TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — In a New Year’s Eve clash defined by explosive plays and a relentless offensive showcase, the Iowa Hawkeyes outlasted the Vanderbilt Commodores 34-27 on Wednesday at Raymond James Stadium. The victory, sealed by a methodical fourth-quarter drive and a late field goal, improved Iowa to 9-4, while Vanderbilt, despite a prolific passing performance, fell to 10-3.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final five minutes, as Iowa, clinging to a 27-24 lead, engineered a decisive 14-play, 49-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes of clock. Facing a critical third down at the Vanderbilt 34, Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski connected with tight end DJ Vonnahme for an 8-yard completion to the 26, setting up a 44-yard field goal by Drew Stevens with 4:13 remaining. That kick extended Iowa’s lead to 34-24, forcing Vanderbilt to seek a touchdown on its final possession instead of a game-tying field goal.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who finished with 347 yards passing and three total touchdowns, drove the Commodores into field goal range, but the drive stalled at the Iowa 19. Brock Taylor’s 37-yard field goal with 2:57 left cut the deficit to 34-27, but the ensuing onside kick failed, and Iowa was able to run out the clock with a series of kneel-downs.

The game began as a defensive struggle, with Iowa striking first on its opening possession. Gronowski ignited the drive with a 44-yard scramble, and Kamari Moulton capped it with a 4-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. Vanderbilt’s offense, stifled by Iowa’s pressure early, managed only a 41-yard Taylor field goal in the second quarter. Iowa answered just before halftime, as Gronowski found Reece Vander Zee for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 46 seconds left, a score confirmed after an automatic review, to take a 14-3 lead into the break.

The third quarter erupted into a back-and-forth shootout. Iowa extended its lead to 21-3 on Gronowski’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Vonnahme. Vanderbilt responded instantly on the next play from scrimmage, as Pavia hit Tre Richardson on a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown. After an Iowa field goal made it 24-10, Pavia engineered another scoring drive, finding Joseph McVay for a 16-yard touchdown pass to pull within 24-17.

Iowa opened the fourth quarter with a 1-yard Gronowski quarterback sneak to push the lead back to 31-17. Undeterred, Pavia led Vanderbilt on a rapid 75-yard drive, culminating in his own 11-yard rushing touchdown to make it 31-24 with 11:19 remaining, setting the stage for the game’s decisive final sequences.

Gronowski, the top star for Iowa, was efficient and dynamic, completing 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards and another score on the ground. His primary target was Vonnahme, who hauled in seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. Moulton provided balance with 122 rushing yards and a score.

For Vanderbilt, Pavia’s connection with Richardson and Junior Sherrill was the engine of the offense. Richardson totaled 127 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches, while Sherrill added eight receptions for 123 yards. The Commodores’ defense was led by linebacker Langston Patterson with eight tackles and safety CJ Heard with seven, but they could not get a critical stop in the game’s final minutes.

The result defied pregame projections, as Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a 27-23 Iowa victory, while its ELO system gave Vanderbilt a 62.7% chance to win. The total points scored, 61, sailed over the posted over/under line of 45.5. The game was a fittingly dramatic conclusion to the 2025 season for both teams, with Iowa securing its ninth win and Vanderbilt suffering a hard-fought third loss in a campaign that included notable victories over LSU, Auburn, and Tennessee.