[Husker] UT-NU Observations from the Press Box

[gzimmerman at everestkc.net]

Jeff,
I was the original poster who posited whether a FG attempt would have been a higher percentage choice than a second Hail Mary. I mentioned that the kicker on my sons HS team very nearly made a 55 yd FG on Friday. I and no one else stated that "are all kinds of HS kickers  who can  routinely make 50+ yard field goal". Please don't put words in my mouth.

My point is that a kicker who has a range of maybe 40 yds should not be a D1 kicker. If the Huskers want to return to the upper echelon of college football, they need a much better kicker. Look no further than the Chiefs game one day later. The Chiefs kicker drilled a 48 yd FG with 11 seconds remaining. A 5 yd penalty was called and he calmly kicked a 53 yd FG to win the game. That is the type of kicker NU needs.

I realize that such kickers are the exception rather than the rule, but NU must do better than what they currently have. A below average kicker can easily cost your team a game or two each year.

Greg Zimmerman, UNL '75
Overland Park, Kansas

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Volk <jeffv at alphavideo.com>
Date: Monday, October 23, 2006 2:55 pm
Subject: RE: [Husker] UT-NU Observations from the Press Box

> Steve,
> 
> 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 
> mightbe 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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