By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Keith Duncan joined a select group of Iowa football players thanks to his game-winning field goal against Michigan last Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

The true freshman walk-on from North Carolina is now responsible for one of the greatest plays in the history of the Iowa program. His name will forever be linked with former Hawkeye stars like Tim Dwight, Drew Tate, Brad Banks and Dallas Clark.

But where does Duncan’s kick rank among the greatest plays in Hawkeye history?

I started asking that question soon after he split the uprights last Saturday night.

And since this is my 25th season covering the Iowa football team, I decided to compile a list of the top 10 plays dating back to my first season on the beat in 1992.

Now remember, these are the top 10 plays during my time covering the Iowa football team. That includes the last seven seasons of Hayden Fry’s 20-year reign, which ended in 1998, and the entire Kirk Ferentz era.

So you won’t see Marv Cook’s game-winning catch at Ohio State in 1987 on the list or Chuck Long’s touchdown on a bootleg that helped Iowa defeat Michigan State in 1985 or Bob Jeter’s 81-yard touchdown run against California in the 1959 Rose Bowl or any of Rob Houghtlin’s game-winning field goals from the mid-1980s.

My list covers the last quarter century. And it was hard enough trimming that period down to just 10 plays. Two of the plays happened in games in which Iowa lost at Michigan in 1997 and against Southern California in the 2003 Orange Bowl.

I would like to thank all the fans who provided input for the list, including the person who pointed out the hit made by the great Bob Sanders on a kickoff against Michigan State in 2000. Iowa pulled off the upset that day, while Sanders helped to set the tone for Ferentz's first rebuilding job. His hit didn't make the top 10, but was seriously considered because of its lasting impact.

1. The catch: As special as Keith Duncan’s game-winning field goal was last Saturday, it still doesn’t top Tate to Holloway against Louisiana State in the 2005 Capital One Bowl.

For one thing, making a 33-yard field goal is much easier than completing a 56-yard touchdown pass as time expires against a Nick Saban-coached defense, as was the case with Drew Tate and Warren Holloway almost 12 year ago.

Iowa fans should’ve felt pretty confident when Duncan lined up to kick the game-winner against Michigan last Saturday because the distance was manageable, whereas hope was fleeting when Tate heaved the ball down field to Holloway. There was confusion at the line of scrimmage before Tate took the snap. The LSU defenders also seemed confused or distracted and that allowed Holloway to slip free. Tate threw a near-perfect pass that Holloway caught and then tightly secured in his arms before crossing the end zone.

Fans and members of the media looked on disbelief as the Iowa players started to celebrate the 30-25 victory in Saban's last game as the LSU coach. The fact that it was Holloway's only touchdown as a Hawkeye made the play more special.

2. Duncan shines: This kick is special more for the circumstance than for the performance, although, that’s easy for me to say while sitting behind a computer. Duncan showed tremendous poise and was accurate with the game on the line. He seized the moment and now his moment will forever be one of greatest moments in the history of the Iowa program.

3. Marvelous Murray: Before Keith Duncan, there was Daniel Murray.

The circumstances were almost identical to last Saturday when Murray lined up to kick a 31-yard field goal in the closing seconds against Penn State on Nov. 8, 2008. The Nittany Lions, like Michigan, were undefeated and ranked third nationally when they played at Kinnick Stadium in 2008.

Iowa stayed close behind the running of 2008 Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene, setting the stage for Murray’s heroics at the end.

The walk-on from Iowa City Regina split the uprights from 31 yards, leading Iowa to a 24-23 victory and triggering a wild post-game celebration on a chilly November night.

4. Marshall’s long-range magic: The Iowa football team had some close calls on the way to finishing the 2015 regular season undefeated at 12-0.

By far, the closest call came against Pittsburgh in the third game when Marshall Koehn kicked a 57-yard field goal in the closing seconds, lifting Iowa to a 27-24 victory at Kinnick Stadium. A team can’t be 12-0 without being 3-0, so Koehn’s kick helped to build early momentum.

It also was the second longest field goal in the history of the Iowa program. So it not only was a timely kick, but also a spectacular one.

5. Dwight chapter I: Tim Dwight is arguably the greatest return specialist in the history of the Iowa program, if not the Big Ten. He returned five punts for touchdowns in college and is believed to be the only player in history to return punts for touchdowns against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

His 83-yard return against Penn State in 1996 stands above the rest because it helped Iowa defeat the Nittany Lions 21-20 at rain-soaked Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa. It also was Dwight’s first punt return for a touchdown in college. The Iowa City native later called it one of the biggest plays in his career and said it helped to catapult him to stardom.

6. Stanzi to McNutt: This particular play only gained seven yards, but the end result was spectacular and far-reaching. It was the difference between winning and losing at Michigan State in 2009.

After throwing three consecutive incompletions, Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi connected with Marvin McNutt on a slant pattern for the winning score as time expired, securing a 15-13 victory in East Lansing, Mich.

Iowa improved to 8-0 with the victory and would go on to finish 11-2 overall, capped by a 24-14 victory over Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

7. Block Party: This was actually two plays in one as Iowa blocked field-goals on back-to-back plays in the final seconds to secure a 17-16 victory over Northern Iowa in the 2009 season opener at Kinnick Stadium.

Defensive end Broderick Binns was credited with the first block, while linebacker Jeremiha Hunter blocked the second kick.

Fans were relieved after the game, but also somewhat suspect after watching Iowa struggle to defeat an FCS opponent. The concerns didn’t last long, though, as Iowa won its first nine games in 2009.

8. Banks to Clark for 95: The 2002 Iowa team had the ball at its own 5-yard line and was leading Purdue 17-14 in the third quarter when quarterback Brad Banks completed a short pass to tight end Dallas Clark in the flat. Clark then hurdled a defender and raced 95 yards for a touchdown in a game in which Purdue amassed 507 yards, but still lost 31-28 at Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa would go on to finish undefeated in the Big Ten that season and 11-2 overall. Clark won the John Mackey Award, which goes to nation’s top collegiate tight end, while Banks finished runner-up for the 2002 Heisman Trophy.

9. Dwight chapter II: Michigan's 1997 national championship season almost didn't happen because of Iowa, and more specifically, because of Dwight. He returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, expanding Iowa's lead to 21-7 at halftime in Ann Arbor, Mich. Dwight cut back and forth between a slew of defenders and then used his blazing speed to reach the end zone.

The fans inside the Big House booed as the Michigan players left the field at halftime. However, the mood quickly changed as the Wolverines rallied for a 28-24 victory. Michigan would go on to win the national title that season, with cornerback Charles Woodson also being rewarded the Heisman Trophy.,

10. C.J.’s opening act: The initials C and J have been prominent throughout Ferentz’s coaching reign at Iowa. Of course, there is senior quarterback C.J.Beathard, who was preceded in order by tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, offensive lineman C.J. Barkema and receiver C.J. Jones.

Jones is the focus here thanks to his 100-yard kick return for a touchdown on the opening kick of the 2003 Orange Bowl against Southern California. The stadium erupted as Jones, who is also Brad Banks’ cousin, raced down the sideline in his home state of Florida.

Iowa couldn’t hold the early lead, though, as USC prevailed 38-17 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. But the start of the game couldn’t have been any better or more exciting from Iowa's standpoint.

Honorable mention: Adrian Clayborn’s 53-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Penn State in 2009; Nate Kaeding’s 47-yard field goal that carried Iowa to a 19-16 victory over Texas Tech in the 2001 Alamo Bowl; Tyler Sash’s 86-yard deflected interception return for a touchdown against Indiana in 2009; Derrell Johnson-Koulianos’ 99-yard kick return for a touchdown against Ohio State in 2009; Micah Hyde's 72-yard interception return for a touchdown against Missouri in the 2010 insight Bowl; Adolphus Shelton's interception that secured the 31-28 victory over Purdue in 2002; Tevaun Smith's 85-yard touchdown catch against Michigan State in the 2015 Big Ten championship game, the bone-jarring hit delivered by Bob Sanders on a kick return against Michigan State in 2000.