Iowa's offense struggled all year despite finishing the regular season with a 10-3 record.
The Hawkeyes only averaged 16.6 points per game, which was fourth-worst among the 133 FBS schools in the country.
But they say there's beauty in the struggle and that came in the form of senior Tory Taylor, who established himself as one of the best punters in college football history.
Taylor was a unanimous All-American, receiving the honor from all five publications designated by the NCAA — The Sporting News, the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
MORE: The Sporting News 2023 College Football All-America Team
He, of course, also won the Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football.
And with Taylor's first punt in Iowa's Citrus Bowl showdown against Tennessee, he broke an 85-year-old record for the most punting yards in a single season.
For more on Taylor and his decades-old punting record, The Sporting News has you covered below.
Tory Taylor breaks NCAA punting yards record
Taylor entered the Citrus Bowl with 4,119 punting yards, just 20 shy of taking over the NCAA's all-time single-season punting record.
The record was previously held by Michigan State's Johnny Pingel, who booted 4,138 yards worth of punts for the Spartans all the way back in 1938.
On Taylor's first punt of the game against Tennessee, he boomed a 62-yard bomb to break Pingel's record, flipping the field as he has done all year.
Tory Taylor sets the FBS record for most punt yards in a single season with a 62-yard bomb that is downed at Tennessee’s 16-yd line.
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) January 1, 2024
This was Taylor’s 7th (!!) punt of 60+ yards and 31st (!!) downed inside the 20 this season.
Taylor’s new record is at 4,236 yards and counting. pic.twitter.com/8Ag8iLH9ES
As mentioned by SportsGrid's Ben Stevens, that was Taylor's seventh punt of 60-plus yards and his 31st that was downed inside the opposing team's 20-yard line this season. He would pin the Vols inside the 20 one other time in this contest.
Taylor was active in his final game with Iowa as the Hawkeyes failed to score against Tennessee in a 35-0 loss. He finished with seven punts for 360 yards, leaving 4,479 punting yards as the number to beat for the NCAA's all-time single-season record.
Taylor's 86 punts were the most in the FBS heading into the Citrus Bowl. He averaged 47.9 yards per punt, which led the Big Ten and was fourth-best in college football.
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Where is Tory Taylor from?
Taylor is from Melbourne, Australia.
According to Iowa's official website, he had experience playing Australian football but he did not compete as a punter in high school.
Taylor is listed at 6-4, 232 pounds. He is a senior at Iowa and has been one of the best punters in college football during his entire tenure as a Hawkeye.
He has led the NCAA and Big Ten in punts and punting yards in back-to-back seasons and was a consensus All-American in 2023.
Taylor announced that he will enter the 2024 NFL Draft after Iowa's Citrus Bowl game against Tennessee.
