Special teams propel Hawkeyes past Cyclones
Between Keith Duncan and Devonte Young, Iowa found plenty of success on special teams in its win over Iowa State.
Iowa kicker Keith Duncan makes a practice kick during a football game between Iowa and Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Saturday, September 14, 2019.
September 14, 2019
After trailing for almost three whole quarters, Iowa needed something special to happen to beat Iowa State for the fifth time in as many years.
The Hawkeyes found that something special in their special teams.
Iowa kicker Keith Duncan knocked through 4 field goals — including the eventual game-winner from 39 yards out — and Devonte Young secured a muffed punt with 1:29 left to keep the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Iowa City by a score of 18-17.
“I can’t remember [a game] like that,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Keith with his field goals, the execution was flawless… Devonte came up with the ball down there. He’s been hustling, working hard. One of our seniors who’s really done a great job on special teams now for a couple of years.
“Just really unusual and probably fitting the way this thing was going. It was crazy on all fronts.”
Excluding game-winning kicks, football games usually aren’t won by kickers. But when the Hawkeyes couldn’t put the ball in the end zone in the first half and managed only one touchdown during the game, Duncan stepped up.
Iowa started the game with a 15-play, 68-yard drive, but the Hawkeyes had to settle for 3 points. Duncan took over from there.
The Weddington, North Carolina, native hit field goals from 25, 40, 42, and 39 yards — one in each quarter — to score 12 of Iowa’s 18 points.
The feat becomes even more impressive when considering Duncan’s path to Cy-Hawk stardom. After nailing a game-winning kick to beat then-No. 3 Michigan as a freshman in 2016, Duncan watched from the sidelines for the next two seasons.
Duncan said the series of big kicks gave him some flashbacks to the win over the Wolverines, but he said he enjoyed the Cy-Hawk win even more.
“[It reminded me of Michigan] just a little bit, but [Saturday] was much better,” Duncan said. “That was a great team win. The conditions were a little rough, but that’s what we’re built for… Coach [Chris] Doyle and Coach Ferentz put a very big emphasis on mental and physical toughness, but it’s won with mental toughness. That’s what showed tonight.”
The fight to win another Cy-Hawk game was equally impressive for Young.
Young, a senior safety, switched from wide receiver to defensive back early in 2018. Instead of transferring when he didn’t receive an abundance of playing time, Young stayed with his first choice, becoming an integral piece of Iowa’s special teams.
He made his mark in his final Cy-Hawk game.
With an 18-17 lead, the Cyclones forced Iowa to punt with just over 1:30 remaining. After Michael Sleep-Dalton kicked the ball deep, Cyclone Datrone Young ran into punt returner Deshaunte Jones.
Iowa’s Young found himself in perfect position to end any chance of an Iowa State comeback, and he did just that.
“Always expect the unexpected,” Young said. “I saw the ball hit the ground, and I just dove on it. It was a big moment.
“I’m always hustling on special teams… It’s just like on offense and defense. They’re stepping up, they’re playing their roles, and they expect me to step up and play my role. As long as we’re all doing that together, we’re executing.”
