbilt’s Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia, Mark Gronowski took advantage of the spotlight in his last game in an Iowa uniform. Gronowski was fearless, and showed tremendous poise in the victory over one of the top teams from the SEC.

Not to mention he was named MVP of the bowl game for his heroics. After all, Gronowski did damage to the Commodores’ defense with his arm and legs, and wasn’t afraid to take a hit. Coach Kirk Ferentz admired the way Gronowski commanded the huddle, and carried the Hawkeyes to the finish line. And rightfully so.

“When we get on the game field, he (Gronowski) is a guy everybody believes in, coaches, players, and just competes out there tooth and nail,” Ferentz said. “Big part of the reason we won today was obviously his leadership and his impact on the game.”

Iowa (9-4) never trailed in the contest, and the offense scored a touchdown in every quarter. Gronowski orchestrated six scoring drives on the afternoon, including two that ended with a touchdown pass. The Illinois native completed 16 of his 22 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Gronowski’s interception happened on a tipped ball in the endzone, and he also rushed for 51 yards and a score.

He got everyone involved, and completed at least one pass to six different players. The chemistry he displayed with tight end DJ Vonnahme was noteworthy. Vonnahme hauled in seven passes, for a game-high, 146 yards and a touchdown. Gronowski even had a 51-yard completion to Vonnahme, which was his longest on the afternoon. Vonnahme blossomed into Gronowski’s top target this season, and he couldn’t be more proud of his success.

“He (Vonnahme) has continued to work, get better, stay after or get extra reps with me after practice and meet with us and watch film together,” he said. “He’s just been growing and growing and growing, and it’s been really awesome to see.”

Gronwoski wasn’t afraid to use his body as a battering ram on short-yardage situations, and attacked Vanderbilt’s secondary without a blink of an eye. Once the smoke cleared, the Hawkeyes led the Commodores in rushing yards, third down efficiency and time of possession.

Gronowski couldn’t imagine ending his Hawkeye career in style the way he did, and will always remember celebrating with his teammates, and the trophies. All of the rehabilitation in the offseason paid off. The blood, sweat and tears throughout the year, makes Gronowski appreciate it even more.

“There’s just been a lot of growth just with growing with the receivers, growing with the guys on the team,” the 24-year old said. “Not just in the game of football, but just trying to build relationships, trying to build an even stronger culture, trying to build a stronger standard for the offense and knowing that we didn’t obviously get to every goal that we had every single week, but we’re continuing to strive for that.”

It’s unfortunate that Gronowki’s stay at Iowa was only for one season, but he made it a memorable one. A lot of Iowa fans already claim he’s the program’s best quarterback since C.J. Beathard. The next journey for him will be the NFL, and there’s good film out there for the scouts to see. Regardless, leading the Hawkeyes to a bowl win over a top-15 team in his final collegiate year is only going to add to Gronowski’s legacy. Now Gronowski will go down as one of the winningest quarterbacks in College football, and he’ll forever be a Hawkeye.

“The fans have been awesome, and all of the support staff that we have here have just been helping me along the way and have done a great job with that.”