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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Iowa football falls apart in second half, loses to USC

The Hawkeyes blew a 21-10 halftime lead, and have now lost 13 straight against ranked teams.
Brad Schultz, Sports Editor
November 15, 2025
Emma Calabro
Iowa running back Kamari Moulton runs the ball during a matchup against the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. The Trojans beat the Hawks 26-21.

LOS ANGELES – After leading 21-10 at halftime, it looked like luck would finally be on Iowa football’s side. A 12-game losing streak to ranked teams was on the verge of ending, but then No. 17 USC decided to wake up, scoring 16 unanswered points on the way to a stunning 26-21 comeback victory.

Quarterback Mark Gronowski had a stellar game, completing 12 of his 19 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, but his Hawkeyes mustered just 108 total yards in the second half, including just 47 passing yards and an interception.

“Losing is hard. Nobody hurts harder than the players,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said after the game “.. I thought the guys did a great job getting ready to compete.”

First half 

Despite the wet conditions on the field, the Hawkeyes opened the game with three consecutive passing plays. That strategy worked to perfection, as two of the three passes went for big plays, highlighted by a 44-yard pass to wide receiver Jacob Gill. Iowa nearly got stuffed inside the five-yard line, but Gronowski found Dayton Howard in the back of the end zone for a two-yard score, marking just the second touchdown of Howard’s career and first this season.

A third down drop ended USC’s maiden possession, and the Hawkeyes had a golden opportunity for more points after Trojan punter Sam Johnson shanked one for just 19 yards, giving Iowa the ball in USC territory. But Gronowski’s third down pass to a wide-open Gill fell short, and the Hawks were forced to punt it away.

The Trojans handed Iowa another short field after turning it over on downs on their next drive, and the Hawkeyes wouldn’t let the chance slip away again. A pass interference call on third down helped extend the drive, and Gronowski tussled his way through an array of tacklers for a one-yard touchdown to give Iowa a 14-0 lead just minutes into the second quarter. It was Gronowski’s 13th rushing score of the season and continued his streak of having a rushing touchdown in each game this season.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava responded by making several clutch throws to lead his team into the end zone, but the Hawkeyes turned into the Philadelphia Eagles – literally – on their next series,  scoring on the famed “Philly Special” trick play that was popularized during the Eagles’ victory in Super Bowl LII.

“Every time we ran it [in practice] it worked,” wide receiver Reece Vander Zee, who threw the touchdown pass and played quarterback in high school, said. “[We were] definitely excited [coming out of the huddle]. It was a chance to make a play for our team.”

The Trojans threatened to slice the deficit down to one score,  but the Iowa defense managed to hold them to a field goal attempt, which Ryon Sayeri drilled from 41 yards out, and the Hawkeyes led 21-10 at the break.

Second Half 

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava opened the half on a heater. The Hawkeyes didn’t allow many open passing lanes, but struggled to get pressure on Maiava, and he responded by leading consecutive scoring drives, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Makai Lemon on the Trojans’ second drive of the half.

The touchdown catch was part of a monster game for Lemon, who would go on to collect 153 receiving yards on 11 targets. His co-star Ja’ Kobi Lane also made things challenging for the Iowa secondary all afternoon, and he ended the game with 65 yards on seven receptions.

“[There’s] two really good players out there making plays,” fourth-year safety Xavier Nwankpa said. “We had chances, but at the end of the day we just couldn’t get it done.”

The two-point try was no good, but Iowa’s lead was down to just 21-19, and the Hawkeyes were in desperate need of a response.

But the only team that would respond was USC. Running back Kamari Moulton appeared to be grabbed by his facemask on a minimal second down run, but the officials didn’t throw a flag, a decision Ferentz didn’t agree with.

“I thought I saw a couple of things that maybe could’ve gone the other way. Apparently nobody thought it was flag worthy,” Ferentz added.

While Moulton remembers the play vividly, his mindset was to move on to the next play.

“You just have to continue to play through it and try to get to the next one,” Moulton said.

That miss proved costly, as Gronowski’s pass on third and long was tipped and intercepted by USC’s Jahkeem Stewart, who rumbled to the Iowa 40 before being tackled.

The Trojans would take advantage of the short field, and Bryan Jackson’s second score of the day gave USC its first lead of the afternoon, 26-21.

Like the Oregon game last weekend, Iowa needed a 90-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. The Hawkeyes reached the USC 29, but Wetjen was unable to get a foot in bounds on a 4th and 6, turning the ball over to the Trojans.

Even with three timeouts in their back pocket, the Hawkeye defense was unable to stop USC, and the Trojans were able to run out the clock and seal a huge victory.

Up next 

The Hawkeyes, now 6-4 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten play, return to action next Saturday, Nov. 22, for their home finale against Michigan State. Kickoff time will be announced later this weekend.