Iowa Hawkeyes’ 26-21 loss at USC turned on multiple controversial officiating decisions in the third quarter. A series of missed calls set up an interception that flipped momentum and ended the Hawkeyes’ upset bid.

CBS Sports’ Chris Hassel posted video of the most egregious play that sparked outrage across college football. Running back Kamari Moulton carried the ball six yards on second down when a USC defender grabbed and twisted his facemask to bring him down.

No flag came out despite the obvious violation. The call should have given Iowa a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down at USC’s 43-yard line with the Hawkeyes leading 21-19.

The missed facemask wasn’t an isolated incident. Moulton had his helmet turned more than 90 degrees sideways and vertically on multiple occasions throughout the game without drawing flags. Fans also pointed to numerous uncalled holding penalties against USC’s offensive line that extended Trojan drives.

The officiating failures proved costly on the very next play. Instead of having a first down in USC territory, Iowa faced third-and-4 from its own 44. Quarterback Mark Gronowski threw a pass that deflected off receiver Jacob Gill’s knee and into the hands of USC freshman defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart for an interception.

USC capitalized on the short field, driving 40 yards in six plays for a go-ahead touchdown. Running back Bryan Jackson scored from one yard out to give the Trojans a 26-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz addressed the officiating after the game: “I thought I saw a couple of things that maybe could’ve gone the other way. Apparently nobody thought it was flag worthy. You’ve got to play through those things. It doesn’t always work the way you want.”

The missed calls drew immediate backlash on social media. “Honestly – this along with all the obvious holds – there needs to be an investigation into the refs. Isn’t fun when they affect the game so bad – it’s like watching women’s basketball refs,” one fan wrote.

“Simply a game-changing missed facemask call that hurts the Iowa Hawkeyes. This is just inexcusable. You can’t miss this. His head turned. Embarrassing,” another stated.

“Officials miss a hold or hands to the face (take your pick) and then Iowa gets hit for the collision in the end zone. They’re not even looking for USC penalties now,” a third fan observed.

The controversy extended beyond the missed penalties. Iowa committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on their sideline with 1:25 remaining that gave USC a crucial first down and allowed the Trojans to run out the clock.

The loss dropped Iowa to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten play after blowing a 21-10 halftime lead. The Hawkeyes managed just 108 total yards in the second half and failed to score after intermission.

Despite the officiating controversies, Iowa still had one final chance to pull off the upset. On fourth-and-6 with under two minutes remaining, Gronowski launched a deep pass to receiver Kaden Wetjen, who made a spectacular catch near the USC 10-yard line. However, replay showed his toe landed just out of bounds by mere inches, ending Iowa’s comeback attempt.

Iowa’s College Football Playoff hopes had already died in an 18-16 loss to Oregon on November 8. The USC defeat marked another painful near-miss in a season defined by close losses to ranked opponents.

The Hawkeyes have now lost four games this season by a combined 15 points, with three of those opponents potentially making the College Football Playoff. The defeat extended Iowa’s losing streak against ranked teams to 13 consecutive games.

Iowa has bowl eligibility secured with two regular season games remaining against Michigan State and Nebraska. The combination of questionable officiating and self-inflicted mistakes at USC captures the essence of Iowa’s frustrating 2025 campaign.

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