Nick the Kick...Is that a Bachelor Party reference?
The Butobi Brothers | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 10:25 am | #

I would agree that having three kickers on scholarship isn't exactly ideal. Also, how many punters do we have on scholarship? That's probably another 2-3.

Regardless, if we can finally start seeing some improvement in special teams it will mean everything. My initial thought here is that this kid is getting a ride specifically because he can put the ball in the endzone on kick-offs.

As I was saying earlier about Turk, punting and kickoffs have a HUGE effect on game strategy that most people refuse to give credit to. During a football game, punts and kickoffs (and ofcourse the relating coverage) usually account for only a couple plays during a game, but they are probably the single biggest factor in field position. If you have guys who can boom it far and high, coverage becomes terribly easier.

All hail the Big Legs.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 11:18 am | #

I would be perfectly satisfied if we never had a team return a ball on us again. Every kickoff could be a touchback and every punt could be a fair catch for all I care. Granted we don't get the opportunity to force any fumbles, but we also won't give up any 30-80 yard returns.

Welcome, Nick!
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 11:28 am | #

Can anyone with a lot more time and technology than I have go back to last year and see how a 4.77 second hangtime compares to any of the kickoffs we had in a real game? My guess is that we didn't even come close to Burkhart's hs camp time.

We only averaged about 1 or 2 kickoffs per game, so it shouldn't take very long. :)
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 11:31 am | #

Oops, 4.61 seconds I mean.
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 11:37 am | #

Actually, I timed two kickoffs from the 2007 Stanford game, one in each direction. I didn't put it in the post because I thought it was a bit silly to compare the two given the likely different parameters for the kicks. At least Burkhart's numbers came from a somewhat similar camp environment.

Anyway, if you're interested, Brandon Walker's kicks against Stanford (one after the 1st ND TD and the one to start the second half) went for 3.79 and 3.66 seconds respectively. When you add in the error of my timing by hand via the TV, it's hardly an accurate time, but it's definitely under 4 seconds. If Tausch can consistently get over 4 seconds, that will be a definite improvement.

If people want to time other kicks, you can use your Casio Calculator wristwatch and the game replays on NBC's website.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 12:00 pm | #

Butobi Bros.,

I think the real question is whether we can call him Nick or "Mr. Kick."
Lujack City | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 12:07 pm | #

It would appear that the last chess pieces of a very near future Championship Run are being set on the board. Bravo, well done Charlie. To those that worry about too many kickers, naw, just like QB’s, you can never have enough talent to push each other. Now and next year, the kicking game and special teams need to step up to the plate. GO IRISH.
Subway Alumni | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 1:19 pm | #

i liked the way someone else put it on ndnation: the last coach didn't use all of his scholarships - i'm not gonna complain about this coach using them all up with players in important positions!
kyle | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 1:32 pm | #

Two words: Kai Forbath
Sean F | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 1:45 pm | #

With a hat tip to "Everyday Should be Saturday" go to the "Mgoblog" and check out on their June 16th entry for the purported Michigan "away" jersey.

Very WVU like.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 2:33 pm | #

I think it's good that ND got a kicker who's a big Steve Martin fan. He'll keep things loose.
Joe Subway | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 3:09 pm | #

If they were called "ordinary teams" then I would be concerned about multiple scholarships going to such players.

However, they happen to be called "special" teams. They have the chance to swing the momentum (and scoreboard) quickly into your favor. Special teams require special players. Special players require mulitple scholarship athletes to compete for limited playing time. Competition is good.
everloyal | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 3:26 pm | #

*** "special teams require special players..."***


...that just sounds awful.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 3:46 pm | #

In a Rainman kinda way.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 3:46 pm | #

He's an excellent kicker....
jbarthel | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 3:55 pm | #

Yeah. Definitely an excellent kicker...
Brad | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 4:54 pm | #

mgoblog is the biggest bunch of gibberish I've ever read. Every time I go over there my head hurts, but it remindes me how lucky we are to have such a quality site as BGS!
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 5:36 pm | #

Kickers are the biggest wildcard as far as recruiting goes. No one can predict how good a kicker will be, no matter what his HS credentials. We've had highly touted kickers come in, since my freshman year (1994), and if I thought hard enough I could probably name most of them, but we haven't had a DECENT kicker outside of Setta and Fitzpatrick in that whole 14 year span. Every time we sign a kicker, I'm skeptical. Hopefully we can find one out of the numbers we will now have, because I'm tired of being worried about extra points.
Nate | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 6:18 pm | #

Big thanks to Dana Payne for the heads up on the skunks new road jerseys. Hilarious. DickRod is a DimBulb. He keeps shoving that hillbilly, Mountaineer bullcrap on the Michigan program every chance he gets. The over/under on DickRod being run out of town on a rail is 900 days (from today, 6-18-08).

Also, welcome Tausch & Turk! May you cause our opponents to Toss & Turn.
Voice in the Wilderness | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 6:30 pm | #

The "Before-On-or-After" date for DickRod's eviction from Bo's hallowed office: Sunday, December 5, 2010.
Voice in the Wilderness | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 6:43 pm | #

I agree that this scholarship is worth the kickoffs alone. The odds of scoring go up drastically every 10 yards of field position. Being able to bury a team at the 20 and not having to worry about kicks going out of bounds is a HUGE advantage.

No one likes spending money to fix a leaky roof (it doesn't make the house look any better) but you have to invest some infastructure so the house doesn't colapse. All the great QB's and WR's in the world aren't going to help us when we need to beat Navy with a field goal (fingers crossed praying it never comes down to that again.)
mark | Email | Homepage | 06.18.08 - 9:08 pm | #

Yeah, the thing that jumped out to me on the Rivals article is that last year he 11 of his 12 kickoffs were touchbacks. If his development makes that kind of statistic possible at the college level then he is worth 2 scholarships.
bgr | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 7:56 am | #

Hmm, I wonder if a kickoff coverage team would ever get lethargic if they come to expect the kick to go into the endzone. Then, one time when one doesn't they're not fully prepared or in position to cover the return. Anyone hear of anything like that happening before?
Erik '04 | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 10:11 am | #

Nate, you mean that Kevin "Thunderfoot" Kopka wasn't decent?

/sarcasm

Boy, did that guy suck. Last time I saw him, he was a bouncer at Heartland (is it still even called Heartland?).
Lujack City | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 12:06 pm | #

I'm glad so many Domers now (post Navy 2007) see the importance of a decent kicker. I've been on that (chump K'-ing) for years and now the Domer-nation has finally (yawn) come around. Only took one massive choker game, too.

1) 5 of 9 HS FG is garbage. Still better than ND (jimmy) kickers (He He - Barf!). What distance were the 9 kicks? If all 9 att were 50+, 5 of 9 ain't bad.

2) CW, do NOT let Polian F--- this kid up!

Go, Irish. Play decent special teams.
ThE LoSt BoY | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 12:15 pm | #

Voice,

Speaking of WVU remember ND's nemesis Fielding Yost started his playing days at WVU.

There is a hilarious Wikopedia article on Yost which features the longest SINGLE paragraph of anti ND screed I have ever seen.


Th book criticised in the wikopedia article{ by Murray Sperber SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER} is actually an outstanding and scholarly book on the origins of ND s fame in College football.

Sperber is an Emeritis Professor at Indiana and was on the IU faculty when he wrote the book.

Unlike many academics he combines a breezy writing style with copious citations.

It would be an outstanding addition for any ND fans football library.

His undergrad degree was from Purdue and hid Grad degrees were from Cal.
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 3:28 pm | #

That should be "Emeritus"
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 3:29 pm | #

"his "
Dana Payne | Email | Homepage | 06.19.08 - 3:30 pm | #