Iowa takes down Minnesota in all-around dominant performance

Mark Gronowski passed for one touchdown and rushed for another, and Iowa pulled away for a commanding 41-3 win over Minnesota in a Big Ten Conference contest Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. Gronowski completed 12 of 19 passes for 135 yards and a score for Iowa (6-2, 4-1), which won its third game in a row. The quarterback also had nine carries for 24 yards and a score. Drake Lindsey completed 16 of 28 passes for 109 yards but threw three interceptions for Minnesota (5-3, 3-2). Le'Meke Brockington finished with six receptions for 54 yards. In a complete team effort, the Hawkeyes also tallied one touchdown apiece on defense and special teams. Zach Lutmer had a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Kaden Wetjen returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota managed only 133 yards of total offense, including 109 passing yards and 24 rushing yards. Iowa finished with 274 total yards, including 141 in the air and 133 on the ground. The Hawkeyes stormed to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and a 31-0 lead by halftime. Gronowski started the scoring with a 2-yard run across the goal line on the Hawkeyes' opening drive. It marked his 11th rushing touchdown in eight games this season. Drew Stevens followed with a 34-yard field goal to make it 10-0 late in the first quarter. Twenty-two seconds later, Lutmer picked off Lindsey for a 34-yard touchdown to increase Iowa's lead to 17-0. He made a leaping grab and broke a pair of tackles on his way to the end zone. The Hawkeyes' dominant first half continued as Gronowski connected with Reece Vander Zee for a 29-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to make it 24-0. Wetjen pushed the lead to 31-0 with his 50-yard punt return score two minutes and 10 seconds later. He slipped past a would-be tackler and followed a blocker toward the end zone. Stevens added a 46-yard field goal and backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski scored on a 6-yard touchdown run in the second half for Iowa. Minnesota avoided the shutout with a 34-yard field goal by Brady Denaburg in the final seconds of the third quarter. –Field Level Media

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