By Jordan Hansen
One of the biggest areas of concern this season was how Iowa would replace punter Dillon Kidd and kicker Marshall Koehn.
Both of them were important reasons Iowa managed to get to a Rose Bowl. Koehn’s name will forever be immortalized for his 57-yard game winning kick against Pittsburgh, but he is now graduated and the Hawkeyes have to move on.
As it stands, Central Michigan graduate-transfer Ron Coluzzi will handle punting and kickoff duties, while true freshman Keith Duncan will handle field goals — for now, at least. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz seemed to keep the door open for a bit of movement on the depth chart.
If either struggles, there’s a chance another player is in the lineup next week.
“We’ll see what happens here in the weeks ahead,” Ferentz said. “We’ll see how it goes. I said earlier that we’d let the competition go as long as we have to, and right now, at this point, [Keith has] won the job, but if we have to take this month or half the season to determine it, we’ll do that.”
Solid field-goal kicking saved Iowa more than once last year, and it will probably be important once again this season. Duncan, who is from North Carolina, has a fairly impressive kicking résumé and holds a number of state kicking records, including field goals in a season (22) and career field goals with 51.
His senior season, he went 22-of-29, with all seven of his misses coming from 53 yards and beyond. His career long field goal is 54 yards out, and he did not miss a PAT his senior season.
It’s easy to see his progression over the years, and it stands to reason with a little work, he could be an effective kicker for Iowa. There’s been a strong tradition of good kicking prospects ending up with the Hawks, and Duncan seems to be another.
However, he is a true freshman and has never kicked in front of anything resembling the crowds he’ll find this season.
“He’s really done a nice job,” Ferentz said. “He’s just come in and really performed. Seems pretty unflappable at this stage. I really have to compliment him on that.”
Holding for Duncan this year will be Coluzzi, who could be a major weapon for Iowa this season. Last season, he punted 59 times, averaging 39.3 yards per kick with his longest a 61-yarder, against Western Michigan.
Coluzzi also thoroughly enjoys kickoffs and will likely be given that responsibility this season as well.
“To be honest, the best part of the game is the kickoff,” Coluzzi said. “Opening the game with the kickoff, all the eyes are on you; it’s my bread-and-butter and what I’ve been doing since I was a little kid.”
He’ll have big shoes to fill in that respect. Marshall Koehn’s 58.02 percent touchback rate was 19th-best in the nation, and his 63.37 yards per kick was 15th.
Coluzzi will need to improve. He only managed a 32.81 percent touchback rate with Central Michigan last year, and he allowed two kicks to go out of bounds. Iowa values field position extremely highly, and if he can’t get the ball in the end zone on a regular basis or balls start going out-of-bounds, there could be a problem.
For now, however, Ferentz had nothing but good things to say about Coluzzi.
“From the first time we met him last winter, he has just been a really mature, heads-up guy, and when he got here in June and started working, it’s really been fun to watch him,” Ferentz said. “We, I think, picked up a really good punter, but on top of that a guy that can help steady that group a little bit.”
Follow @JordyHansen for Iowa football news, updates, and analysis.