Senior Day Stars: Takeaways as Iowa football rallies vs. Michigan State

It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t without stress. But it was an Iowa Hawkeyes win.

The Hawkeyes, who trailed 17-7 with less than 12 minutes to play, found a way to rally around each other on a special Senior Day in Kinnick Stadium and pull out a win that embodied the Iowa Hawkeyes, Kirk Ferentz, and simply put, who this program is as a whole.

Advertisement

Iowa moves to 7-4 on the season and showed an incredible amount of heart and guts to find a way to win. As the Hawkeyes enjoy a well-earned celebration, check out the takeaways from the win, delivered by the heroics of Drew Stevens’ right foot as time expired.

Mark Gronowski has the clutch gene

Pretty? No. Stat-stuffing no? Best game? No.

Win? Yes.

Mark Gronowski wins football games, and anyone who says otherwise, feels otherwise, or thinks otherwise just doesn’t watch or appreciate the clutch competitive gene he has deep within. He didn’t play his best game for the first three or three and a half quarters, but it didn’t matter. He answered the bell when it mattered.

Iowa fans have yearned for “the guy” in clutch moments and a quarterback who is willing to take on the weight of nearly 70,000 fans in Kinnick Stadium. Mark Gronowski took that on his shoulders, delivered the drive that so many wanted, and should walk out of Kinnick Stadium with his head held high and his chest popped a little bit.

Advertisement

Kadeb Wetjen is all-time

What can you even say at this point? The fact that teams even kick the football to him has reached the same levels as NFL teams kicking to Devin Hester. He is liable to change to entire scope of a game in one play.

Wetjen took yet another punt back for six and had two more opportunities, which were ripe for touchdowns with just one or two more blocks. He has three return touchdowns on the year, averages 30.7 yards per kick return, and is averaging 24.4 yards per punt return.

Any team that continues to kick to Kaden Wetjen is playing with a fire that the Iowa Hawkeyes are very glad to hand off.

Advertisement

Drew Stevens belongs among the Iowa greats

Are we witnessing the best to ever do it as an Iowa kicker? Drew Stevens may be that. Today was another chapter in a storied career. And let’s talk about the miss before halftime. It stunk. I bet Drew would tell you he should make that kick. But, he answered.

Drew Stevens, on Senior Day, walked into the middle of a sold-out crowd at Kinnick Stadium and sent a dagger right between the goalposts. He has sent 71 kicks through the uprights in his career, and there may not be one that feels better than this one.

Karson Sharar shined so bright

Did the next great Iowa linebacker blossom in front of our eyes today? Karson Sharar may have done just that with a career performance for the Hawkeyes. He led Iowa with 10 total tackles, added three tackles for loss, and pitched in a sack as well.

Karson Sharar saved Iowa four points in the first half with a tackle for loss that put Michigan State well behind the sticks and forced them to kick a field goal. Iowa won by three. This play was massive and can’t be ignored.

Advertisement

This team cares

Iowa was 6-4 entering the day. The Big Ten was out of the picture. The College Football Playoff was long gone. Why did this game matter? Who cares?

Iowa cared. The seniors cared. Kinnick cared.

There is something special at Iowa, at Kinnick Stadium, and around this team that transcends all of the drama with the transfer portal, the NIL earnings, and coaching changes. The Iowa Hawkeyes disregard all of it and play for each other. It is unique, and it is a rare occurrence in today’s college football landscape.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

Advertisement

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Senior Day Stars: Takeaways as Iowa football rallies vs. Michigan State