It only took three weeks, but we finally got a vintage Mark Gronowski performance.
After two subpar games to start the season, Gronowski and the Iowa offense came out slinging the ball early and often as they emphasized the passing game.
We have not seen this version of Gronowski since his time at South Dakota State where he always looked in control of the offense.
During his career with the Jackrabbits, Gronowski accumulated 10,330 passing yards and 93 touchdowns, with a 63 percent completion percentage.
He also tallied 1,767 rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns on 385 carries.
Gronowski has the experience and pedigree to be a successful quarterback at the FBS level, but had not shown that until the game against UMass.
While UMass is not a strong opponent, it was good to see Gronowski and the Iowa offense finally get on the same page and hit some deep shots down the field.
Entering the game against UMass, Gronowski registered only 127 passing yards and was more effective using his legs.
During Saturday's win over UMass, Gronowski flipped the script and showed he can sling it around the yard if he is called upon.
Gronowski finished the game with 179 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, and 12 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
His stats would have been even more impressive if it weren't for a few drops by the Iowa receivers, a lingering issue for the Iowa offense.
Overall, Gronowski had a solid performance, albeit against a weaker opponent, and it was good to see him sling it downfield with some consistency. It would have been better if he threw for 200+ yards against such a weak opponent, but he definitely improved.
Final grade: B+