The good, bad and ugly moments in No. 21 Iowa football’s loss at No. 17 USC

LOS ANGELES — The tale of two halves struck the Hawkeyes, but instead of being on the happier side of a comeback football win, Iowa stood without a W to pack on the plane ride home.

No. 21 Iowa football’s 26-21 loss to No. 17 USC on Saturday marks the first time since 2022 the Hawkeyes have dealt with back-to-back losses. It adds another loss against a ranked team to the list — now stretching to 13 — and leaves more “what ifs” to ponder.

“They did the things they had to do to take control the game in the second quarter or second half,” Head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “But even then, it went right down to the wire ... tough loss, but we'll try to get back on our feet here tomorrow and go from there and finish this out.”

In all three of the Hawkeyes’ losses in Big Ten play, Iowa’s held the teams (Indiana, Oregon and USC) to a combined 64 points.

“Losing is hard,” Ferentz said. “Nobody works harder than the players. It's a short window for them, and they're the ones investing. They're the ones who are, you know, playing when they're sore, and doing all hard stuff you have to do but, but it's also part of the game.”

Rewinding the tape, here are the good, bad and ugly moments in Iowa’s 5-point loss to the Trojans on the road.

The good

Gronowski’s hat trick

Hat tricks are reserved for hockey, right? Not in quarterback Mark Gronowski’s case.

The graduate signal caller recorded his 13th rushing touchdown, his sixth passing touchdown and first receiving touchdown this season against the Trojans. All in the first half.

“We brought our own energy to start the game off,” Gronowski said. “I’m really proud of the guys. In that sense, we were ready to compete right out of the gate.”

Gronowski’s three plays gave the Hawkeyes the start they needed against a prolific offense like USC, giving Iowa up to a 14-point lead. It’s also the first time an Iowa quarterback recorded all three in a single game since at least 1994, according to Hawkeye Athletics.

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The second half’s lack of mirrored success dampened Gronowski’s explosive efforts, but he, along with offensive coordinator Tim Lester, put on a masterclass in how to score early and often — a goal the Hawkeyes had been itching to achieve all season.

The bad

The interception

Sometimes it’s not about missing a pass, it’s about ending up unlucky. Gronowski’s pass to receiver Jacob Gill on third-and-long in the third quarter ended up falling into the hands of defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart. It was his first pick of the season, and Gronowski’s fifth of the year.

It was a tipped ball, essentially slipping through the hands of Gill, bouncing off his knee and landing in Stewart’s lap. The interception eventually led to the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“I think if I had thrown it a step sooner, maybe it would’ve been incomplete, or would have been a completion,” Gronowski said. “I was reading more the front side of the play, a little too long, but again, tried throwing it away from the defender on that one.”

The “what if” game is one that haunts Iowa football’s 2025 season, and this play falls into that category. If the ball didn’t end up in Stewart’s hands, what happens in USC’s next drive? There’s no use of sweating it now, but it was a little micorcosm of what the Hawkeyes’ second half looked like from above.

The ugly

Unsportsmanlike conduct

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what was or wasn’t said, who said it and why. Iowa had already been called for five penalities throughout the game against USC, losing 55 yards over the course of nearly 60 minutes.

But the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty given to the Iowa coaching staff ultimately closed the case for the Trojans.

“To me, one of the assistants got on the field,” Ferentz said. “Apparently he literally stepped over the line.”

Had the Hawkeye defense gotten the stop on that final drive, there could’ve been a chance to have Kaden Wetjen try and return for a score, or set up a last-minute opportunity. Instead, it was a 15-yard free gain to the Trojans, who lined up in victory formation.

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