As Iowa and Nebraska battled through one of their classic, intense football games, Iowa kicker Drew Stevens anxiously awaited on the sidelines for an opportunity. 

Stevens has had numerous triumphant moments in his Hawkeye career, including a game-winner against Northwestern in 2023 and just tied a school record with five field goals last weekend against Maryland. 

Yet despite all of those signature achievements, one game lingered in the back of his mind – the 2023 Nebraska contest. 

Stevens had two chip-shot field goals blocked in that game, resulting in head coach Kirk Ferentz benching him in favor of walk-on Marshall Meeder. The matchup came down to the final seconds, and it was Meeder who delivered the game-winner to stun the capacity crowd at Memorial Stadium. 

“It sucks when somebody else is out there doing your job. I want to be honest, that does suck, especially when you train all year round,” Stevens later admitted. 

One year later, Stevens, in his old job, didn’t miss the chance to dethrone the Cornhuskers yet again. 

Tied at 10 with only seconds to play in regulation, Nebraska possessed the ball with a chance to win the game. But the Hawkeyes weren’t about to let their rivals get away with that. 

As Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola stepped up in the pocket, third-year defensive lineman Max Llewellyn met him at the line of scrimmage and stripped the ball from Raiola’s grasp. Llewellyn emerged from the pack with the ball, but the crowd seemed confused. 

After a brief discussion, the officials confirmed the fumble recovery and the Hawkeyes had now had the ball at the Nebraska 36-yard line with 20 seconds to play. 

Following a couple of short runs to set up the field goal try, Stevens jogged on the field for the 53-yard attempt. The crowd nervously cheered in anticipation, but Stevens was too focused to pay attention to it. 

“I black out,” Stevens said. “It’s hard to explain, but the second you leave that sideline, you’re just acting on what you practice.” 

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule attempted to ice Stevens by calling a timeout before his first kick. Despite knowing the attempt wouldn’t count, Stevens kicked it anyway, and the ball sailed through the uprights. Stevens knew at that moment that he wouldn’t miss the real kick. 

“I was like, ‘I got this,’” Stevens said. “I knew the wind wasn’t going to do crap on my ball.” 

The weather – 20 degrees all game – proved irrelevant. 

His next attempt sneaked inside the right upright, sending the sold-out crowd at Kinnick Stadium into a frenzy. Stevens and the rest of the Hawkeyes promptly sprinted to the end zone to receive the Heroes Trophy for the ninth time in 10 seasons, a celebration that was planned in the second quarter.

“We were talking about leading the team down to the trophy if we win it,” Stevens said. “And then Max basically takes the ball from Mahomes Jr. [Raiola].” 

Despite the intense pressure, Steven’s teammates were nothing short of confident in their kicker. 

“I had full confidence in him,” Llewellyn said. “Drew is that guy. He’s a man. I knew he was going to make that kick.” 

“I have full faith in Drew,” fourth-year defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett added. “He’s an awesome player, and he became a clutch.

The victory meant a lot to the entire Iowa team, including its seniors, but it especially meant something to Stevens, who finally earned “redemption,” after the disappointing 2023 performance. 

“I was looking forward to this game just because, first of all, I don’t like Nebraska,” Stevens said. “They always mess with us pre-game. They’re just in the way, and they just kind of mess with our warm-up. This one felt really good.” 

Stevens credits the guidance of special teams coordinator LeVar Woods for helping him mature as a player during his career.  Amid the postgame celebration, Woods grabbed Stevens by the shoulder pads and yanked him into an emotional embrace. 

Before the season, Woods told Stevens that he felt like the junior was “a tiger to be uncaged.” 

“​​I let other people drive me,” Stevens said. “I let that fuel me because I felt like I had some doubters after last season. So yeah, that felt good.” 

Ferentz also credits Stevens for showing strong maturity since the ill-fated 2023 Nebraska game. 

“He’s a much different player than he was last November, and his teammates all know that, and the way that he has been performing, so that’s why everybody is confident in him,” Ferentz said. “He’s earned that.” 

Stevens also shares the same thoughts. 

“I’m a leader,” Stevens said. “I was just a careless underclassman last year and this year you can’t do that because you’re trying to be a role model to the new specialists in the room.”