Iowa Cruises Past UMass 47–7, Ferentz Collects Career Win No. 206

Kirk Ferentz added another milestone to his Hall of Fame résumé on Saturday, securing his 206th career win at Iowa as the Hawkeyes rolled over UMass 47–7 at Kinnick Stadium. While the competition wasn’t top-tier, Iowa put together one of its most balanced performances of the young season, showing growth on both sides of the ball heading into conference play.

Offense Shows Life Behind Gronowski

The biggest takeaway was how comfortable quarterback Mark Gronowski looked running the offense. After a shaky couple of weeks with passes skipping short or dying in the dirt, Gronowski was sharp against the Minutemen. He finished 16-of-24 for 179 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while also adding a rushing score. He delivered catchable balls in rhythm, a noticeable step forward compared to earlier games.

The passing game wasn’t flawless, though. Iowa’s receivers still struggled with dropped passes and had trouble creating separation against UMass defenders. Still, the execution looked cleaner overall, and the rhythm of the passing attack was more consistent than we’ve seen so far.

On the ground, the Hawkeyes churned out steady gains to complement the passing game, keeping the Minutemen defense guessing and setting up scoring drives.

Special Teams Still a Concern

For all the positives, special teams remain an issue. Kicker Drew Stevens missed a PAT and a 38-yard field goal, while the punting game had its own share of problems, including a blocked punt and several shorter-than-ideal kicks. Having attended the game, I noticed the specialists working on snaps between the long snapper, holder, and punter. It wasn’t clear if the problem is the snap placement or the execution on the catch and hold, but either way, this phase of the game needs cleaning up before Big Ten play.

Defense Locked In

Defensively, Iowa looked like Iowa. The Hawkeyes gave up just one touchdown, and it came on a broken scramble play by the UMass quarterback. Outside of that, Phil Parker’s group suffocated the Minutemen, holding them to 93 passing yards and only 26 rushing yards while racking up five sacks. It was a connected, disciplined effort that set the tone all night.

Special Moment in the Return Game

Return man Kaidon Wetjen looked close to breaking one all game — and he finally did in the third quarter, racing 95 yards on a punt return for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the excitement was cut short by a scary injury to UMass corner TJ Magee, who went down on the play and had to be carted off the field before being transported to the hospital. Thankfully, positive updates came later that Magee was alert and had movement in all extremities.

The injury seemed to take the wind out of both teams’ sails, and the pace slowed considerably over the final quarter and a half.

Looking Ahead

While UMass wasn’t the toughest test Iowa will face, this was the type of performance the Hawkeyes needed heading into Big Ten play. The offense showed growth, the defense looked as tough as ever, and even with lingering special teams concerns, the team walked away with confidence and momentum.

Next week, Iowa opens its conference slate against Rutgers — and that will be a much clearer test of just how far this team has come.