Tory Taylor B1G Special Team Player of Week

Iowa Punter Averaged 47.9 Yards on 10 Kicks on Saturday's Win

Iowa punter Tory Taylor on the field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa on Sept. 3, 2022 before a game against South Dakota State. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - University of Iowa junior punter Tory Taylor has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following Iowa’s 7-3 win over South Dakota State. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

Taylor played a key role for the Hawkeyes in the 7-3 season-opening win. He averaged 47.9 yards on a career-high 10 punts, with seven punts inside the 20. Six of his punts were downed inside the 12-yard line and three were 50 yards or longer. SDSU’s average starting field position was at its own 16 and the Jackrabbits had just two returns for eight yards.

Taylor handled all of Iowa’s punting duties in 2021, averaging 46.1 yards on 80 punts – 39 of which were downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. He appeared on the weekly Ray’s 8 list three times throughout the season.

Taylor was tabbed preseason second-team All-America by Athlon Sports and was named to the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List. He was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2021 while earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.

Taylor was the Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Conference Punter of the Year in 2020 while earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. He was also named first-team Freshman All-America by the FWAA and second-team All-America by The Athletic.

The Melbourne, Australia, native earns the Big Ten weekly honor for the second time in his career. Taylor was co-Special Teams Player of the Week last season following Iowa’s 27-17 win at No. 9 Iowa State.

The Hawkeyes host Iowa State on Saturday (3:05 p.m., BTN) in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series contest.