The Time When Iowa Football's Keith Duncan Blew A Kiss To Scott Frost

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Iowa football has lost to Nebraska only once since 2014. 

That's 10 Hawkeye victories in an 11-year span, but it's safe to say that most of them have came down to the final play. Six of these Iowa wins have been decided by one possession, and four have been clinched via a game-winning field goal. 

Each one of those three dramatic triumphs has a unique story attached to it, but there's not enough time to get to all of them (at least this year). 

Ask Hawkeye fans their favorite kick of the three, and they'll probably gravitate towards the second of the quartet – Keith Duncan's 2019 winner. 

That's the kick we're going to look back at today, so sit down and enjoy a fun moment in recent Iowa football history. 

The Rundown 

Iowa's 2019 campaign was one of many seasons where it came oh-so-close to achieving a great season under Kirk Ferentz, only to see close losses prevent that from happening. 

The Hawkeyes had high expectations of winning the Big Ten West with senior quarterback Nate Stanley under center, and were ranked No. 20 in the preseason AP Poll. 

Four straight wins – including a dramatic weather-filled triumph over rival Iowa State –  vaulted Iowa to No. 14 in the land, but back-to-back losses to Michigan and Penn State put those hopes on life support. 

The Hawkeyes were still alive in the division race by November, but a two-point loss at Wisconsin ended their division title hopes for good. Iowa's three regular season losses to this point were by just 14 points – a similar fate that clouded the 2025 campaign. 

Though the division crown was lost, the Hawkeyes still had the chance to reach 10 wins by winning their final three regular season games and a bowl game. 

Wins over then-No. 8 Minnesota and Illinois got Iowa one step closer to achieving that goal, but the obstacle of rival Nebraska in Lincoln in the regular season finale awaited them. 

The Hawkeye offense struck quickly in the first quarter with a pair of long touchdowns, and Duncan's 49-yard try gave Iowa a 17-3 lead early in the second.

But just when it seemed like the Hawkeyes could do no wrong, Stanley threw a pick-six a few possessions later to get Nebraska back in the game. Ihmir Smith Marsette's kickoff return touchdown helped stop the bleeding, but the Huskers looked like a new team after the break.

Nebraska tied the game at 24 apiece late in the third, but neither team could muster offense in the fourth. Iowa's best chance to break the seal was thwarted when Mekhi Sargent fumbled in Husker territory, but the Hawks would get one final shot in regulation. 

With only 30 seconds left, Stanley connected on a couple of open passes to give Duncan a chance at a game-winning 48-yard field goal attempt. 

Duncan was the Big Ten's most accurate placekicker in 2019, making 29 of his 34 (85%) kicks on the year. Nebraska head coach Scott Frost attempted to ice him on the first try (which was good), but it didn't matter. 

Duncan drilled his next attempt right down Broadway to clinch Iowa's ninth win of the regular season, and responded by blowing kisses at the dejected Frost. 

Iowa did indeed clinch a 10-win campaign when it rolled USC in the Holiday Bowl one month later, while Nebraska's defeat kept it from a bowl game for the third straight year. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io

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