When Iowa linebacker Kristian Welch traveled to where it all started for his final game in his home state, he couldn’t do anything.

Welch, an Iola, Wisconsin, native was forced to watch from the side as the sea of red at Camp Randall Stadium shook the structure of the building, waiting for the Badgers to pull off a 24-22 win over Iowa on Nov. 9.

It was the third game in a row Welch missed with a stinger, relegated to the sideline while redshirt freshman Dillon Doyle and true freshman Jack Campbell shared reps in his place.

But Welch finally returned against Minnesota on Nov. 16, and he made his presence felt.

Welch led the Hawkeyes with 11 tackles and posted one sack, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and a pass breakup, providing the defensive unit with a sense of senior leadership.

“It’s been very frustrating being a senior and wanting to be out there and play with your guys,” Welch said. “The whole experience has been frustrating, but I just tried to stay mentally into it.”

The mental reps Welch put in when he sat out paid off. That was evident when Welch imitated teammate A.J. Epenesa for a sack that set Minnesota up with a second-and-18 after converting a fourth down, eventually forcing a punt.

Welch blitzed right away, found his way around the Gophers’ left tackle untouched, and demolished quarterback Tanner Morgan in the backfield with time to spare.

The play proved to be a warm welcome back for Welch, who wasted no time in showing his confidence — to the fans and his teammates — on the big stage.

“I think [Welch’s return] brought some confidence back,” Epenesa said. “I know Dillon Doyle and Jack — they do a really good job — but sometimes they struggle with confidence with making calls, and being loud, and talking confidently. But Kristian really brings this senior vibe where he knows what he’s doing, he makes the right calls, and he’s confident about them.”

Welch has taken after former Hawkeye middle linebacker Josey Jewell in becoming a tackling machine.

Despite missing three games, Welch leads Iowa with 57 total tackles.

Having Welch back can only help Iowa moving forward with two regular-season games and a bowl game remaining in his career.

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“Always hate to lose a veteran player — It’s harder for the player because they’re sitting there watching that clock tick on their career,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “That’s hard. You hate to lose a veteran guy, but to get one back is a real benefit. … Kristian is a veteran guy who has been playing his best football. That’s what you hope with a guy that’s a senior, to get him back. Just really happy about that.”

Although he got injured against Penn State and couldn’t play against Wisconsin, Welch’s return ended exactly how he wanted it to: carrying Floyd of Rosedale off the field after ending Minnesota’s perfect season.

“I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page going out there [to get the trophy] — I didn’t want to be the only one,” Welch said. “But when Brady [Reiff] started going, I started chasing.”