Caden Buhr emerges from the shadows to be vital weapon for Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa has a long line of clutch kickers throughout the years, including Keith Duncan and Drew Stevens this decade, but now another stud is surfacing after the win over Iowa State.

Caden Buhr was the Hawkeyes’ hero last Saturday. After all, he nailed three field goals, which included a 42-yarder in the final 15 seconds that eventually gave Iowa the victory in the Cy-Hawk Rivalry. Buhr showed confidence, accuracy and leg power. Not to mention there was no moment too big for him.

There were 69,250 fans in attendance at Kinnick Stadium, which included Buhr’s family, and they made it a memorable atmosphere for him to take advantage of the spotlight. Buhr’s final field goal sent the crowd into a frenzy, and he soaked in the magnitude of that moment like a sponge.

“When you’re with your teammates, guys that you practice with everyday, and people that support you, it’s unbelievable,” Buhr said. “That was a true team win out there, offense, defense and special teams, so being able to do that with my team is truly awesome.”

Buhr never doubts himself, and has come a long way to win the trust of his teammates and coaches. His stellar performance is a testament of the hard work he continues to put in. It has molded him into a weapon for the Hawkeyes, and Buhr is ready to deliver whenever his number is called.

“There’s a lot of training, a big part of kicking that people might not see is the mental side of kicking, training your mind every single day, and always keeping a positive mindset,” he said. “Just always going out there, pushing as hard as you can, and no matter what happens, you give it all you got.”

The 5-foot-10, 203-pounder developed his work ethic from his father, which he has applied in practice and live game action. Buhr understands that there’s a standard to live up to being a kicker for the Hawkeyes. He often talks to Duncan often for advice, and Stevens is a phone call away. Buhr tries his best to pick their brains, and carries himself with swagger like Duncan did in the black and gold.

“I learned a lot, and I think a lot of my routine, and a lot of what I do, is off some of the things he (Duncan) did,” the Iowa native said. “He had a lot of poise, a lot of confidence in himself to go out there, and I just try to take a lot of things he did, and implement it into my game, but obviously you gotta do what works for you as well.”

Buhr outshined Cyclone, and fellow Iowan Kyle Konrardy in the state’s biggest game of the year, and his team reclaimed the Cy-Hawk Trophy, so the evening was like a Hollywood ending in his eyes.

There’s no denying that Buhr put the rest of the Big Ten on notice with his range, and accuracy. Now Buhr is riding that wave of momentum into week three, but will keep that final field goal on his mind to remind him what he’s capable of accomplishing the rest of the season.

“I think everyday you envision that type of kick, or some kick, that kind of the mind of a kicker, trying to do everything you can to put the ball in the uprights.”