[Husker] UT-NU Observations from the Press Box

[Steve Reichenbach]

Another local kid, Greg Zuerlein, from Lincoln Pius X, now a freshman
at UNO, kicked a 52 yarder in HS (43-45 PATs, 12-16 FGs).  I saw a game
where he was putting kickoffs (which I understand are different)
through the uprights.

If people continue to express doubt about HS kickers making 50+ yd
FGs, I can provide additional examples.

BTW, Congdon kicked a 53yd FG in HS.  He has been very accurate and
reliable at NU (most important in a kicker), but right now seems to
lack the length right that sometimes may be required.

Yes, 58yds is a long FG, but with a 30mph tail wind, many kickers
can do it. 


> 
> Posts putting the length of the possible FG attempt at 58 yds is
> consistent with the drive chart, which puts the ball inside the
> 41.  Maybe you are wrong :-).
> 
> There are MANY HS kickers who can kick it over 50 yds.  It is not
> at all misleading.  With so many kids playing soccer now, it is
> COMMON to have kids who kick the ball a long ways.  Here's a link
> from last year about a Nebraska kid:
> http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=131&p=2&c=450644
> He had a long of 53 and his coach said he could kick them longer
> than 60.
> 
> I looked closer at NU's roster and see they have a kicker from
> North Platte, Jordan Alegria, who kicked a Shrine Bowl record
> 52 yarder.
> 
> These are non-scholarship kids.  If it is so remarkable that they
> can kick that far, then why aren't they sought after?  The answer
> is that they aren't so sought after because it isn't that remarkable
> anymore for HS kickers able to kick long FGs in excess of 50yds.
> 
> My complaint is less about this one kick --- I only wondered if
> the odds of the long FG were better than a Hail Mary pass --- it
> is that it has been clear for quite awhile that Congdon isn't
> able to kick off consistently into the end zone or kick even
> moderately long FGs, but it appears that it has just been left
> that way --- dealing with kickoff returns and passing up all but
> short FGs.  Texas tried their backup kicker and he won the game. 
> NU might have done the same.
> 
> My other complaint about special teams is that NU has been letting
> punts bounce game after game after game.  It isn't complaining to
> be complaining --- with better special teams play, NU well might
> have won the game.  Honestly, don't these special teams problems,
> which have been ongoing, frustrate you?
> 
> 
> > 
> > Steve,
> > 
> > I could have sworn from my seat that it was just inside the 45, which
> > would be a 62-yard attempt but I could be wrong. Either way it is a kick
> > that is way outside of our guy's range, even with the wind - which while
> > at his back was also swirling pretty heavily. Anyone catch how the
> > balloons swirled around field level after the first touchdown?  
> > 
> > My job takes me to a lot of college and NFL games and a fair amount of
> > HS games too and to imply that there are all kinds of HS kickers who can
> > routinely make 50+ yard field goals or that there are random kids
> > walking the campus in Lincoln right now that could make them also might
> > be a little misleading and probably a lot absurd. 
> > 
> > Consider that in the NFL, home to arguably the sport's best kickers,
> > through Week 7 only 13 of the 30 leading FG kickers in the NFL have a
> > long field goal make in excess of 50 yards and that NONE has a FG make
> > like the 58 yd FG people are suggesting that we should have tried. In
> > fact only 1 kicker in the NFL period (who is not in the top 30 in FG
> > makes) has a make of 58 yards +, and that is Matt Bryant of Tampa Bay
> > (who kicked a 62-yarder to win the game on Sunday). Further, through
> > Week 7 in the NFL, 11 teams or nearly 1/3 of the league, haven't even
> > attempted a FG in excess of 50 yards and amongst teams that have
> > attempted at least one the results are 19 makes against 44 misses - a
> > conversion percentage of only 43%. Of those teams, 6 or nearly 20% of
> > the league have made 0% or none of their 50+ yd attempts. 
> > 
> > So do the special teams need help - absolutely. But, could any kicker on
> > the roster, your average HS kicker, some mystery student walking the
> > campus or even your average NFL kicker likely have made a FG of 50+
> > yards - nevertheless one from 58 yards with a swirling wind - PROBABLY
> > NOT!!!! 
> > 
> > The hail mary was without question our best option to score and to
> > suggest otherwise is just an excuse to criticize the coaching staff - at
> > least in my humble opinion. If you throw the hail mary you have the
> > chance for an additional penalty (which would have definitely moved the
> > ball into FG range) or a tip and a catch for the win. Lining up for a FG
> > lets us all watch the ball flutter through the air and land at the 5 -
> > not even close to a make and with no real chance for anything else to
> > happen that could extend or win the game. 
> > 
> > Jeff
> > 
>