Gronowski’s Curious Take on Iowa’s Offensive Identity
Iowa football has always been built around the ground game, and that tradition has carried right into the 2025 season. Senior quarterback Mark Gronowski, who transferred in with the hopes of leading the Hawkeyes, has found himself at the center of the discussion about what this team really is offensively. After three games, Iowa has thrown the ball just 63 times while running it 132 times. That’s almost a two-to-one run-to-pass ratio, and it’s a clear reflection of head coach Kirk Ferentz’s philosophy. Ferentz has been at the helm since 1999, and his style has rarely wavered—pound the football, control the tempo, and wear teams down.
But Gronowski raised some eyebrows when he made a comment suggesting that Iowa’s offense is actually aiming for balance. Ahead of their upcoming Big Ten opener against Rutgers, the quarterback told reporters that he believes the Hawkeyes are working toward a true 50/50 split between running and passing. He praised the run game, pointing out the 400 yards of offense Iowa piled up last week, but he also emphasized the need to stretch the ball downfield. In his words, when the pass game opens up, it helps the run game, and when the run game works, it creates opportunities through the air.
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On paper, though, the numbers don’t exactly back up the idea of a balanced attack. In Week 1, Iowa attempted just 16 passes compared to 53 runs. Week 2 showed a slight shift with 24 passes and 39 runs. The closest Iowa has come to balance was last week, when Gronowski threw it 31 times while the backs carried it 40 times. Even then, the edge stayed with the rushing attack. Realistically, most expect Iowa to settle into something like a 65/35 split for the rest of the season. That’s not unusual for Ferentz, who has leaned on physical backs and strong offensive lines throughout his tenure.
The challenge for Gronowski is that the passing game hasn’t truly clicked yet, and part of that is on the receivers. Drops have been a recurring issue in each of the first three games. At least two or three critical passes have been dropped per contest, killing drives and stalling momentum. During his weekly press conference, Ferentz addressed the problem with a bit of humor, saying that receivers are called receivers for a reason, not “wide droppers.” Still, he admitted that better focus and consistency are needed across the board, whether it’s from quarterbacks delivering the ball cleanly or receivers securing it.
So as Iowa enters the heart of Big Ten play, there’s a lingering question: is this offense truly evolving toward balance, or was Gronowski’s comment more optimistic than realistic? Given Ferentz’s history and the team’s current trends, the run game will likely remain the backbone. But if the passing game finds rhythm and receivers step up, the Hawkeyes could show a more dangerous dimension than fans are used to seeing. For now, the identity of Iowa’s offense remains a little puzzling, and all eyes will be on how Gronowski and his teammates handle Rutgers and the rest of the conference slate.
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