Kicker knows the score: Mossbrucker felt all the emotions in epic victory

IOWA CITY - Trent Mossbrucker acknowledges Coach Kirk Ferentz made the right call. After all, it's about results, not ego.

The signature play in an erstwhile good 2008 Iowa football season sent Kinnick Stadium in a frenzy last November. Daniel Murray, Iowa's designated kickoff specialist, was called from the bench to boot a 31-yard field goal against then-unbeaten Penn State. Murray drilled the kick, slid safely into midfield and became Iowa's designated hero for a weekend.

Nobody saw Mossbrucker, then a freshman. Sure, Iowa's other kicker was happy the team won, but he felt removed from the situation. As the team's place-kicker for field goals and extra points, Mossbrucker stood alone on the sidelines, angry and hurt.

“At first I took it pretty hard,” Mossbrucker said. “I'm a competitive person, and I wanted to help the team out in that situation and take that kick, but that wasn't in the cards. Coach made the right call. We won the game. That really propelled us into a nice bowl win.”

The team player in Mossbrucker celebrated. The competitor kept him from getting over the moment for “a little while.”

“It was something I've never had to deal with in a career of anything sports-wise,” Mossbrucker said. “It's just another thing to add to your resume and build on and not forget about and recognize that happened. Danny made a great kick, and it was something that will forever live here in Iowa football.”

Mossbrucker, a sophomore, said it was a game-time decision. Both players warmed up for the kick, and Coach Kirk Ferentz picked Murray.

“I was ecstatic that we won,” Mossbrucker said. “It was a great win for our program. But all those thoughts run through your mind. Could I have made the kick? Things like that. I feel like I could have made that kick, but he got the call.”

The call rattled Mossbrucker's confidence following the game. He missed his first two extra-point attempts against Purdue, a game Iowa won by five points. He continued to kick extra points in Iowa's season finale at Minnesota, but did not play in the Outback Bowl.

Mossbrucker finished the season with impressive statistics. He hit 13-of-15 field goals and hit 31-of-33 extra-point attempts. His 70 points were second on the team behind All-American running back Shonn Greene (110 points).

“The way I look at it is he had a little turbulence,” Ferentz said. “It's funny the way things finished. If you look at his overall records from the first year, pretty impressive. The thing is I'm confident I know the guy we thought we recruited, he ended up being that guy, and maybe even more so.

Mossbrucker and Murray are embroiled in a tough competition this fall. In an open practice, Murray hit 12-of-13 kicks, while Mossbrucker nailed 9-of-11. They consider themselves friendly - but serious - competitors. Mossbrucker was heavily recruited from Mooresville, Ind., and accepted a scholarship out of high school.

Ferentz said it's possible he could red-shirt Mossbrucker should Murray decisively win the kicking competition.

“Our first and foremost concern right now is to win every game we can and do all we can each Saturday to win,” Ferentz said. “That will always be first in our minds. But if it ends up being an option we can take advantage of, at least it's there, but right now it's down on the list for us.”

Mossbrucker has consulted with former Iowa kicker Nate Kaeding and punter Jason Baker in the off-season. He's read books on confidence and compared kicking to a golf swing. Ferentz said he supports Mossbrucker regardless of the end result of this year's kicking competition.

“I think he's got a great spirit, a great head on his shoulders,” Ferentz said. “It's just a matter of time for him to work through whatever little bumps in the road that took place. I think he'll have a great career here. I feel real confident about that.”