Iowa football's Drew Stevens reflects on game-winner in Kinnick finale

After kicking a game-winning field goal to seal Iowa's (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) 20-17 Senior Day win vs. Michigan State (3-8, 0-8), Drew Stevens reflected upon the emotions of the kick and what it meant to him to close out his final game at Kinnick Stadium with a victory.

While Stevens was 2-for-3 on field goal attempts on the night, his 44-yard field goal conversion as time expired capped an emotional comeback win for the Hawkeyes, who trailed the Spartans by 10 points entering the fourth quarter.

When asked about his emotions after the kick, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound native of North Augusta, S.C., said that his missed field goal to end his high school football career acted as personal motivation to make it right for the Hawkeyes' seniors.

"You know, man, I am a senior. That's the last time I'll ever play in Kinnick, and believe it or not, I have missed one of those before," Stevens said. "I'll go back to high school. My senior game at high school, last time I ever played in my high school stadium, I missed a game-tying field goal. I put a lot of blame on me that we lost that game because of me. So I just immediately went back to that moment, and I'm just very grateful that I got to do it, make it right."

In his postgame media availability, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz praised the crucial efforts of both Stevens and Kaden Wetjen, who passed Iowa legend Tim Dwight for the most career return touchdowns in Hawkeye history with his 62-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter.

"You think about Drew Stevens up there with Nate Kaeding, and that's a pretty high bar. Nate set that early in this whole thing. And now you have Kaden passing Tim Dwight. That's pretty good company when you talk about place-kicking or you talk about return game. Really happy for our guys, proud of them," Ferentz said.

With the Hawkeyes traveling down to Lincoln, Neb, for the annual Heroes Trophy clash, Stevens will look to create more lasting memories against the rival Cornhuskers (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten).

Iowa and Nebraska will play from Memorial Stadium at 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 28, with the game broadcast on CBS.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football's Drew Stevens reflects on game-winner in Kinnick finale