Duncan named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week

The senior kicker shares the honor with Michigan State’s Matt Coghlin.

Shivansh Ahuja

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. The Hawkeyes retained the Cy-Hawk Trophy for the fifth consecutive year, downing the Cyclones, 18-17. (Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan)

Austin Hanson, Sports Editor


Iowa football’s Keith Duncan has been named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week per a conference release. Duncan shares the honor with Michigan State’s senior kicker Matt Coghlin – who converted on three of his four attempts in the Spartans’ 29-20 upset win over Northwestern in East Lansing.

Duncan made four of his five attempts at Kinnick Stadium Saturday against the Cornhuskers. The Weddington, North Carolina, native’s longest make of the day came from 48 yards out. His other three field goals were driven through the uprights from 32, 33, and 37 yards away. Duncan’s last two field goals of the game propelled Iowa to a 26-20 win over Nebraska.

Duncan also moved into the fifth spot on Iowa’s all-time field goal makes list Saturday, passing Tom Nichol – who played at Iowa from 1981 to 1984. Duncan is already the Hawkeyes’ all-time leader in field goal percentage, draining 48 of his 59 career attempts for an .813 average. The senior kicker has made 17 field goals from 40 yards out or longer during his time as a Hawkeye.

In 2020, Duncan is 10-of-14, and three of his misses have come from 50 yards or more. The senior kicker is a perfect 21-of-21 on PATs.

Duncan joins defensive end Zach VanValkenburg and punt returner Charlie Jones as the only Hawkeyes to be recognized with Big Ten weekly honors in 2020.