Tory Taylor Continues Adding to Legend

Iowa Senior Punter's Hold Critical on Game-Winning Field Goal at Nebraska

Iowa's Tory Taylor punts the ball during a game against Minnesota on Oct. 21, 2023 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HN)

Iowa’s Tory Taylor was named the Big Ten’s top punter on Tuesday, but his biggest play of the season may have come from a different part of his game.

Taylor was the holder on Marshall Meeder’s game-winning field goal in the Hawkeyes’ 13-10 victory over Nebraska last Friday. Taylor had to grab the off-target snap from long snapper Luke Elkin for Meeder to have a chance at the kick.

Taylor shrugged off the play during Tuesday’s media availability, saying it was just part of his responsibility.

“It was a little low, but it’s my job as the holder to get it down and get the kicker in the best position,” Taylor said. “It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary from my standpoint. Luke’s been a great snapper all year. Was it his best snap? No. But the ball went through the uprights, and that’s the most important thing.”

Asked more about the snap, about how low it was or whether the field conditions or weather played a role in it, Taylor said, “I don’t know. But it’s my job to hold the ball. It wasn’t anything special. I’ve had a few people messaging me saying, ‘Hey, great hold, blah, blah, blah.’ That’s my job.”

But Taylor admitted he wasn’t quite as nonchalant about the kick as it first happened.

“We all kind of held our breath, as all you guys saw, because it was bit of a low kick, and a little short,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh please go in, please go in, please go in.’ And it finally went in. Bit of an exciting moment.”

Taylor’s reaction was something everyone noticed.

“I just love winning, man,” he said. “Love winning. Yeah, it was a pretty cool moment. Pretty fun 30 seconds or so.”

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz knew the significance of the play.

“The last field goal, Tory did a heck of a job,” Ferentz said. “Snap was low. Great placement. Emblematic of his growth, too, not just as a punter, but everything he does, he's doing it really well.”

Taylor was named the Big Ten’s Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year for a second time on Tuesday — he won the award as a freshman in 2020. He is the first punter in conference history to earn the award more than once.

Taylor leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally with a 47.7-yard punting average on 79 punts — the most in FBS play. He’s had 31 punts of 50 or more yards. Twenty-six of his punts have resulted in fair catches and 29 have been downed inside the 20-yard line — 11 inside the 10 and six inside the 5.

But Taylor also had his share of poor kicks, and it’s why he’s been an advisor to kicker Drew Stevens, who had two field goals blocked and two kickoffs go out of bounds on Friday before being replaced by Meeder for the game-winner.

Taylor’s advice?

“Just to keep his head up,” he said. “Being a specialist, it’s not easy, especially when you’ve got a certain amount of time that you’re out on the field. Really, just for him, it’s keeping his head up and pushing forward. There are going to be times when we need him to kick, and he needs to be ready. As long as you’re in the positive, that’s the most important thing.

“He hasn’t had the greatest of weeks the last two weeks. He’s missed some kicks, and he’ll be the first one to say that. I mean, it’s factual, he’s missed kicks. But I’ve hit terrible punts, too, while I’ve been here. The biggest thing is to work hard, and do what you’re good at. This is a great opportunity for Drew to learn from, and a great opportunity for us to get around him — and for me, too — to say, ‘Hey, everything is going to be all right. Everybody makes mistakes.’”

Taylor will get a second opportunity to punt inside this week, when the Hawkeyes play Michigan in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“Weather plays a big part in football games, especially being a specialist,” Taylor said. “It’s funny, (Ferentz), every pre-game meal, he’ll say, ‘35 degrees out there, 15 mile-per-hour wind, perfect Big Ten football weather.’ I’m like, ‘No, man, that ain’t perfect. That ain’t perfect.’ Perfect would be 85 degrees out with a couple-mile-per-hour wind.”

Taylor said he talked to former Iowa punter Jason Baker, who advised him not to try to overdo it on kicks in the dome.

“He was saying, ‘Don’t go there and try to start hammering away,’” Taylor said. “Things can kind of go a little bit astray. It’s just going to be doing what I’ve been doing, just being smooth, and having fun, too.”