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Iowa's Kirk Ferentz becomes Big Ten's winningest coach as Hawkeyes beat Massachusetts, 47-7

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz becomes Big Ten's winningest coach as Hawkeyes beat Massachusetts, 47-7
TO BE AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE, LET’S TALK IOWA. NO REASON THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BLOWN OUT UMASS ON SATURDAY NIGHT. MINUTEMEN ZERO TWO WITH LOSSES TO TEMPLE AND BRYANT. IF THERE’S SUCH THING AS A GET RIGHT GAME, THIS WAS IT FOR THE HAWKEYES AND FOR KIRK FERENTZ. HISTORY WAS MADE AS THE HAWKEYES WERE TRYING TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER THAT SATURDAY NIGHT LOSS IN THE CY-HAWK GAME LAST WEEK. MARK GRONOWSKI JUST 127 PASSING YARDS THROUGH TWO GAMES. THOSE NUMBERS WENT UP QUICKLY IN THIS ONE. FIRST DRIVE TOOK THREE PLAYS AND IT’S CAPPED OFF GRONOWSKI FINDING SETH ANDERSON OVER THE MIDDLE ON THE RPO. HAWKEYES TAKE A SEVEN NOTHING LEAD. SECOND DRIVE. THAT CONNECTION HOOKS UP AGAIN, THIS TIME JUST FOR THREE YARDS. HAWKEYES LEAD 13. NOTHING AFTER THE MISS PATTY, THE TEAM WAS CRUISING AND THEY KEPT ON ADDING. AND HOW ABOUT A THIRD TOUCHDOWN IN THE FIRST QUARTER ALONE? KADEN WIEGMANN BOUNCING OUTSIDE 20 YARDS OUT. IT’S 20 NOTHING IOWA LOOKING GOOD. THAT’S A BEAUTY OF A DRIVE RIGHT THERE. I BET CADEN’S CLOSE TO A SCRATCH HANDICAP. BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY NIGHT. MARK GRONOWSKI ON THE RUN. IT WAS 23 SEVEN AT THIS POINT. QB DRAW MAKES IT 30 TO 7. KIRK FERENTZ WAS GETTING A HALF CLOSER TO 206. SECOND HALF. WE HAVE OUR FIRST SPECIAL TEAMS TOUCHDOWN OF THE SEASON. KADEN WIEGERT DID IT ON THE GROUND EARLIER. HE’S GOING TO DO IT IN A BIG WAY HERE. ALL AMERICAN LAST YEAR AND HE’S PROVEN WHY RIGHT HERE. 95 YARDS TO THE HOUSE. AIN’T TOO SHABBY. HAWKEYES DO EXACTLY EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THIS GAME. THEY TAKE OUT SOME MUCH NEEDED ANGER AND PERHAPS SOME FRUSTRATION ON UMASS 47. THE FINAL 47 SEVEN. THE FINAL. KIRK FERENTZ 206 WINS. THE BIG TEN. HEAD COACH MOST ALL TIME.
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Updated: 8:32 PM CDT Sep 14, 2025
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Iowa's Kirk Ferentz becomes Big Ten's winningest coach as Hawkeyes beat Massachusetts, 47-7
AP logo
Updated: 8:32 PM CDT Sep 14, 2025
Editorial Standards
Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Kaden Wetjen scored two touchdowns as Iowa defeated Massachusetts 47-7 on Saturday night, making Kirk Ferentz the Big Ten’s winningest coach.It was the 206th win for Ferentz, who surpassed Ohio State's Woody Hayes.Watch above: Highlights from Iowa's resounding win over UMass "It's not something you think about it and it's never been a goal of mine," Ferentz said. "Being a head coach was never really a goal of mine. The whole concept was just do the best you can at whatever you're doing. Things have worked out. I've found a great place and been around a lot of great people."His players appreciated the significance of the win."It was really good to get that (win) for him tonight," Wetjen said. "It's been super cool to learn from him. Every time he says something, it's something you can take away and learn from.""In all the meetings that we've had with him, we make sure all of us are taking notes, because he'll have some story that's going to connect to something that's going on in our lives," Gronowski said. "So it's really special to have him as a coach and have someone that knows so much about the game and history of football."Watch: Kirk Ferentz sets Big Ten wins recordGronowski, who transferred from South Dakota State after last season, completed touchdown passes of 20 and 3 yards to Seth Anderson on Iowa's first two possessions of the game. He added a 13-yard touchdown run with 26 seconds left in the first half to give the Hawkeyes (2-1) a 30-7 halftime lead."We were talking all week about how we needed to start fast," Gronowski said.Gronowski, who entered ranked 130th in NCAA Division I in yards passing per game with 63.5, threw for 179 yards, completing 16 of 24 passes."I expected them to throw to get him ready for Big Ten play," Massachusetts coach Joe Harasymiak said. "I know from probably the way he's played the first two weeks they weren't very happy with that. So they needed to get him going."Wetjen scored on a 20-yard end-around in the first quarter, then tied a program record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter."I don't know if you guys saw it, but I about fell on my face (on the punt return)" said Wetjen, who had 216 yards on four punt returns and one kick return. "I was gassed."Drew Stevens had field goals of 54 and 27 yards for the Hawkeyes. Backup quarterback Hank Brown threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to KJ Parker in the fourth quarter.Iowa held the Minutemen (0-3) to just 119 yards. Massachusetts had zero yards rushing on 16 carries in the first half. WATCH: Kaden Wetjen breaks 95-yard punt return for a touchdownMassachusetts player injuredMassachusetts junior cornerback TJ Magee had to be taken from the field on a cart after being injured on Wetjen's punt return for a touchdown.Magee was blocked by Iowa's Kael Kolarik on the return and fell into a teammate. Television replays showed Magee's head snapped back on the second hit.The game was delayed for several minutes as Magee was tended to by the training staffs of the Minutemen and Iowa. He was immobilized on a back board and was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, across the street from Kinnick Stadium, for further evaluation. Massachusetts officials said in a statement that Magee was "alert and moving his extremities.""When I left him, he was moving everything, which was a really good sign," Harasymiak said. "Other than that, I don't know anything more than that, but he was good. He told me to tell his mom he's OK. That was a positive."Watch: Kirk Ferentz makes history in Big Ten footballUp nextUMass: At Missouri on Sept. 27.Iowa: At Rutgers on Friday.

Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Kaden Wetjen scored two touchdowns as Iowa defeated Massachusetts 47-7 on Saturday night, making Kirk Ferentz the Big Ten’s winningest coach.

It was the 206th win for Ferentz, who surpassed Ohio State's Woody Hayes.

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Watch above: Highlights from Iowa's resounding win over UMass

"It's not something you think about it and it's never been a goal of mine," Ferentz said. "Being a head coach was never really a goal of mine. The whole concept was just do the best you can at whatever you're doing. Things have worked out. I've found a great place and been around a lot of great people."

His players appreciated the significance of the win.

"It was really good to get that (win) for him tonight," Wetjen said. "It's been super cool to learn from him. Every time he says something, it's something you can take away and learn from."

"In all the meetings that we've had with him, we make sure all of us are taking notes, because he'll have some story that's going to connect to something that's going on in our lives," Gronowski said. "So it's really special to have him as a coach and have someone that knows so much about the game and history of football."

Watch: Kirk Ferentz sets Big Ten wins record

Gronowski, who transferred from South Dakota State after last season, completed touchdown passes of 20 and 3 yards to Seth Anderson on Iowa's first two possessions of the game. He added a 13-yard touchdown run with 26 seconds left in the first half to give the Hawkeyes (2-1) a 30-7 halftime lead.

"We were talking all week about how we needed to start fast," Gronowski said.

Gronowski, who entered ranked 130th in NCAA Division I in yards passing per game with 63.5, threw for 179 yards, completing 16 of 24 passes.

"I expected them to throw to get him ready for Big Ten play," Massachusetts coach Joe Harasymiak said. "I know from probably the way he's played the first two weeks they weren't very happy with that. So they needed to get him going."

Wetjen scored on a 20-yard end-around in the first quarter, then tied a program record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter.

"I don't know if you guys saw it, but I about fell on my face (on the punt return)" said Wetjen, who had 216 yards on four punt returns and one kick return. "I was gassed."

Drew Stevens had field goals of 54 and 27 yards for the Hawkeyes. Backup quarterback Hank Brown threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to KJ Parker in the fourth quarter.

Iowa held the Minutemen (0-3) to just 119 yards. Massachusetts had zero yards rushing on 16 carries in the first half.

WATCH: Kaden Wetjen breaks 95-yard punt return for a touchdown

Massachusetts player injured

Massachusetts junior cornerback TJ Magee had to be taken from the field on a cart after being injured on Wetjen's punt return for a touchdown.

Magee was blocked by Iowa's Kael Kolarik on the return and fell into a teammate. Television replays showed Magee's head snapped back on the second hit.

The game was delayed for several minutes as Magee was tended to by the training staffs of the Minutemen and Iowa. He was immobilized on a back board and was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, across the street from Kinnick Stadium, for further evaluation. Massachusetts officials said in a statement that Magee was "alert and moving his extremities."

"When I left him, he was moving everything, which was a really good sign," Harasymiak said. "Other than that, I don't know anything more than that, but he was good. He told me to tell his mom he's OK. That was a positive."

Watch: Kirk Ferentz makes history in Big Ten football

Up next

UMass: At Missouri on Sept. 27.

Iowa: At Rutgers on Friday.

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