Iowa Hawkeyes Game Recap: Iowa 34, UAlbany 7

The Iowa Hawkeyes opened their 2025 season with a 34-7 win over UAlbany on Saturday. While the Hawks came away with a comfortable victory, it wasn’t quite as smooth as fans may have hoped—and honestly, it allowed one more point than my own prediction of 34-6.

A Slow Start Raises Eyebrows

I’ll be honest: I was a little panicked watching the first quarter. Iowa started slow, and it looked like UAlbany had a chance to hang around. The early struggles seemed to come from Iowa testing out new offensive schemes, and the rhythm just wasn’t there right away.

What was exciting, though, was seeing the Hawkeyes run an RPO-style offense. It’s something fans have been asking for, and it was refreshing to see a different look than the usual ground-and-pound.

Gronowski’s Uneven Debut

New quarterback Mark Gronowski never really seemed to settle in or find his rhythm. Instead of leaning into him to get comfortable, Iowa drifted back toward the familiar: the running game. Granted, the Hawks found huge success with the run, but the passing game remains a work in progress.

Young Running Backs Shine

If there was one big takeaway from this game, it was the backfield talent.

• Redshirt freshman Xavier Williams had a standout night, showing speed and burst.

• Sophomore Terrell Washington Jr. looked dynamic, keeping the offense moving.

• Kamari Moulton was impressive as well, but unfortunately left the game early with an injury.

The future at running back looks bright, even if injuries are already testing depth.

Defense: A Tale of Two Halves

Defensively, Iowa didn’t look like themselves out of the gate. UAlbany moved the ball early, and the Hawks’ “bend, don’t break” identity bent a little more than usual. But once the unit began to gel, they locked in and shut the door. The adjustments were clear, and UAlbany couldn’t keep pace.

Final Thoughts

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a win—and one that gave us a glimpse into what this team might look like moving forward. The RPO sets were encouraging, the young backs impressed, and the defense showed resiliency after a shaky start.

If Gronowski can settle down and the offense can find more balance, this Iowa team has the potential to be dangerous as the season rolls on.

Final Score: Iowa 34, UAlbany 7

Next up: the Cy-Hawk rivalry against Iowa State.