Kicker?

[blacklistedbully]

That does not diminish the importance of having good kickers. Many times a missed field goal or extra point is the difference between winning and losing. We want every point a kicker can give us because that helps us win games. Period.

Didn't mean to suggest kicker isn't important. In fact, I think it is VERY important. Was just suggesting the use of "Points leaders" stats is not a particularly telling stat in that regard.

[maroonmania]

I think that was more circumstance than anything on his fg lengths. No we didn't want him kicking many 45-50yd fg's but inside 45 he kicked all the 1's that he had the opportunity to kick. It's not like we had some 4th downs where we could kick inside 45yds & we went for it instead of not letting Sobes kick. It just turned out most of drives stalled inside of 35yds.

That's why I said Sobiesk was BECOMING that guy that the coaching staff had confidence in from 45 in. No, we didn't have a lot of longer opportunities come up but early in the year its obvious the staff didn't trust Sobiesk from longer range. That's the only reason I could see why they would stick Westin Graves out there to kick a 40+ yard FG when he hadn't kicked all year. Slowly but surely though he did earn that trust and by year's end I felt good about Sobiesk kicking anything that was 40 yards to just over that. Now we are back to square one on finding a guy that is consistently accurate. We've got several guys with booming legs but they are like a long driving golfer that can't find the fairway.

[Todd4State]

I think that was more circumstance than anything on his fg lengths. No we didn't want him kicking many 45-50yd fg's but inside 45 he kicked all the 1's that he had the opportunity to kick. It's not like we had some 4th downs where we could kick inside 45yds & we went for it instead of not letting Sobes kick. It just turned out most of drives stalled inside of 35yds.

Explain Dan going with Bell on the long field goal attempt against Kentucky and going for it on fourth down ad nauseum when in between the 50 and 35.

Sobiesk was accurate within his range- but his range wasn't very long.

I'm not upset with Dan about that- after all, as Clint Eastwood says, a man has got to know his limitations.

[Schultzy]

Twice in this thread I've read that we punted well last season; I remember us punting poorly, a lot.

Also, I heard the staff told high school coaches promoting their kickers before last season that we we were set at FG kicker and not looking for one. So I think they were sold on Cook replacing Sobiesk if and when it was needed.

[MabenMaroon]

Who is the long snapper on scholarship? Reason I ask is my wife's second or third cousin was a long snapper and thought she said he was currently on the team. Always thought he was a walk on though.

Winston Chapman has been our long snapper for the last two years and will be back for his sr. year. He is on full scholly as I understand it. Been pretty consistent and no major mistakes that I can recall.

[Todd4State]

Winston Chapman has been our long snapper for the last two years and will be back for his sr. year. He is on full scholly as I understand it. Been pretty consistent and no major mistakes that I can recall.

Actually, he screws up as much or more than the place kickers.