[Husker] UT-NU Observations from the Press Box

[Roger Lohr]

How about if we just simply give you the last word on this topic??  Enough 
is enough.

Thank you,
Roger Lohr-Mpls


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Reichenbach" <reich at inetnebr.com>
To: <reich at inetnebr.com>; <jeffv at alphavideo.com>
Cc: <husker at tssi.com>
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 5:09 PM
Subject: RE: [Husker] UT-NU Observations from the Press Box


>
>
> 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
>> >
>>
>
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