Mark Gronowski could not have had a worse take-off as Iowa's quarterback.

He stumbled and sputtered on the runaway when he was expected to soar immediately against FCS also-ran Albany, and that should be the expectation when you're Iowa's "Two Million Dollar Man."

Then, after a 16-13 loss at Iowa when he didn't exactly fly smoothly through turbulance, some Hawkeye fans questioned whether it was worth it to spend that kind of money on a pilot under perenially tight-wadded Kirk Ferentz.

But the last two games — a 47-7 blowout of UMass and 38-28 shootout road win at Rutgers — has given some that Gronowski and the Hawkeyes passing game can take flight.

A lot of this has to do with ground control, of which Tim Lester is on the radio while Ferentz may just still be calling the shots.

Happy Hour host John Gaskins flies the not-so-friendly skies of Gronowski's first month with the help of a rather reliable co-pilot — Iowa's all-time leading passer and 1985 Heisman Trophy runner-up Chuck Long.