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Diego Pavia thought he should have won the Heisman Trophy. Vanderbilt felt like it deserved a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Commodores have enjoyed the best season in their program's history.
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An Iowa team desperate for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2021 spoiled the ending of that season, and the ending of Pavia's college career.
After being sacked four times in the first half, Pavia resuscitated the SEC's second-ranked scoring offense with his latest comeback bid.
Despite an array of downfield completions, including a 75-yard touchdown heave, and a litany of crafty scrambles, notably an 11-yard scoring run, Pavia and the Commodores fell short in Wednesday's ReliaQuest Bowl.
No. 23 Iowa (9-4, 6-3 Big Ten) prevailed 34-27 against No. 14 Vanderbilt (10-3, 6-2 SEC) in the New Year's Eve sunshine of Tampa, Florida.
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Pavia finished 25-of-38 passing with 347 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air, along with 36 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. He was up against another wily veteran, though. Iowa's Mark Gronowski, a graduate transfer from South Dakota State starting his 68th career college football game, also totaled three touchdowns, throwing for 212 yards and two scores and running for 54 yards and another score.
The Hawkeyes lost 16-13 to a 16th-ranked Iowa State squad and then dropped two games to a pair of CFP teams by a combined seven points earlier this season: first to Indiana and then to Oregon. Then they let a 21-7 lead slip to then-No. 17 USC inside a rain-soaked Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Iowa exorcised its demons against ranked opponents with a resilient second half versus Vanderbilt.
This story is being updated.
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