FG KICKER?

[Sooner70]

What in the world is OU going to do about obtaining a reliable, longer range field goal kicker? This situation is totally unacceptable.

Folks, this shouldn't be rocket science. Several lesser programs, heck even Div II schools have reliable, longer range FG kickers. It would seem a top tier program like OU would have this as Recruiting Priority #1. What would OU's record have been this year if we'd had this capability?

This ain't right. They need to get this fixed. I don't care if it's male, female or android. It needs fixed.

I know OU has other issues....OL, receivers besides Broles that can actually consistently catch, etc, but this FG kicking thing just seems to be a chronic problem this year. Why?

Any insights?

[misplacedsooner]

our wides should be very good next year, the o-line has some good looking guys coming in next year to go with a patchwork group that has gotten better as the year has gone on, gotta be hard not knowing where on the line your gonna play any given saturday.
kickers...ah yes kickers.....js was supposed to light it up, not sure what happened to him overall. you are right though, its bad when you hold your breath on every pat hoping it will go through.
kids...start practicing kicking and field goals daily, good way to earn a scholly.

[Blues1]

I'm Still looking for a Kicker that can put "The Kick Off" in The back of the End zone 8 out of 10 times....Unless OU coaches believe letting the other team catch the ball at the 10 or 15 yard line is a better strategy...?

[delhalew]

Paddy missed a 32 yarder...32 people.:(

[misplacedsooner]

I like your idea of putting the ball out of the endzone so it cant be returned...hell of a concept...i also like putting the ball in play so ronnell can light people up.

[ouflak]

What in the world is OU going to do about obtaining a reliable, longer range field goal kicker?

Eh... longer range?

Right now I'd take a kicker that is consistent from *any* range!

If we had somebody that was solid absolute 100% from 45 yards and less, I think we might have won atleast one more game and possibly two more games. We certainly would have put some more points up just from the fact that when the offense reached that magical 45 yard field goal distance, the coaches would occasionally go for the endzone knowing that if things didn't work out, we'd atleast come away with three.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

http://newsok.com/kicker-kevin-cabello-a-vital-asset-for-putnam-city-north/article/3426861

he is only 11/16 but took a bunch of long ones

[Blues1]

http://newsok.com/kicker-kevin-cabello-a-vital-asset-for-putnam-city-north/article/3426861

he is only 11/16 but took a bunch of long ones

Lets Give Him a Shot.... Long Ones are better than "No Ones" ~~ :)

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Lets Give Him a Shot.... Long Ones are better than "No Ones" ~~ :)

Plus, it's not like we haven't found success from Putnam City North before...

[Soonerus]

He's a great kid...

[rawlingsHOH]

What in the world is OU going to do about obtaining a reliable, longer range field goal kicker? This situation is totally unacceptable.

Folks, this shouldn't be rocket science. Several lesser programs, heck even Div II schools have reliable, longer range FG kickers. It would seem a top tier program like OU would have this as Recruiting Priority #1. What would OU's record have been this year if we'd had this capability?

This ain't right. They need to get this fixed. I don't care if it's male, female or android. It needs fixed.

I know OU has other issues....OL, receivers besides Broles that can actually consistently catch, etc, but this FG kicking thing just seems to be a chronic problem this year. Why?

Any insights?

It's been a priority as we gave schollys in back to back years. unfortunately they were busts as kickers. though way is a good punter!

[CaliBornSoonerBred]

I know this is obvious but watching the kicking woes have sure made me appreciate how great Hartley was when we did have him.

[jkjsooner]

I'm Still looking for a Kicker that can put "The Kick Off" in The back of the End zone 8 out of 10 times....Unless OU coaches believe letting the other team catch the ball at the 10 or 15 yard line is a better strategy...?

Now that we're kicking from the 30 yard line you're not going to get many kickers who can do that 8 out of 10 times. You don't see that out of most NFL kickers.

It was much easier when the kickoffs were at the 35 and even moreso when they were from the 40 (pre '86).

All that being said, having kickoffs only go to the 15 yard line is a joke. We should do better than that. Maybe the coaches are coaching them to put more air under the ball so as to avoid the return problems we had last year.

[Blues1]

Now that we're kicking from the 30 yard line you're not going to get many kickers who can do that 8 out of 10 times. You don't see that out of most NFL kickers.

It was much easier when the kickoffs were at the 35 and even moreso when they were from the 40 (pre '86).

All that being said, having kickoffs only go to the 15 yard line is a joke. We should do better than that. Maybe the coaches are coaching them to put more air under the ball so as to avoid the return problems we had last year.

Yes - I understand - But that Stanford Kicker was sure putting a few kicks in the back of the End Zone -- Ok I will take 5 out of Ten ~~~ :)

[Eielson]

O'Hara is hitting the ball well. The guy has hardly been kicking from my understanding, so of course he might miss a few he shouldn't, but at least when he kicks a 40 yarder we know he can get it over the offensive line.

[JLEW1818]

i would trade Murray for Nebraska's kicker

[Scott D]

Wow, way to pick on a kid who hadn't kicked a football until two months ago at the most.

[JLEW1818]

Neb kicker money! we need to go find some on the farm

[Scott D]

I don't know...I think we need to send people to go pick on first graders who can't do algebra first.

[JLEW1818]

solve for x

3x + 4y = 12

[Scott D]

man we need to recruit some chinese first graders, they could have solved that problem in the womb!

[JLEW1818]

Yao

[meoveryouxinfinity]

O'Hara is giving something to the team without taking anything. Walk-on, right?

[BigEasySooner]

Garrett Hartley actually plays golf at my course here in south Louisiana and considering he had a choke last week that cost my Saints a game that means both my favorite teams have shaky kickers.

Puts it into perspective though when OU doesn't have a solid kicker and neither does a 13-2 NFL.

[delhalew]

If the Saints don't want Hartley, we will take him back.

[Blues1]

O'Hara is giving something to the team without taking anything. Walk-on, right?

That's what I understand also -- plus - He was rooting his buns off on the Sideline (He got some real good CBS TV Moments) -- And Good For Him...
Keep Working at it O'Hara --- You Can Do it ~~~~ :)

[85sooners]

:hot: :hot: :hot: :hot: :hot:

[PDXsooner]

it's a game fought by gladiators and decided by soccer players. the soccer player may look like a fag, but he's often times the most important player you sign. i'd give up one of these 8-star players for a good kicker every signing class.

[Scott D]

O'Hara is giving something to the team without taking anything. Walk-on, right?

hence I don't see what the big deal is. If the kid is shaky as hell a year from now that's one thing. But, let him get a full year of being a football kicker under his belt before throwing him under the bus.

[Eielson]

solve for x

3x + 4y = 12

x=-4/3y+4

[Scott D]

you took too long, we already got the illegal chinese immigrant baby to answer the question..he's getting your scholarship.

[Eielson]

you took too long, we already got the illegal chinese immigrant baby to answer the question..he's getting your scholarship.

This is racism. I'm going to get Sharpton and Rev. Jackson after you!

[Scott D]

good luck, I think they'll side with me :)

[Eielson]

good luck, I think they'll side with me :)

Probably, because I'm white. :P

[Scott D]

yep, and I'm not..so I'll get my uncle Rev. Penn to meet up with them in his North Carolina church :)

[SCOUT]

Folks, this shouldn't be rocket science. Several lesser programs, heck even Div II schools have reliable, longer range FG kickers. It would seem a top tier program like OU would have this as Recruiting Priority #1.

Any insights?

I would remind you that trying to kick a field goal against the rush of Bubba Thirdstring is easier than kicking against the rush of Ndamukong Suh. Also, kicking has a very large psychological component. Kicking in front of 1,200 fans in the local high school stadium doesn't really carry the pressure of a tens of thousands of live fans not to mention the millions on tv.

[VA Sooner]

Give Paddy the spring to work on consistency, release the other kickers except the punter, and sign Cabello for competition.

[soonerboy]

How about if we cant find a kicker for next year, anytime we get inside the 35 and its fourth down how about we just go for it. Why not? the odds of us getting a first down are about the same as us making a field goal. Any further than that and we just punt.

[OUinFLA]

Im thinking Paddy is the best we've had in two years now.
gotta get better by next year

[swardboy]

My vote goes with Paddy still. Very lively leg...good height...he's just started kicking. Next year will see great improvements on accuracy I predict, heck, he's been very accurate up until that one kick!

[BoulderSooner79]

My vote goes with Paddy still. Very lively leg...good height...he's just started kicking. Next year will see great improvements on accuracy I predict, heck, he's been very accurate up until that one kick!

Well, he did doink a very short one in the 1st half, but was saved by our own false start flag. But I agree - lots of potential if he can improve accuracy. That ball jumps off the ground.

[Mile High Sooner]

x=-4/3y+4

You didn't show your work. :gary:

[Scott D]

Well given some time he'll learn how to draw and fade kicks. Right now I'd say the biggest problem is that most of his kicks tend to be very straight. Which would be great, if he was kicking from the center of the hashes all the time.

[King Barry's Back]

My understanding is that kickers are not really "recruited" like other players.

Don't know exactly how it works, but most coaches invite a few to try out, and to practice, and if they look good they get a chance to be on the team.

I remember an article a few years back, after Bobby Bowden's crappy kicker kept costing him games -- "wide right", etc.

They talked about how haphazard the whole thing was, how getting a college kicker was hit or miss, and how coaches like Bowden "got what they deserved" for being so lackadaisical on the kicking game.

We're really paying a price for it now. Hope we can get it worked out -- Paddy or no Paddy.

EDIT: As for evidence of how haphazard the process is, see the fact that OU's best kicker is a walk on who never played football before. Imagine if our best QB had never played before.

[Sooner70]

King Barry

Well, if that's true, then OU should start recruiting for this position. In this day in time, with parity in CFB, it just seems that having a lead pipe cinch kicker on the bench does wonders for your team confidence and puts you in a good spot to win those close games. This has been woefully lacking in the Sooner game plan for some time now.

Also, I hear what Scout says, but here's the deal. When the chips are down, you've got to have it. When you're at the college level, practice is over. You've got to perform....don't care what the venue is. Look what Texas' kicker did with 1 second left in the Nebraska game. He got them to the NC. That's what I'm talking about. We need another Uwe von S. There was a kicker!

It's bizarre what can happen to kickers though. Maybe it's kinda like golf....slumps. Case in point is the Houston Texans Kicker Kris Brown....at one time in recent history, he was a certain from just about anywhere. Today, he's a basket case.....last week even missed an extra point, let alone missing several FG s.

[swardboy]

Uwe had a tee....didn't he?

Yep, just youtubed it and he did have that 1" tee....don't think that doesn't make a difference. I'm amazed at the height that Paddy gets with no tee. He'll be kicking hundreds of balls between now and August.

[ouleaf]

King Barry
It's bizarre what can happen to kickers though. Maybe it's kinda like golf....slumps. Case in point is the Houston Texans Kicker Kris Brown....at one time in recent history, he was a certain from just about anywhere. Today, he's a basket case.....last week even missed an extra point, let alone missing several FG s.

I agree with you here on the golf analogy. To kickers, the biggest thing has to be developing a consistent kicking motion, just like golfers developing a consistent golf swing. You repeat that motion over and over until it is developed into muscle memory.

However, if on one kick you lose concentration, or your strides are a bit different, or you strike the ball in the wrong spot, and you miss a kick, it messes with you pyschologically. You lose confidence and it builds up your nerves and results in more mis-hit kicks. It's the truly great kickers and golfers that can fight through this and get the confidence back in their kicking/swing when something goes wrong.

Case in point was the Dallas Cowboys kicker Nick Folk. He was a pro bowl caliber place kicker until he missed a few kicks and you could tell it was really affecting him mentally more than anything else. At the end, he had absolutely no confidence in his kicking and was going up there hoping he wouldn't miss more than anything else. I hope he can take some time off, re-group, and get back to form next season.

[cvsooner]

Main thing I see is O'Hara lifts his head early, which is a no-no in technique. Keep your head down, son, look at the ball and the spot you're kicking. You can't watch the ball go through the uprights, but you can sure see the official holding his arms straight up parallel.

A couple of months with a good kicking coach would work wonders for him.

[Scott D]

Kris Brown has been mediocre for years, how do you think the Texans ended up with him.

[oupride]

Is there not 1 kid in OK high school that could possibly kick for the Sooners?

[Frozen Sooner]

My understanding is that kickers are not really "recruited" like other players.

Don't know exactly how it works, but most coaches invite a few to try out, and to practice, and if they look good they get a chance to be on the team.

I remember an article a few years back, after Bobby Bowden's crappy kicker kept costing him games -- "wide right", etc.

They talked about how haphazard the whole thing was, how getting a college kicker was hit or miss, and how coaches like Bowden "got what they deserved" for being so lackadaisical on the kicking game.

We're really paying a price for it now. Hope we can get it worked out -- Paddy or no Paddy.

EDIT: As for evidence of how haphazard the process is, see the fact that OU's best kicker is a walk on who never played football before. Imagine if our best QB had never played before.

Yeah, he went out and recruited Scott Bentley. Who then went and GHBd some poor girl. AND missed a FG against Miami. :D

[Dan Thompson]

Bryce Easely(sp) form Norman North in on the roster, but he never played this year. He's the one that kicked a 51 yd FG in HS.

[cvsooner]

Easley may be the future answer, though I still wonder what disease he had that set him back so badly this year. Mono? I dunno.

[landrun]

i also like putting the ball in play so ronnell can light people up.

This is much more enjoyable to watch. :)

[ouleaf]

This is much more enjoyable to watch. :)

I agree it's more enjoyable to watch Lewis blast the KR dude, but I'll still take a kicker that can boot it through the endzone consistantly. Making a team start from their 20 and have to go 80 yards each time is tough for any offense to do. I'll take a touchback every time and let our Defense get the ball back.

[Sasakwa]

Doesn't Kathy Ireland still have some elligibility left? My reasearch shows she only kicked that one year for the Armadillos.

Seriously, I agree it needs to be addressed, but #1 priority? I'd say fixing the OL and replacing some early departures on defense might be more important.