Vanderbilt Football is heading to a bowl game for the eleventh time in program history. The Commodores had their best regular season ever, going 10-2 overall and 6-2 in SEC play. They defeated four ranked teams and were ranked in 13 consecutive AP Polls heading into the postseason — a program record. They also came in at No. 14 team in the final College Football Playoff ranking.

Vanderbilt was not selected to play in the CFP despite its successes in an SEC that is sending five other squads to compete for the National Championship. The Commodores still received numerous awards for their excellent year, though. Tight end Eli Stowers led the way, earning All-American honors as well as the Mackey and Campbell awards. Star quarterback Diego Pavia won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award and was the runner-up for the prestigious Heisman trophy.

The team was selected to head to Tampa, Florida, to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl, where the No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes await them. Iowa is a formidable team that plays an old-school style of football where the battle in the trenches determines game outcomes. The Hawkeyes went 8-4 on the year, having lost each of their four ranked games.

Iowa boasts a physically imposing defense that ranks eighth in the country in total defense, which will surely test the Commodores, who are the No. 8 scoring offense in the FBS. Offensively, the Hawkeyes play a traditional run-first game, aiming to wear down the clock rather than rely on splash plays. Vanderbilt opened as a (-5.5) point favorite in the game, but Iowa will be a stern test as it looks to reach 11 wins for the first time.

Let’s take a look at what the Commodores will be facing in Tampa in a few days.

Panhandlers

Iowa’s identity is on the defensive side of the ball, but its offense has shown significant improvement compared to past years. At the center of its game plan is a stout run game, as the Hawkeyes averaged 177.8 yards on the ground per game this season.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lester calls a very traditional run game plan, focusing on draws and other inside handoffs. Success on the ground is largely led by the dominance of the Hawkeyes’ offensive line, which is one of the best in the nation and led by All-Americans in center Logan Jones and guard Beau Stephens. The group also just won the Joe Moore award given to the best line in the country. The unit allows just 1.33 sacks and 3 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) per game, which ranks them in the top quartile of the FBS.

The Hawkeyes’ running back room is headed by sophomore Kamari Moulton, who has run for 783 yards on 156 carries this season. Moulton is a physical runner who fights for every blade of grass and can push through multiple tacklers. He is excellent at finding space on toss plays in addition to inside carries. Jaziun Patterson and Xavier Williams also receive many handoffs, and the trio have all averaged more than five yards per carry (YPC) this season.

As for the Commodores, they’ve boasted one of the best run defenses in the country this year, holding opponents to just 103.2 yards per game and only 57 in their last two games. While many SEC teams are successful on the ground because of quick and athletic backs, Iowa’s physicality will offer Vanderbilt a unique challenge it has not yet seen this year. Defensive coordinator Steve Gregory has been especially aggressive at sending secondary plays to stop ball-carriers — expect to see more of this to counter Iowa’s running attack. Don’t be surprised, though, if Iowa’s strength on the line of scrimmage gives the smaller Vanderbilt defenders trouble.

Florida man

Under center for Vanderbilt, Pavia is known for his grittiness and creativity on the field. While his numbers and national recognition are not quite to Pavia’s level, Iowa’s Mark Gronowski is an incredible dual-threat quarterback in his own right. The senior threw for 1,529 yards in his first season as a Hawkeye after spending four years as the starting quarterback for South Dakota State, where he won back-to-back FCS national championships in 2022 and 2023.

Gronowski is not the flashiest passer, averaging just 6.4 yards per completion, but he consistently makes the right reads and is great at finding open receivers on shallow crossing and out-routes.

The Naperville, Illinois, native is at his best when on his feet, though. He is extremely aware of defensive pressure and can escape the pocket with ease. When this happens, he is often liable to break away for big runs. Gronowski ran for 491 yards this year on 120 attempts and was especially effective when running in the red zone as he led all Power Four quarterbacks with 15 rushing touchdowns.

He is also perhaps the best quarterback in college football at executing the “tush push” play, as his 235-pound frame makes it hard to stop him when he leaps over the line of scrimmage and has momentum. It will be quite the challenge for Gregory and Vanderbilt’s defense to contain Gronowski, as they have not faced a quarterback as mobile as him. The solution to this will most likely be always having a spy on the Hawkeye star, which is not something Gregory has done much of this year.

The hurricane

Iowa is often regarded as one of the premier programs in the country for tight end development, having produced notable NFL talent in recent years, including George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson. While the Commodores boast this season’s Mackey Award winner, true freshman DJ Vonnahme has been the Hawkeyes’ leading pass-catcher this year.

The Breda, Iowa, native averaged 13.1 yards per reception this year and earned the starting tight end role by mid-season. He seemed to gain more trust from the coaching staff each week and had his best performance of the year in the team’s regular season finale against Nebraska, where he had 91 yards and a touchdown.

Vonnahme is very good at attacking zone coverages, where he often finds space in the middle of the field or stays near the line-of-scrimmage as a safety valve for Gronowski. His 6’4, 240-pound frame makes him hard to tackle once he has the ball and an incredible blocker in running situations. It will be interesting to see how Gregory places Vanderbilt’s linebackers, as they will have to deal with Vonnahme in addition to Gronowski’s running.

Tropical lockdown

While its offense has shown substantial improvement compared to prior years, Iowa’s identity lies in its signature hard-hitting, gritty defense. Phil Parker, who is in his 14^th season as defensive coordinator for the Hawkeyes, has consistently developed defensive units ranked among the best in the country.

Although their 8-4 record may raise eyebrows about their ability to win big games, the Hawkeyes defense always shows up — all four of Iowa’s losses have been by a combined 15 points. This unit held No. 1 Indiana to 20 points and No. 5 Oregon to just 18. In fact, Iowa did not allow any team to breach 30 points this season, resulting in bogged-down, war-like matchups. The defense is No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 7 nationally in yards per game allowed (270.6) and is No. 9 nationally in yards allowed per play (4.52).

The Hawkeyes aren’t flashy compared to other great defenses. They play the traditional, proper way: moving eleven players toward the ball and refusing to get beaten by big plays. The Hawkeyes typically play with four men on the line, occasionally throwing an extra rusher or two with a zone-heavy scheme behind it that mixes in efficient man coverage. They will vary between a 4-2-5 and a 4-3 formation, but they tend to lean to their 4-2-5 as their defensive backs have proven to be incredibly versatile. Their defensive line gets frequent penetration balanced with intelligent athletes to create a consistently oppressive unit.

This matchup with Vanderbilt will be a battle of strengths. The Commodores boast one of the most intense, dynamic offenses in the nation, whereas Iowa brings the crushing pressure of a dominant Big 10 defense. If Vanderbilt wants to earn the edge, it will have to take advantage of the Hawkeyes’ soft zones and go after what has been one of Iowa’s biggest weaknesses this year: open-field tackling.

Cloudy skies and murky waters

The strength of this Iowa defense has been its secondary for most of the year. Three members of the Hawkeyes secondary were All-Big 10 selections: sophomore Zach Lutmer (second team), senior TJ Hall (third team) and senior Xavier Nwankpa (third team). That trio, alongside fellow defensive back Koen Entringer, made up four of the top six tacklers on the team and combined for 16 passes defended and five interceptions.

This stellar group catapulted the defense to be ranked amongst the best against the pass. The Hawkeyes only allow a meager 158.2 passing yards per game and 9.99 yards per completion, ranking No. 7 and No. 6 nationally, respectively. The entire secondary plays with a particular freedom that allows them to be everywhere on the field — whether it is passing coverage or running fits.

The performances from this secondary speak for themselves. Only four opposing quarterbacks have eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark against Iowa, with stars like Oregon’s Dante Moore being held under 150 passing yards when playing against the Hawkeyes.

Iowa will look to slow down Pavia, who is arguably the hottest passer in the country, and it won’t shy away from the challenge. Expect Vanderbilt to establish itself on the ground first before it decides to throw itself into the claws of the Iowa secondary. Even then, Iowa hasn’t faced a quarterback as dynamic and dual-faceted as Pavia, adding another aspect to this intriguing showdown. The secondary will have to commit to stopping the layered Vanderbilt running scheme at the second level while still maintaining its zone integrity to not get caught down the field.

Wetjen in the wetlands

Perhaps the most explosive weapon in the Iowa arsenal is their return specialist: graduate wideout Kaden Wetjen. The All-Big 10 First Team selection has also earned a plethora of All-American honors and has dominated as the Hawkeyes’ leading return man. He leads the nation in both average punt return yards (28.3) and total punt return yards (538) and is tied with South Carolina’s Vicari Swain for the most punt return touchdowns in the nation with 3 on the year.

At only 5’9 and 196 pounds, Wetjen makes up for lackluster size with unbelievable pace and twitchy movements and can completely flip the field for the Hawkeyes. If the Commodores aren’t careful and refuse to kick away from him, he can easily gash Vanderbilt for massive gains. Even worse, if Wetjen is at his best, a looming return touchdown may flip the scoreboard before the Commodores can blink.

No. 14 Vanderbilt will take on No. 23 Iowa in Tampa, Florida, for the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. CST.