Three Hawkeyes earn AFCA All-American honors
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Three members of the University of Iowa football team have been named to the 2019 American Football Coaches Association All-America Team, the AFCA announced Wednesday.
Junior kicker Keith Duncan, junior offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, and junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa were named second team AFCA All-Americans. It is Duncan’s fourth All-America selection, and Wirfs’ and Epenesa’s third.
Duncan (5-foot-10, 180-pounds), a Lou Groza Award finalist, was named first team All-America by Sporting News, and a second-team All-America selection by the Walter Camp Foundation and the Associated Press.
He set Big Ten and Iowa single-season records with 29 made field goals, a total that ranks sixth-best all-time in the NCAA. Duncan also set a school record with six field goal attempts in Iowa’s win over Purdue. His 34 attempts on the season are also a school record.
Duncan, a native of Grapevine, Texas, attended Weddington (North Carolina) High School. He was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in wins over Iowa State, Illinois, and Nebraska. Duncan booted a game-winning 48-yard field goal with one second to play at Nebraska. He connected on four field goals (23, 45, 24, 29) in Iowa’s win over Illinois, and also had four in the 18-17 win at Iowa State.
For the season, Duncan is 29-of-34 on field goal attempts, 14-of-18 on field goals of 40 or more yards, and a perfect 25-of-25 on PATs. Duncan’s 38 career made field goals are the sixth-most all-time in program history.
Duncan earned the Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year Award in the Big Ten and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection by the AP.
Wirfs (6-foot-5, 322-pounds), who attended Mount Vernon (Iowa) High School, was named the Big Ten’s Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, a first-team All-Big Ten selection by league coaches and media, and a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection by the AP. His All-American honors include Walter Camp first team All-America and second team All-America by the AP.
He started nine games at right tackle and three at left tackle, with 32 career starts in three seasons. He was one of six semifinalists for the 2019 Outland Trophy. He earned honorable mention honors in 2018, and in 2017 was the first true freshman to start at tackle under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
Epenesa (6-foot-6, 280-pounds), a native of Glen Carbon, Illinois (Edwardsville High School), earned Walter Camp and AP second-team All-America honors, first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight year, and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the AP.
He was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following wins over Minnesota and Nebraska. He leads the Hawkeyes in tackles for loss (13-69), sacks (9-54), quarterback pressures (nine) and forced fumbles (three). He also has three pass break-ups.
Iowa (9-3, 7-3) will face USC in the 2019 Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27 (7 p.m. CT, FS1). For ticket and bowl game information, visit hawkeyesports.com/bowlcentral.