ReliaQuest Bowl providing pivotal matchup of Big Ten against SEC
(Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
TAMPA, Fla. — The two best conferences in all of College Football will be on full display when Iowa battles Vanderbilt on New Year’s Eve in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and rightfully so.
After all, it’s arguably one of the best matchups of the postseason, despite not being a Playoff game, and will include ranked teams looking to end the year on a high note. The Commodores will field a Heisman finalist in signal-caller Diego Pavia. Meanwhile the Hawkeyes have a dynamic player in Mark Gronowski, who’s one of the most winning quarterbacks in the history of the sport.
However, all eyes will be on the head coaches. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten history. Clark Lea is building Vanderbilt from the ground up, and establishing himself as one of the top coaches in the Almighty SEC. So something has to give with the nation’s longest-tenured coach matching wits with the SEC Coach of the Year.
“I think what makes this most exciting for us is the opponent we’re playing against and how tough and challenging the game will be,” Lea said. “We know we need to be at our best tomorrow, and we expect to be at our best.”
Vanderbilt will be without star tight end, and John Mackey Award winner Eli Stowers, who opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Still, the Commodores will have a loaded squad on deck, and they won a program-record, 10 games in the regular season. The Hawkeyes aren’t backing down though, and they are looking to win their first bowl game since 2022.
It’s mind-boggling that all four of Iowa’s losses this season have come by five points or fewer, but it’s a testament to how the team battles until the clock expires. Ferentz wants his team to keep up that intensity as they clash with a Commodore squad that almost made the Playoffs.
“My sense is both teams are really excited to be here, with very few people opting out of this game, which is also another trend,” Ferentz said. “Bottom line, we’re going to have to be at our best to have a chance in this game, and that’s what we’ve been trying to work for.”
Iowa (8-4) has a defense that ranks sixth nationally in points and total yards allowed. Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker keeps his defense fundamentally sound, and the players have discipline. Pavia is a gamer though, and Vanderbilt ranks 12th in the FBS in total offense. From the outside looking in, it will be strength on strength with these two teams.
The game is never over when Gronowski has the ball in his hands, and he has put together several scoring drives when his team is trailing. He gets everyone involved, and make others around him better, which is what great quarterbacks do. The Hawkeyes’ offensive line won the Joe Moore Award this month too so the trenches will be brutal.
Lea is very familiar with Iowa’s Offensive Coordinator Tim Lester from their previous coaching stop at Syracuse, and he expects him to throw the kitchen sink at Vanderbilt’s defense.
“What I see on film now has some of the creative aspects of what I knew him (Lester) to be at Syracuse, but also you see a real emphasis on the stretch run game,” he said. “Some of those NFL kind of elements that have come to define that game.”
Pavia will be looking to make a statement, considering his harsh comments about the Heisman voters after finishing second in the final standings. Ferentz understands it’s going to be a challenge to contain Pavia, but believes his defense will be up to the task.
“Pick your poison, because he (Pavia) is elusive on the move,” he said. “When he breaks contain, those kind of things, typically bad thing are going to happen, so you try to be aggressive against the guy, but you also have to be really careful, and it’s like walking on ice in some ways.”
Vanderbilt (10-2) will be looking to reach another program milestone with 11 victories in a single-season. Regardless, the No. 23 Hawkeyes are no stranger to taking down SEC teams. This game has all of the ingredients of a thrilling classic, and several analysts are anticipating that it will go down to the wire. Ferentz will be looking to change the narrative on his performance against ranked teams, and what better way than to upset the No. 14 Commodores.
One thing is for certain, the winner of this game will get a jump start to the new year. Not to mention the winning team will have momentum when the transfer portal opens up in a couple of days. Which is why it’s significant for both coaches to take advantage of the spotlight.
