There is the offense Iowa fans have been waiting for!
It took three weeks, but the Iowa offense finally showed up in a dominating 47-7 win over the UMass Minutemen. Iowa scored 20 points in the first quarter and never looked back as the Hawkeyes finally put together a complete game.
The offense looked dynamic, the defense was suffocating, and the special teams finally showed up (excluding a horrible blocked punt).
Here are three main takeaways from the Iowa victory over UMass.
This is the Mark Gronowski we have been waiting for
Iowa QB1 Mark Gronowski had a rough start to the season, compiling only 127 passing yards through his first two games.
Gronowski and the Iowa offense looked out of sync in the first two games, causing the defense to have to take on a heavier workload.
After losing two of their top pass catchers to injury, including tight end Addison Ostrenga (Achilles) and receiver Reece Vander Zee (foot), Iowa fans feared the worst.
Gronowski said forget all of that, and reached back for another level that we have not seen since his days at South Dakota State.
After not throwing a touchdown against Iowa State, Gronowski threw two against UMass, including one two minutes into the game.
Gronowski finished with 179 passing yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for one more in a vintage performance.
UMass is a weaker opponent, but it was good to see Gronowski and the receivers clicking in this game.
The running backs showed off their versatility
The Iowa program is traditionally known for its prowess in the run game, and it showed up in a big way on Saturday.
The entire offense struggled last week against Iowa State, except for a few sustained drives, and the passing and rushing attacks were nonexistent.
The game against UMass was a good chance for the offense and the running attack to reset. During the game, five running backs received a carry, alongside Gronowski and receiver Kaden Wetjen.
The backfield was led by freshman sensation Nathan McNeil, who tallied 56 yards on 10 carries. Jaziun Patterson also received 10 carries, tallying 54 rushing yards.
Iowa spread the rock around and used the push created by the offensive line to gash the UMass defense.
The special teams unit finally had an impact
Ignoring the blocked punt that UMass had on Rhys Dakin to set up their only score of the game, the special teams unit had a solid game. Penalties and poor punts cost the Hawkeyes last week, but they flipped the script this week.
The unit was headlined by return specialist Kaden Wetjen who tied the record for the longest punt return for a touchdown in Iowa history (95 yards).
Wetjen was close to breaking one all game, and finally got to the outside and broke a big return in the third quarter and put the finishing touches on a great bounce back game.
Iowa needed this win in the biggest way, and dominated in all three phases of the game. The Hawkeyes start Big Ten Conference play next weekend with a road game in Piscataway, New Jersey, against Rutgers.