Keith Duncan drilled a game-winning 48-yard field goal yesterday for the Iowa football team. That kick won the game and should win him the Lou Groza Award.
When Keith Duncan was named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, I felt like a compelling argument could be made in his favor, but that he was unlikely to win the award. After yesterday’s game-winning kick for the Iowa football team to secure the win over Nebraska, I firmly believe any result that isn’t Keith Duncan claiming the prestigious kicker award would be a travesty.
During yesterday’s game (in bad weather conditions), Keith Duncan drilled two more field goals to inch closer to the NCAA record with one game remaining. Both field goals came from over 40 yards extending his NCAA-high mark for field goals attempted over 40 yards to 18, which is nearly double Rodrigo Blankenship and 14 more than Blake Mazza, both of whom are Duncan’s competitors for the Lou Groza Award.
While that’s impressive, the situation of yesterday’s final field goal for Keith Duncan is what should secure this award for the redshirt junior kicker.
He essentially took three attempts at kicking the field goal after Scott Frost attempted to ice him twice. The first one he just went through the motion and didn’t actually kick the ball. The second one was drilled right down the middle. And the third one was the same.
To bring the Iowa football team to nine wins and secure a win over a “rival” while booting the ball from 48 yards with almost no time remaining and bad weather is impressive, and it’s quite possibly the best kick of Keith Duncan’s Iowa football career to date (and yes that includes the Michigan game-winner).
It also gives Duncan that spotlighted moment that should do the trick in securing enough votes to take home the Iowa football team’s first Lou Groza Award since All-American kicker Nate Kaeding.