Locals Dunker, Elsbury hope to lift Iowa in Citrus Bowl
The entire Iowa Hawkeyes' roster will be looking to players like former LenaWinslow star Gennings Dunker and former Byron standout Tyler Elsbury to help the offense turn things around when their New Year's Day Citrus Bowl matchup with Tennessee arrives.
After an impressive 10-2 regular season, the Hawkeyes were blown out — and the offense was shut out — during a 26-0 loss to Michigan on Dec. 2 in the Big Ten Championship game. But now they have a shot at redemption with a solid bowl game matchup, and the two Rockford-area locals who have been providing a spark on the offensive line are hoping they can help swing things around in the season finale.
“Our confidence has never been gone, but we know we've got to do some things differently in this one. We know we have to be better,” said Dunker, the former Lena-Winslow star lineman who has been starting at offensive tackle all season long. “And it's very important that we go out with a win, now. I really want to win this one, for my guys, and for my coaches, this one is big.”
The No. 17 Hawkeyes will play No. 21 Tennessee on Jan. 1 in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. And the pair of redshirt sophomores from the Rockford area could be key to Iowa's possible turnaround.
“Obviously we didn't play well in the Big Ten Championship Game, but we're ready for Tennessee,” said Elsbury, who filled in at center for two-plus games late in the season, and is now rotating in at guard. “This game is a big deal for us. It's important for us to go out there and perform the way we know we can.”
How can they help?
Dunker, listed at 6-5, 320 pounds,
rotated in at guard some last season for the Hawkeyes, but he has been the team’s starting right tackle all season this year. Elsbury, at 6-5, 312 pounds, was also rotating in and out at guard last year, and this year he’s been a backup at multiple spots but had two starts at center late in the year.
He’s expecting to play, he’s just not sure how much.
Regardless, they expect to be better than the last time they played.
“We know we need to improve, and we know we can be better, and we will,” said Dunker, a Human Physiology major who was recently named to the Big Ten Academic All-Conference team. “I left a lot out there on the table, every week. We all did in the last game... That’s got to change. It will be with me.”
Dunker was also a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection, and he is now a CSC Academic All-America finalist — the winners will be announced on Jan. 23, 2024. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a 3.50 grade point average or higher and have one year completed in college.
As for Elsbury, he worked himself into the fray when they needed him. And he expects to work some more in every game from here on out. When starting center Logan Jones went down with two games left in the regular season, Elsbury stepped in and played well.
“It’s been, ‘Back to the basics’ a little bit. Just making sure we’re ready,” Elsbury said. “And now, I mean, there’s one more game, so that says it all. We just want to play football, and show off our strength.”
One last shot
And until the flame-out in the Big Ten Championship Game, Iowa’s offensive line had been one of its strengths. Hawkeye running backs were enjoying large gaps to run through, and the quarterbacks were taking little heat.
That changed on Dec. 2, however. They are hoping it was just for one day.
“It was mainly just fundamentals and execution. That’s on us,” Dunker said. “We know what we need to do to fix things, and we’re doing it, right now. We’re just so focused on preparing for this game the right way, and getting ourselves ready.
“I’m excited. I’m excited to get another chance to go out there and finish strong. We’re ready.”
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.