It's time to give BELL one more shot at FG kicker.

[cheewgumm]

I'll hang up and accept the hate.

[Todd4State]

I actually agree with you.

The kicker situation is playing out like I thought it would. And if it does, I think it will end with Bell being the kicker.

[CadaverDawg]

I agree, Chew. What the hell do we have to lose?

[ShotgunDawg]

I agree with trying Bell again. There are actually some psychological advantages Bell would have.

1. He knows his future is as a punter/kickoff guy, so he probably won't look at making a kick as life or death.

2. Since he has already lost the kicking job once, he shouldn't be all that scared about losing it again.

I say give Bell a try. He is the most talented leg we have, and, honestly, it can't get much worse.

Our kickers have what baseball people call the "yips". It basically means that this is a completely psychological problem that isn't likely to be fixed in a week.

Charles Barkley has this same problem with his golf swing. I've hear multiple people say that Barkley has a normal golf swing on the driving range. Thing is, he could take 1,000 golf lessons from the best golf coaches in the world, and it wouldn't make one difference. It's mental


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxLkEPb5DzI

[Todd4State]

I think we put Bell out there too soon as a freshman as far as being the kicker. In hindsight, we probably should have started him out at KO, and then added punter with a few FG's here and there, and then made him the FG kicker.

Edit for some stats:

Bell was 14/21 on FG's as a freshman. He did go 6/14 last year, but let's be honest- that's not any worse than what has been going on right now.

[ShotgunDawg]

I think we put Bell out there too soon as a freshman as far as being the kicker. In hindsight, we probably should have started him out at KO, and then added punter with a few FG's here and there, and then made him the FG kicker.

Edit for some stats:

Bell was 14/21 on FG's as a freshman. He did go 6/14 last year, but let's be honest- that's not any worse than what has been going on right now.

I'd give my pinkie finger for 14/21. That would be awesome for this team, and actually give us a punchers chance of winning game with field goals.

[Todd4State]

I'd give my pinkie finger for 14/21. That would be awesome for this team, and actually give us a punchers chance of winning game with field goals.

Me too. But our "fans" have to be willing to forget about the 6/14 and give him a fair chance.

[ScoobaDawg]

But we dont have a kicking problem dan said i thought.

[CadaverDawg]

Me too. But our "fans" have to be willing to forget about the 6/14 and give him a fair chance.

Our fans would accept a turd with a leg after that exhibition today. If you're gonna bring back Bell, do it now.

[Todd4State]

But we dont have a kicking problem dan said i thought.

You just didn't see the ** come out of his mouth.

But he knows we have a problem. He can't even settle on who gets to kick the extra points. And we always go for it on 4th down unless it's really long.

[Todd4State]

Our fans would accept a turd with a leg after that exhibition today. If you're gonna bring back Bell, do it now.

Kind of like I just said, I think we're going to go for it a LOT on 4th down rather than give Sobiesk and Graves a chance more often than not. Now, that is certainly dicey because we may very well need a FG to win a game at the end. But anytime we're inside the other teams 40 and it's not just really long, we're probably going to go for it.

Just based on what I've seen so far.

[Saltydog]

being able to throw the ball to first base or Mark Wohlers not being able to throw a strike. The more you think about it, the worse it gets.

[ShotgunDawg]

being able to throw the ball to first base or Mark Wohlers not being able to throw a strike. The more you think about it, the worse it gets.

Agree, and I think this is where Dan fails coaching them. Dan has a type A analytical mind. He leaves nothing alone. I bet he tries every drill and technique this side of Tom Emanski to get these guys to make kicks. However, what he really needs to do is leave them alone, buy them some pot, and tell them to have at it.

Give them a week off from kicking just to reset their minds. Anything but yell at them and put more pressure on them.

[FlabLoser]

After both kickers missed a XP each, Bell should have gone out there.

Bell has nothing to lose. He might be more calm than the others.

[BulldogBear]

Screw all that. Put Dak in and go for 2. I'm done with our kicking game. They reason we don't have a kicking problem is because we don't have a kicking game to have a problem with.

[sleepy dawg]

Screw all that. Put Dak in and go for 2. I'm done with our kicking game. They reason we don't have a kicking problem is because we don't have a kicking game to have a problem with.

This is what I said. Go for 2 every time unless the game is out of hand, then just kick extra points for the **** of it.

[justwin]

Sobiesk needs to be the full-time kicker going forward. Bell is too eratic. Sobiesk needs game reps. We don't need to be switching QBs or Ks until it's a blow out. Sobiesk needs 2+ chances on Sat for practice before SEC season. Like Todd said, 40yd+ should just go for it w Dak.

Graves should not play anymore this year.

[Dawgowar]

We should abandon the kicking game at least as far as Field Goals are concerned. Still willing to keep trying PATs given the sheer entertainment value of seeing how many times we can dork up a gimme. Field Goals though, don't try another single one with this crew. Unless there is a steady breeze at our back and both the entire stadium crowd and the opposing team walk out to The Junction silently. Then maybe, after a few words of psychological affirmation and a big group hug they can hit BETWEEN the ****ing uprights.

Sorry, but I have seen some bad MSU football over the years but the inability to correct this is beyond pathetic.

[FISHDAWG]

Any kickers committed in this years class ?

[MarketingBully01]

Agreed, Chew. I think Bell should get another shot at field goal kicker. Shit, all I want is a good percentage 70% plus under 40 and a. 50% clip from 40-50%. An average kicker gives you that. We need an average kicker.

[blacklistedbully]

I agree, Chew. What the hell do we have to lose?

Games

[godlluB]

Maybe we should just always go for it on 4th down when in field goal range and always go for two.

[FlabLoser]

Screw all that. Put Dak in and go for 2. I'm done with our kicking game. They reason we don't have a kicking problem is because we don't have a kicking game to have a problem with.


Good point. I bet we can be at least 50% successful doing that. That's the same as kicking XPs.

We might do better than 50% and pressure other teams.

[defiantdog]

Our kickers are too skinny. A true kicker has beer belly of some sort. We need a kicker who doesn't care if they miss.... these kickers we have are afraid of a hang nail.

[FlabLoser]

What with Mullen do with a ST coach whose kickers have been like our's the last few years? Fire his ass. Mullen needs to fire himself and get ST coach.

Part of being a good HC is playing the role of a manager. Cut the employees that aren't getting it done and hire somebody that can.

[CadaverDawg]

Games

We're going to lose games by putting Bell in over the guys that missed 2 extra points yesterday? No.

[FlabLoser]

Watching the DVR...

The XPs we made were barely made. This. Is. Awful.

[blacklistedbully]

We're going to lose games by putting Bell in over the guys that missed 2 extra points yesterday? No.

Intended as a joke. Personally, I would go for 2 every time, and practice going for it with a Diamond formation. We would need to be successful just 50% as often as we are with our kickers to make it statistically equivalent. To date, that would mean we would have to convert 43% of the time. Give me Dak, JRob, and especially both of them + Shumpert & Lewis in a Diamond formation all day long for those 3 yards.

My sense is that, worst case scenario, we'd score about 2 points less in a game, with a stronger likelihood we'd score 3 points more per game.

[CadaverDawg]

Intended as a joke. Personally, I would go for 2 every time, and practice going for it with a Diamond formation. We would need to be successful just 50% as often as we are with our kickers to make it statistically equivalent. To date, that would mean we would have to convert 43% of the time. Give me Dak, JRob, and especially both of them + Shumpert & Lewis in a Diamond formation all day long for those 3 yards.

My sense is that, worst case scenario, we'd score about 2 points less in a game, with a stronger likelihood we'd score 3 points more per game.

At this point, I'm all for it. It would also force us to come up with a second play on short yardage situations. Right now we have Dak up the middle, and that's it. I like that play, but we have got to get better in short yardage at using play action and finding a FB or TE in the flats IMO.

[maroonmania]

Agree, and I think this is where Dan fails coaching them. Dan has a type A analytical mind. He leaves nothing alone. I bet he tries every drill and technique this side of Tom Emanski to get these guys to make kicks. However, what he really needs to do is leave them alone, buy them some pot, and tell them to have at it.

Give them a week off from kicking just to reset their minds. Anything but yell at them and put more pressure on them.

Its become obvious to me that this has become a coaching issue and not a player issue. I don't believe we have THREE "Steve Saxes" on our hands unless we are the unluckiest football program in the history of football programs. Our PKing under Mullen has never been good but it keeps getting worse and the one constant is the coaching they are receiving.

[Todd4State]

What with Mullen do with a ST coach whose kickers have been like our's the last few years? Fire his ass. Mullen needs to fire himself and get ST coach.

Part of being a good HC is playing the role of a manager. Cut the employees that aren't getting it done and hire somebody that can.

I know I've said it before, but move Sallach to the office and hire Ray Guy as our ST coach. That would benefit us in so many ways to have a relationship with him. Let Gonzales or Knox coach ST.

And if Guy wouldn't come on board, John Baxter is STILL out there- and guess what? He coaches TE's too. James Shibest would be on my list as well.