IOWA CITY, Iowa — Through the first two weeks of the season, Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski has yet to throw for more than 100 yards in a single game.

In its game against Iowa State, Iowa showed a new offensive philosophy that it hopes can catapult the passing attack.

It’s a slow mesh read between a quarterback and running back in the backfield. A slow mesh read is a bit slower in developing than a typical run-pass option.

Currently, Iowa is last in the Big Ten in passing yards, and is the only team in the Big Ten averaging less than 300 total yards of offense per game. Gronowski said he likes the new change to the offense.

“There are a couple things that we are always looking at depending on if it’s a two-sided (run-pass option), or if it is just (to one side) of the field,” Gronowski said. “Against Iowa State we were looking at multiple people and seeing if they were coming down into the run game. The way that Sam Hartman, when they were running (the slow mesh) with him at Wake Forest, I mean, they were throwing tons of touchdowns with it, and they had a bunch of good opportunities. We just got to continue to be smart with those plays, take the shots when they are given, but then handing the ball off on those plays is okay, too, because they usually end up popping out because they are trying to protect the pass, and all of a sudden there is no one in the run game. So I always think it’s a great opportunity, and great wrinkle into the offense.”

“We have invested time in it. Unless there’s a good reason, we’re going to keep it in there and just see how it goes week to week and that type of deal,” said Kirk Ferentz, Iowa football’s head coach. “It hasn’t really eaten up much time. It doesn’t take away from a lot of the other things that we want to do as well. We’ll just keep it as part of the offense, and whether or not it growing or shrinks we’ll see as we go along. I don’t know at this point.”