Quarterback Spencer Petras calls his Iowa football career “a great experience.
I’ve made a lot of great relationships, I had a lot of fun and met a lot of great people.”
On Friday, Petras will be one of 27 seniors who will be honored before their last game at Kinnick Stadium.
“I don’t want to get too emotional because there’s so much at stake,” Petras said. “It’s something to reflect on after the season.”
Iowa will be playing for the Big Ten West Division title, as well as the Heroes Trophy that annually goes to the winner of the Iowa-Nebraska game.
“There’s so much to play for,” Petras said. “It’s not the time to think about senior day and everything like that. We’re trying to get the win, and earn the right to play in Indianapolis.”
It’s also a chance for the Hawkeyes to win a fifth straight game to end the regular season.
And it’s a way for Petras to go out on a high note in a stadium where he was booed by some fans as he took the field for the first possession of the Sept. 17 game against Nevada.
If he’s out for redemption on Friday, Spencer keeps that to himself. Petras struggled mightily at the start of the season, and the offense followed suit. The struggles of the offensive line have had Petras running for his life more than he’d like. Injuries to the receiving corps, most notably Keagan Johnson, Nico Ragaini, Diante Vines and Brody Brecht, have not helped.
But as the quarterback, Petras is in the social media bullseye. And instead of running and hiding, he’s faced the music. He appeared at nearly every Tuesday media session this season, facing question after question about his play and a lack of offensive production.
A sold out season with high expectations floundered out of the gate, then went south again after a disappointing loss at Illinois and a one-sided pounding by Ohio State.
But here they are, one victory away from one of their major goals - Big Ten West Champions.
“If we want to achieve our goal, we need a win on Friday,” Petras said. “There’s no time for anything else.”
Petras is coming off one of his best games of the season, completing 15 of 24 passes for 221 yards in a 13-10 victory at Minnesota Saturday.
“I really have a good repertoire with the guys right now,” he said of his receivers. “We’re executing. A lot of it is some really nice game plans that have put me in some good spots to be able to throw with confidence. That always helps. We still have a lot we can improve on.”
Thinking back over his 36-game career, which includes a 20-10 record as a starter, Petras points to several highlights. One is last season’s 23-20 comeback victory over Penn State. Another is a post-spring practice party three years ago hosted by Tristan Wirfs.
“That was a lot of fun,” Petras said. “I’m sure damn near everyone in my class will remember that one. We’ve had a lot of good times.”
Petras said he’s proud to be a member of this senior class.
“A lot of really great guys, and really good players,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot together, going back to 2020. I really couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to be with.”
A year ago, Iowa didn’t carry destiny in their own hands the final weekend of the regular season. The Hawkeyes rallied in the fourth quarter to win at Nebraska, 28-21. A day later, they earned a share of the West Division title when Minnesota beat Wisconsin, 23-13.
“We were just cheering hard for Minnesota,’ Petras said. “I think it’s a lot easier when you’re controlling your own destiny, just knowing how your season ends up. I’m glad that Minnesota won. It’s not fun sitting on the edge of your seat the whole game thinking, 'Do I practice Sunday or do I have Sunday off?’ It will be better this time around.”
Now it’s one game for all the marbles.
“The key is to not make it more than it is,” Petras said. “It’s a football game. We need to execute and take care of business. I don’t want us walking into Friday with too much on our mind, other than getting the job done and playing our best football. Because if we do that, we’re pretty confident in the results we’ll see. But if we’re thinking about the wrong stuff and we don’t play our best, then we’re leaving it up to chance. And then who knows what will happen, right? It’s the worst thing that can happen to us.”
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