Ron Coluzzi lays groundwork for Iowa's upset of Michigan

IOWA CITY — The 33-yard field goal, the safety and a few nifty runs are going to get the bulk of the attention when Iowa fans look back on the Hawkeyes' 14-13 upset of No. 3 Michigan.

Freshman kicker Keith Duncan's boot, Jaleel Johnson swallowing De'Veon Smith in the end zone and Akrum Wadley's 23 carries for 115 yards certainly will deserve prominent status in the highlight reels and memory banks. But without someone else, a lot of what those players were able to do wouldn't have been possible.

Senior punter Ron Coluzzi held the game-winning kick. He helped keep Duncan focused, largely leaving him alone instead of offering too many him words of advice when Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh attempted to ice the kicker — something Coluzzi said they welcomed, by the way. Coluzzi's 54-yard punt that was downed at the 2-yard-line set up Johnson's tackle for the safety. And his net average of 47 yards per punt helped flip field position and, combined with Iowa's defensive effort, set Iowa up in situations where they could commit to the run.

Ron Coluzzi came to Iowa for nights like Saturday. He won't get the bulk of the credit, but he was as important to the Hawkeyes in their upset bid as anyone.

'I came here to have fun, first and foremost,' Coluzzi said, 'but playing on a national scale people recognize and everybody's cheering for you, that's what everyone wants. I've had an absolute blast here.'

Coluzzi was basically the first half all by himself Saturday night.

There was the bad snap that resulted in his attempting to run for the first down, only to stumble and do a somersault. That play ended with Michigan linebacker Devin Bush laying a helmet-to-helmet hit that, after a review, earned him an ejection from the game.

He was able to laugh it off with some self-deprecating humor.

'I thought it was going to get blocked,' Coluzzi said, 'and then I showed some really poor athleticism. Are you kidding me? A somersault? But that's football.'

Then there was the bizarre series of events that earned Iowa a first down on a pair of penalties. Coluzzi was run into by Wolverine special teamers two plays in a row, garnering two five-yard penalties. Those penalties kept the Iowa drive alive and set up a scoring opportunity, though ultimately unsuccessful with a missed Miguel Recino 47-yard field goal.

Coluzzi had to regroup physically — saying he 'was a little bit fuzzy' — after the helmet-to-helmet, but was able to not miss a beat. Coach Kirk Ferentz said after the game, 'I wasn't sure he was going to make it to the second quarter physically, the way it started.'

RIP November 13, 2016

RIP pic.twitter.com/ec0b4KBWIi

— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF)

But he did, of course.

After the big hit and those penalties, Coluzzi pinned Michigan inside the 20 — including the one setting up the safety — three more times. None were bigger, obviously than the perfectly placed kick that landed at the Michigan 2.

Coluzzi started off the season as well as anyone could have hoped, earning a Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week award, but has been up and down at times since. When he hit it, he 'felt really good about it.' Its end result helped satisfy a desire that is about more than himself, he said.

'I went out there and hit my best punt,' Coluzzi said. 'I haven't been as good as I want to be this season, but I go out there and I hold everything (in my mind) for the state of Iowa. The fans here are wonderful and my teammates and coaches care a lot about me. I'm more concerned about messing up for them than I am my own peccadillos.'

Coluzzi is many things — levelheaded, mature, intelligent, and, oh yeah, talented — but his quirkiness is probably the most entertaining thing about the former Central Michigan student.

His impact on Saturday night's game was not without a dose of the humor he's brought to his other various media availabilities this season. In September, Coluzzi carried a football with him to interviews. He said then its name was Naomi, and he carried her with him everywhere.

Before he left Kinnick Stadium Saturday night, off to celebrate Iowa's biggest win of the season, Coluzzi was asked if the ball he punted that set up Johnson's safety had a name. Coluzzi smirked and asked if there were any women in the room.

Iowa's Athletic Director Gary Barta, off to the side, piped up, and said, 'just my wife and daughter, so don't worry about it,' prompting laughter from the room. Coluzzi laughed, too, and drew the first name he could think of.

'OK, we'll call her Jillian,' Coluzzi said.

Call her what you want, Ron. You earned it.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com