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Game Report: No. 17 USC Trojans 26, No. 21 Iowa 21
Iowa builds a two-touchdown lead, is ahead at halftime, 21-10, but doesn’t score in the second half to lose yet another heartbreaker, this one to USC, 26-21, Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Nov. 15, 2025 6:07 pm
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A closer look at the USC Trojans’ come-from-behind 26-21 win Saturday afternoon over the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum:
Turning point
Iowa was nursing a 21-19 lead late in the third quarter. On a third-and-5 play from the Hawkeyes 43, quarterback Mark Gronowski scrambled to his right toward the sideline and fired a low pass to wide receiver Jacob Gill.
Gill went down on his knees to cradle the ball, but diving USC defensive back Marcelles Williams reached in and got a couple of fingertips on the football. That caused it to hit off of Gill, ricocheting forward and directly to USC’s Jahkeem Stewart for an interception at the Iowa 40.
With a short field, USC was able to get what turned out to be the winning touchdown: a 1-yard run from Bryan Jackson early in the fourth quarter. That gave the Trojans a 26-21 lead, and that was pretty much that.
Iowa did move from its 10 to the USC 29 late in the fourth. But a long fourth-and-6 pass attempt from Gronowski to Kaden Wetjen down the left sideline went incomplete.
Wetjen did haul in the pass, but was pushed in the air by a USC defender and out of bounds, one of his feet landing just on the sideline, a play that was upheld after video review.
By the numbers
0 — Iowa points in the second half.
16 — USC points in the second half.
108 — Iowa offensive yards in the second half.
212 — Iowa offensive yards in the first half.
Notebook
* This was the first loss for an Iowa team that led by 14 or more points in a game since Oct. 31, 2020, the shortened COVID season.
The Hawkeyes led Northwestern, 17-0, after the first quarter of that game. The Wildcats rallied to post a 21-20.
* Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski scored a touchdown on a 1-yard “tush push” in the opening minute of the second quarter. He has at least one rushing TD in all 10 of Iowa’s games.
That is a Big Ten Conference record. Gronowski is one of three quarterbacks nationally to have a rushing touchdown in every game this season.
Gronowski also threw a touchdown pass and caught a touchdown pass in the first half. His TD pass came on the opening drive of the game, a 2-yarder to wide receiver Dayton Howard.
Late in the second quarter, Iowa pulled out a trick play on first-and-goal from the USC 5. Gronowski handed off to wide receiver on a jet sweep left to Kaden Wejten, with Wejten pitching to wide receiver Reece Vander Zee coming back around right on an apparent reverse.
But Vander Zee pulled up and threw a pass to an open Gronowski, who had floated to the right corner of the end zone. That gave Iowa a 21-7 lead with 3:24 left in the first half.
* This was the first time Iowa played against USC in Los Angeles since 1976. That did not go well for the Hawkeyes.
USC won 55-0. Bob Commings was Iowa’s head coach.
Injury report
A very light list pregame for Iowa. Only wide receiver Jarriett Buie was listed on the injury report and as “Out.”
Offensive linemen Beau Stephens and Kaden Pieper were hurt during the game for the Hawkeyes.
Next game
Iowa returns to Kinnick Stadium for the home finale this coming Saturday. Senior Day’s opponent is Michigan State (3-7), which lost Saturday to Penn State at home.
Game time has not yet been determined. It’ll be either 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m.
What network will televise it also is unknown.
Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com
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