If you spent any time near Kinnick Stadium this past year, you know the vibe was... complicated. Every time people look at the iowa hawkeyes football schedule 2025, they see a 9-4 record and think "standard Iowa." But that's not the whole story. Honestly, the 2025 season was a meat grinder that almost broke the typical Ferentz formula.
It’s easy to look back now and say, "Oh, they beat Nebraska again," but the road to that ReliaQuest Bowl win over Vanderbilt was messy. Really messy. We had new faces, old rivalries, and a Big Ten landscape that feels less like a conference and more like a professional gauntlet these days.
The Brutal Reality of the Iowa Hawkeyes Football Schedule 2025
Let’s be real. The non-conference slate started off like a dream before hitting a Cy-Hawk-shaped wall.
The season kicked off on August 30 against UAlbany. It was a 34-7 blowout where Kirk Ferentz tied Woody Hayes for Big Ten wins. Historic? Sure. A real test? Not really. The real wake-up call came exactly one week later at Jack Trice Stadium.
Losing 16-13 to Iowa State on September 6 hurt. It always does. But seeing Mark Gronowski—the transfer QB everyone was pinning their hopes on—struggle early in that game set a tone of "uh oh" for the fan base. People were already calling into talk radio wondering if the offense was actually fixed.
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Then came the home stretch. We beat UMass 47-7 on September 13, but nobody was celebrating yet. We knew what was coming. The Big Ten opener against Rutgers on September 19 (a Friday night, by the way) was a grind-it-out 38-28 win that felt like vintage Iowa football.
Why October Felt Like a Lifetime
If the early season was a warm-up, October was the actual fire. On September 27, Indiana came into Iowa City and handed us a 20-15 loss. At the time, everyone was furious. Looking back? Indiana went on to be the conference champion and finished 15-0. We actually gave them one of their toughest games of the year.
After a much-needed bye week, the iowa hawkeyes football schedule 2025 took us to Madison on October 11.
If there’s one thing Iowa fans will remember from 2025, it’s that 37-0 shellacking of Wisconsin. It was pure dominance. Phil Parker’s defense looked like they were playing with 13 men on the field. That win set up a wild home stand that saw us edge out Penn State 25-24 on October 18 and then absolutely crush Minnesota 41-3 to keep Floyd of Rosedale in Iowa City on October 25.
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The West Coast Problem and the Finish Line
November is where things got weird.
The Big Ten expansion meant we had to host Oregon on November 8. The Ducks hadn't been to Kinnick since 1989. It was a heartbreaker. A 18-16 loss where we just couldn't punch it in late. Then, we had to fly across the country to face USC on November 15.
Jet lag is real. Or maybe USC is just fast. Either way, that 26-21 loss in LA was the low point of the second half of the season.
But you've gotta give it to this team. They didn't fold. They came back home and beat Michigan State 20-17 on Senior Day (November 22) before heading to Lincoln for the annual Black Friday clash.
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Beating Nebraska 40-16 on November 28 was the perfect way to end the regular season. It’s basically a tradition at this point. That win propelled us into the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve, where we took down Vanderbilt 34-27.
The 2025 Schedule and Results at a Glance
- Aug 30: UAlbany (W 34-7)
- Sep 6: at Iowa State (L 16-13)
- Sep 13: UMass (W 47-7)
- Sep 19: at Rutgers (W 38-28)
- Sep 27: Indiana (L 15-20)
- Oct 11: at Wisconsin (W 37-0)
- Oct 18: Penn State (W 25-24)
- Oct 25: Minnesota (W 41-3)
- Nov 8: Oregon (L 16-18)
- Nov 15: at USC (L 26-21)
- Nov 22: Michigan State (W 20-17)
- Nov 28: at Nebraska (W 40-16)
- Dec 31: vs Vanderbilt (W 34-27)
What We Learned from This Slate
Kaleb Johnson was a beast before he headed to the Steelers. Mark Gronowski ended up being exactly what we needed—a steady hand who could actually run the ball when the pocket collapsed. He tied the Big Ten record for rushing TDs by a QB with 16.
The iowa hawkeyes football schedule 2025 proved that the new Big Ten is going to be a struggle every single week. There are no "off" weeks anymore. Even the games we lost were close. We lost four games by a combined 15 points. That’s the difference between a 9-4 season and a 12-1 season.
Looking ahead, the 2026 season ticket renewals are already out. If you're planning on being at Kinnick, you've gotta realize that the home-field advantage is the only reason we survived that October stretch.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
- Review the 2026 Non-Conference Matchups: With the 2025 season in the books, keep an eye on the Northern Illinois and Iowa State dates for next fall.
- Check Ticket Renewal Deadlines: Hawkeye Athletics has already opened 2026 renewals as of early January.
- Watch the Transfer Portal: With guys like Gronowski and Logan Jones moving on, the spring portal window will determine if 2026 is a rebuild or a reload.