Michigan State Spartans at Iowa Hawkeyes

Drew Stevens' field goal caps Iowa's comeback in 20-17 win over Michigan State

The kick capped a 13-point fourth-quarter comeback for the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten), who snapped a two-game losing streak.

The win brought some emotions from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz after the game.

“I guess as you get older, the highs get a little higher and the lows get a little lower,” said Ferentz, his voice breaking as he spoke. “My thought today — we might be in one of those ‘lowers.’”

Stevens, a senior playing his final home game, said after the game he had been thinking about his senior day in high school.

“Believe it or not, I had missed one of those before,” Stevens said. “My senior game in high school, the last time I played at home, I missed a game-tying field goal. I put all the blame on me, that we lost the game because of me. I just immediately went back to that moment, and I'm grateful that I got the chance to do it, make it right.”

Stevens had missed a 53-yard field goal at the end of the first half, but Ferentz knew what he had in his kicker at the end of the game.

“I think all of us had faith Drew would get it done,” Ferentz said.

Iowa trailed 17-7 after Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to Chrishon McCray. But the Hawkeyes held the Spartans (3-8, 0-8) to just 26 yards on four possessions in the fourth quarter, sending Michigan State to its eighth consecutive loss and extending the Spartans’ Big Ten losing streak to nine games.

“We didn’t play great in the first three quarters,” Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski said. “But you have to stay in the present moment.”

“In that fourth quarter, we started looking like an offense,” Ferentz said.

The Hawkeyes got to within 17-10 on Stevens’ 26-yard field goal with 11:27 left in the fourth quarter, then tied the game when Gronowski threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Gill with 1:29 to play. That drive was set up by a 40-yard punt return by Kaden Wetjen, who had returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter for Iowa’s first score and becoming the program's all-time leader in returns for touchdowns.

Iowa got the ball back on its own 21-yard line and drove 53 yards in five plays, setting up Stevens for his game winner.

“With his leg, we knew we only had to get to the 40-yard line,” Gronowski said. “But we did better than that.”

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith described the loss as “painful.”

“It's tough,” he said. “There's no other way to say it.”

The Spartans seemed in control of the game after the third quarter. Milivojevic threw a 45-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to McCray with 8:58 left in the quarter to give Michigan State a 10-7 lead, then threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to McCray near the end of the quarter to boost the lead to 17-7.

The Spartans had a 335-301 edge in offensive yards. Milivojevic threw for 255 yards.

The takeaway Michigan State: The Spartans looked ready to break their long losing skid then lost control in the fourth quarter when Iowa’s defense finally responded. Punting to Wetjen, one of the best returners in the nation, proved to be unwise, especially late in the game. “Special teams hurt us,” Smith said.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes were lifeless on offense until the fourth quarter. Gronowski didn’t complete a pass until the second quarter and finished with 147 yards passing. Iowa’s defense also responded by shutting down the Spartans in the fourth quarter. “We fought back and we were able to finish it,” Gronowski said.

Up next Michigan State: Hosts Maryland in Detroit on Saturday

Iowa: At Nebraska on Friday