Aug 9, 2025; Iowa defensive lineman Aaron Graves (95) looks on during the Hawkeyes Kids Day NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress for the Des Moines Register Joseph Cress/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three Last-Minute Iowa Predictions vs. Rutgers

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Iowa Hawkeyes 47-7 domination over UMass last week could be seen as a tune-up game for their conference opener. Knowing how the Hawkeyes hung in there against Iowa State two weeks ago, many are giving Iowa the slight edge even though Rutgers is set to play their fourth straight home game.

Speaking of four, that's the number of times Iowa and Rutgers have faced each other. Even though it's a small sample size, Iowa has crushed the Scarlet Knights across those four games. With a perfect 4-0 record, QB Mark Gronowski's Week 3 performance gave him a new set of confidence.

1. Mark Gronowski Reaches 40 Rushing Yards

One of the biggest things to takeaway from Gronowski's recent interview was the fact that he believes this is going to be a 50/50 offense. Despite the team having ran the ball nearly two times the amount they've thrown it, there certainly is potential.

That said, Gronowski's real potential remains on the ground. He's only ran for more than 500 yards in a season once, and that was back in his 2020 rookie season. After missing all of 2021, he surpassed 400 rushing yards in both 2022 and 2023.

So far this season, the fifth-year senior's total sits at 88 yards. He's done so on 33 carries for a career-low 2.7 yards per attempt. Despite already having three rushing touchdowns, HC Kirk Ferentz may decide to open up a new element to his QB's game. Rutgers defense is no joke, but Gronowski ran the ball 16 times for 37 yards against No. 16 Iowa State two weeks ago.

2. Iowa's Defense Unleashes a Sack Party

If there's one element of Rutgers game that is far from perfect, it's their offensive line. The Scarlet Knights have allowed six sacks these past two weeks against team's with a defensive front that is nowhere near comparable to the Hawkeyes.

In total, Rutgers has allowed seven sacks this season. Coincidentally, Iowa has seven sacks through their first three games. Led by senior DL Max Llewellyn, Iowa's defense is going to cause chaos and wreak havoc on the Scarlet Knights.

3. Jaziun Patterson Gets His First Touchdown

When it comes to the Hawkeyes' dominant running back trio, junior Jaziun Patterson has the most carries. Gronowski leads the team with 33, but Patterson is not far behind with his 28. The team's leading rusher, freshman Xavier Williams, has 26 carries for 186 yards and a touchdown.

Behind those three is sophomore Terreell Washington Jr. The 5'10'' 208-pound back may not have over 100 yards, but he's one of four players on the team with over 20 rushing attempts. Washington Jr. is in a similar position as Patterson with both searching for their first touchdown. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Iowa and Rutgers get themselves into a shoot-out. Touchdowns will be at a premium with one of them going to Patterson.

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