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South Pender wrote:Didn't he play in the Rose Bowl (for Iowa) against Joe Kapp, playing for Cal? Then in his first year as a Lion, he played against Kapp again, now a Stampeder. I think that's how I remember it, but correct me if I'm wrong about that.

College career

Randy Duncan's college career got off to a slow start. As a mid-year graduate and due to freshman ineligibility, Duncan had to wait one and a half years to play, joining Iowa in the spring of 1955 but seeing his first action as a sophomore in the fall of 1956. Duncan became very discouraged over being constantly berated by Iowa coach Forest Evashevski and being clobbered in practice by Cal Jones. "Time after time, I was going to quit and transfer to Iowa State," Duncan has said.[2]

But Duncan managed to win the backup quarterback job in 1956, playing behind Ken Ploen. In a non-conference game against Oregon State, Duncan led Iowa to two fourth-quarter touchdowns and a 14-13 win after Ploen was injured. Iowa qualified for the Rose Bowl that season, and the opponent was again Oregon State. Duncan played the second quarter following a Ploen injury and led Iowa to a touchdown in Iowa's 35-19 win in the 1957 Rose Bowl.

Duncan was named the starter and led the team in passing in 1957. He battled snow and sleet to throw a touchdown pass for the only score in Iowa's win over Northwestern, and he missed the end of Iowa's tie with Michigan due to leg cramps. Duncan scored four touchdowns, two passing and two rushing, against Minnesota, and two touchdowns against Notre Dame, one passing and one on an interception return as a defensive back. Iowa went 7-1-1 on the season, and Duncan was named first team All-Big Ten.

As a senior in 1958, Duncan led Iowa to one of its best seasons ever. After a surprising early season tie against Air Force, Iowa won five straight Big Ten games, clinching the Big Ten title as early as it had ever been clinched before.[3] Duncan was terrific, helping Iowa lead the Big Ten in passing and the nation in total offense. He led the nation in completion percentage and passing yardage. His greatest game may have been in Iowa's lone loss in 1958, when he set a Big Ten record with 23 completions in 33 tries for 249 yards in a 38-28 loss to Ohio State. Duncan led Iowa to another Big Ten title and a 38-12 victory in the 1959 Rose Bowl. His lone touchdown pass in the Rose Bowl broke the school record for touchdown passes in a season, which had been held by Nile Kinnick in 1939.

Duncan was named first team All-Big Ten. He was also named the 1958 Big Ten MVP, and he was selected as a consensus first team All-American. He won the Walter Camp Award and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Duncan is one of seven Iowa players to letter from 1956 through 1958. In that span, Iowa's record was 24-3-2 with two Big Ten titles, three top ten rankings in the final Associated Press poll, and two victories in the Rose Bowl.

Upon being voted Iowa's MVP, Duncan said, "There's nobody that knows any better than I do that this was all made possible by you guys here and the coaching staff behind me. I mean it. Just to be a part of this ball club was all that I really ever wanted."[4]

BCLions4Ever wrote:enlargement of a photo from the article - there is a black and white image in the centre of the photo that appears to be Duncan in a 1960 Lions uni and helmet, but his jersey number does not appear to be correct. Pretty neat to be amongst his trophies.

Ballistic Bob wrote:

BCLions4Ever wrote:enlargement of a photo from the article - there is a black and white image in the centre of the photo that appears to be Duncan in a 1960 Lions uni and helmet, but his jersey number does not appear to be correct. Pretty neat to be amongst his trophies.

I checked a program from 1959 . Randy Duncan wore #98. In 1960 Randy wore #25. BB