Duncan On Groza Award Watch List After Being A Finalist Last Season

Keith Duncan is on the watch list for the award he probably should have won last season.

The Iowa kicker has been named to the 2020 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Wednesday. The award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate placekicker.

Duncan, a senior this season, was one of three finalists for the award last season after leading the nation with 29 made field goals to set the Iowa and Big Ten single-season record, a total which ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history.

He was a consensus All-American in 2019, earning five first-team All-America selections and two second-team honors. Duncan was also the Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year in the Big Ten, a first-team All-Big Ten selection by league coaches and media, and an Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Duncan was 14-of-17 on field goals from at least 40 yards and was 12-of-13 in field-goal attempts on the road. He converted all 32 extra-point attempts.

Duncan made three or more field goals in five games. He was 4-for-4 in field goals in wins over Iowa State (Sept. 14) and Purdue (Oct. 19), and had the game-winning field goal against Nebraska.

It's been a summer of preseason awards for Duncan — he has been named a preseason first-team All-American by Walter Camp and Phil Steele, and preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Steele and Athlon Sports.

Twenty semifinalists for the award will be announced Nov. 5, with three finalists selected on Nov. 24. The winner will be announced Dec. 10 during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

Iowa’s Nate Kaeding won the award in 2002.