Kicker Situation

[DodgerHawki]

I'm sure they do monitor his usage...

10-15 game kicks is a pretty high volume for a college kicker, unless you're regularly scoring over 30 points/game. For example Meyer had 11 total kicks in the Insight Bowl...spread out over a 3 hour period. You have to go back to the Michigan St game in October to find a game where he had more. (13 kicks)

So, it would seem that practice is the problem. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist (or an above average coach) to realize you're kicking a guy's leg out and you should back off.

the issue is balancing the right amount of reps (need some to stay sharp) with keeping his leg fresh.

The game you cited he kicked 11 times. How many balls did he kick in pre-game and then at halftime? I would guess 4-5 times that 11 number.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Re: I'm sure they do monitor his usage...

the issue is balancing the right amount of reps (need some to stay sharp) with keeping his leg fresh.

The game you cited he kicked 11 times. How many balls did he kick in pre-game and then at halftime? I would guess 4-5 times that 11 number.

Count what ever you like. The overall point remains. If your kicker gets tired....HAVE HIM KICK FEWER BALLS! Or, rotate in somebody else to do kickoffs.

I'm not surprised though. It took us until the second half of the bowl game to realize that maybe playing a nickel or dime would be a more effective way to defend an aggresive spread.
And only after our D Line practically started puking on the field last fall...did we start rotating in some other guys.

Sometimes our coaches are sooooooo sllooooooow to learn and adjust.

 

[Foval21]

Something I've noticed at times is that Punters can sometimes have stronger legs than Kickers (who tend to focus on accuracy). Sometimes I think we should try a strong legged punter as the kick off specialist. Not saying this would solve problems but since Kaeding we haven't really had a kicker that could kick the ball past the 5 yd line. I know that what made Kaeding so good was more his height on kicks than the total distance and Meyer does have more of that than Mossbrucker but when you have 2 kickers why not use them both is my position or trying one of these punters. If the Aussie has such a strong leg see if he can put it out of the endzone on a kick.

 

[tm3308]

I'm a little confused about Meyer as the starter. Does anyone know what happened to Mossbrucker? I think we don't miss as many extra points with Mossbrucker kicking. Nothing against Meyer, but i think he was rushed into the spot.

He has a strain of the Scott Norwood Virus: The Yips.

I have thought since the time it happened that putting in Murray to kick the game-winner against Penn State in 2008 totally tanked Mossbrucker's confidence. We used Murray for kicks over 40 yards all year, Mossbrucker for the kicks under 40. He appeared set and ready to go, only to be forced to watch from the sidelines, I assume because Murray was a little older.

I believe it was HS4E who said he was on the field by the tunnel that night, and said Mossbrucker made his way to the tunnel, alone, immediately after the final whistle, while the rest of the team was on the field celebrating. He then promptly missed 2 XP's the following week, and that was the end of it.

That was one thing I'm not sure Ferentz handled quite right, in retrospect.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Isn't it assumed by pretty much everyone that Meyers is going to have both jobs next season? He had a better freshman season than Kaeding did.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Isn't it assumed by pretty much everyone that Meyers is going to have both jobs next season? He had a better freshman season than Kaeding did.

Meyers had a great year...especially impressive for a walk-on Freshman.

All I'm saying, is if leg strength or fatigue is an issue...let somebody else do the kickoffs.

 

[tm3308]

Meyers had a great year...especially impressive for a walk-on Freshman.

All I'm saying, is if leg strength or fatigue is an issue...let somebody else do the kickoffs.

Or perhaps, letting him work through the fatigue issues this past season will help him in the long run? He's got the strongest leg since Kaeding, clearly the kicker of the future. I'd rather suffer through some growing pains early on than have him not develop as quickly.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Meyers had a great year...especially impressive for a walk-on Freshman.

All I'm saying, is if leg strength or fatigue is an issue...let somebody else do the kickoffs.

Does that mean it is an issue?

I'll admit that I haven't even read through this thread, as there isn't any reason to think Meyers won't have the job next year.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Does that mean it is an issue?

I'll admit that I haven't even read through this thread, as there isn't any reason to think Meyers won't have the job next year.

---------------------
Ok, let's rewind a bit.

Meyer had a good Freshman season, especially for a walk-on. And he looks like our kicker next year. Solid.

The question that came up was... why were our kickoffs so short?

With several postulating that it was fatigue, and a guy that looks like he might have a tired leg... why the hell not use Mossbrucker for kickoffs...or give Meyer a little more rest in practice so he's fresher for games.

Pretty simple stuff.

 

[tm3308]

---------------------
Ok, let's rewind a bit.

Meyer had a good Freshman season, especially for a walk-on. And he looks like our kicker next year. Solid.

The question that came up was... why were our kickoffs so short?

With several postulating that it was fatigue, and a guy that looks like he might have a tired leg... why the hell not use Mossbrucker for kickoffs...or give Meyer a little more rest in practice so he's fresher for games.

Pretty simple stuff.

Because Mossbrucker has never been known for a cannon leg. There's a reason that Murray handled kickoffs in 2008, and if you don't recall, HIS kickoffs weren't particularly long, either. Mossbrucker wasn't going to be kicking much (if at all) deeper, particularly with a cold ball.

 

[HawkfaninWA]

I say Mullings is doing kickoffs this fall. Write that down.

 

[TylerSash]

He has a strain of the Scott Norwood Virus: The Yips.

I have thought since the time it happened that putting in Murray to kick the game-winner against Penn State in 2008 totally tanked Mossbrucker's confidence. We used Murray for kicks over 40 yards all year, Mossbrucker for the kicks under 40. He appeared set and ready to go, only to be forced to watch from the sidelines, I assume because Murray was a little older.

I believe it was HS4E who said he was on the field by the tunnel that night, and said Mossbrucker made his way to the tunnel, alone, immediately after the final whistle, while the rest of the team was on the field celebrating. He then promptly missed 2 XP's the following week, and that was the end of it.

That was one thing I'm not sure Ferentz handled quite right, in retrospect.

It was absolutely handled correctly because we won the game.

Coming away with a win in that spot was a heck of a lot more important than destroying the confidence of the back-up kicker.

Close your eyes and imagine what would have happened if Mossbrucker had been chosen to attempt that kick, and then missed it.

Where would Iowa football be right now?

I shudder to think of the possibilities.

 

[CAARHawk]

Mossbrucker just has not proven to have a very strong leg.

 

[tm3308]

It was absolutely handled correctly because we won the game.

Coming away with a win in that spot was a heck of a lot more important than destroying the confidence of the back-up kicker.

Close your eyes and imagine what would have happened if Mossbrucker had been chosen to attempt that kick, and then missed it.

Where would Iowa football be right now?

I shudder to think of the possibilities.

Well, Mossbrucker was the starter at the time (more or less, anyway). He went 13-15 in 2008, and the PSU kick was within his designated range. And Murray was/is not known for great accuracy. You held your breath on the "chip shots" with Murray. It worked out okay, but I felt more than confident in Mossbrucker.

Now he's basically a wasted scholly. A kicker with confidence issues is no kicker at all (see: Nate Kaeding in January).

 

[Herkeefan]

Meyers had a great year...especially impressive for a walk-on Freshman.

All I'm saying, is if leg strength or fatigue is an issue...let somebody else do the kickoffs.

I thought I read a quote last Summer from Mullings saying he thought he was going to handle kickoffs in 2010. Thought was he would kick deep into endzone w/ his leg & start opposing team @ the 20. After reading that article in July-Aug I was pumped, thinking with the defense we would have & start the teams at the 20. I only wished that would have worked at the Arizona game, that I was at.

I am assuming once camp opened up & they saw what Meyer was doing as a walk-on & instead on burning a year for Mullings, they would let Meyer do kickoffs & then you would still have 4 years of Mullings punting....just my thought on that.

 

[Foval21]

I just don't see it as cut and dried as many. Murray was a very solid kicker (so much so he was preseason Groza winner). He lost his job at one point to Mossbrucker. Mossbrucker was a solid kicker and he has lost his job to Meyer. Lately I don't think the coaches have instilled a lot of confidence in any kickers and I think unless Mossbrucker leaves the team then Meyer could lose his job because of how the kicker situation has been handled. Meyer did have a great year but 1 good year doesn't always translate into greatness for the career. Kaeding had a below average frosh year and became one of the best kickers you could ever see. I think strong legged punters tend to kick-off better than kickers that place more on accuracy. My thought is Mullings as Kick-Off Specialist, Guthrie as Punter, and Meyer handling FGs.

 

[tm3308]

I just don't see it as cut and dried as many. Murray was a very solid kicker (so much so he was preseason Groza winner). He lost his job at one point to Mossbrucker. Mossbrucker was a solid kicker and he has lost his job to Meyer. Lately I don't think the coaches have instilled a lot of confidence in any kickers and I think unless Mossbrucker leaves the team then Meyer could lose his job because of how the kicker situation has been handled. Meyer did have a great year but 1 good year doesn't always translate into greatness for the career. Kaeding had a below average frosh year and became one of the best kickers you could ever see. I think strong legged punters tend to kick-off better than kickers that place more on accuracy. My thought is Mullings as Kick-Off Specialist, Guthrie as Punter, and Meyer handling FGs.

I don't see Mossbrucker ever taking the job back. You don't get better from the yips. The job is Meyer's to lose, and I don't see him losing it.

And preseason Groza watchlist doesn't mean a whole lot. It's like any other award watch list: there's at least 50 names on it. Top 50 isn't that great when there's only 120.

 

[Foval21]

I don't see how the yips comes into it when he got blocked. I understand blocks count as misses (obviously) but yips are when you yank or push chip shots. His last kick was blocked and I put blocks usually on the holder or the line not the kicker. With the way Ferentz will pull kickers don't count any kicker listed on the roster as out of the kicking competition. Plus I don't think Meyer even kicks a FG this year if Murray doesn't get hurt. Murray might not have the FG% of a Kaeding but who can match the best. Murray was one of the better kickers in the nation.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

A 38 (well, 39 now) post thread about who's going to kick next season. Goodness.

 

[Ozhawk]

These young kickers can very easily tire there legs out and that is a big factor. I don't understand why that is hard to grasp. Its not a whole lot different than a pitcher and his arm strength getting weaker as a season goes on.

You are kidding right? You are talking about thousands of pitches including practice. How many times a game does a pitcher throw? How many in a week? Month? How man times a game does a kicker kick? how many games a week? Month? Get real! I suppose you think QBs arms get tired as the season goes on too? THink about it for a second...stanzi throws how many times a game? How many times in Practice? It didn't look like his arm got tired. Unless you are a physical therapist I am not buying the Tired leg argument.