Kicker Commits

by **mrydel** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:28 am

Isn't Kellis a punter also? Ponypride mention he ranked 3rd overall performance at the kicking camp. If he wasn't punting I am sure he would not have ranked 3rd overall.

by **Corso** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:42 am

I read somewhere that he did punt, too, but I heard he's being recruited for placekicking, not punting.

by **EastStang** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:49 am

Having a kicker who can put it out of the endzone regularly on kickoffs is something that can win games. It takes away the kickoff return as a momentum changer or even worse game ender. Making the opposing offense have to go 80 yards after every SMU score would be a delightful change.

by **mustangnation** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:02 pm

EastStang wrote:Having a kicker who can put it out of the endzone regularly on kickoffs is something that can win games. It takes away the kickoff return as a momentum changer or even worse game ender. Making the opposing offense have to go 80 yards after every SMU score would be a delightful change.

It is also a great thing so you do not have guys getting injured on special teams. We saw how kickoff/ returns can end in serious injuries(kennedy, last play of the year)

by **mrydel** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:09 pm

Kids will still get hurt on KO returns before the ball is out of the end zone. Plus wasn't Kennedy hurt on an on side kick by UTEP?

McMurtry did a pretty good job of kicking out of the end zone. His primary difficulty in not making it was in a couple of games with some strong wind. Hopefully our future KO men will get more experinece also due to more TDs being scored.

by **mustangnation** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:36 pm

I know injuries can still happen. I was refering to imjuries that occur like guys getting their knees rolled into during tackles and other injuries that may occur at the bottom of piles.

by **mrydel** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:03 pm

I was not trying to dispute your statement, it is only that I used to cover on kickoffs, and I always got the crap knocked out of me regardless of where the ball went. It is a thankless job that should actually be given to people outside the college arena that have no plans to have children. Kinda like that 12th man stuff at A & M.

by **Fresh** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:55 pm

The members of the 12th Man aren't allowed to reproduce?
I'm not saying that's a bad rule -- just find it rather curious. :wink:

by **Corso** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:32 pm

OK, how's this for a tidbit on Cunningham: I was told that on more than one occasion, he has hit kickoffs out of the back of the end zone on the fly, and on at least two occasions, by a significant margin, like 10 yards.

Anyone know what yard-line high schools kick off from?

I don't know if he had hurricane winds behind him, but if my math is anywhere close to right, that means he (on occasion, at least), can hit the ball close to 80 yards off a tee. I've read that Sebastien Janikowski has done that on occasion, and Jason Elam and John Hall. Brad Daluiso, who used to kick for the Giants, once claimed he could reach the 80s off a tee (he had the strongest leg I ever saw) pretty regularly with the right conditions (meaning wind, I assume). The same person who told me all this said Cunningham "regularly" drills field goals in the mid- to upper 50s in practice without a tee.

These numbers sound extraordinary, if they're true.

by **DanFreibergerForHeisman** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:56 pm

If this guy can really kick it 85 yards we'll have greater than 90 percent touchbacks (even when we have celebration penalties, etc.).

This will be a major weapon in the NCAA since we won't have to spend any time at all practicing kickoff coverage.

by **Sasser Rules** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:16 pm

I just hope we score so many touchdowns that we actually have to worry about celebration penalties.

by **mrydel** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:59 am

DanFreibergerForHeisman wrote:If this guy can really kick it 85 yards we'll have greater than 90 percent touchbacks (even when we have celebration penalties, etc.).

This will be a major weapon in the NCAA since we won't have to spend any time at all practicing kickoff coverage.

That is a good thought. Do not practice kickoff coverage so 10 % of the kickoffs will be returned for TDs. :roll:

by **Col. Nathan R. Jessep** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 6:53 pm

Corso wrote:OK, how's this for a tidbit on Cunningham: I was told that on more than one occasion, he has hit kickoffs out of the back of the end zone on the fly, and on at least two occasions, by a significant margin, like 10 yards.

Anyone know what yard-line high schools kick off from?

I don't know if he had hurricane winds behind him, but if my math is anywhere close to right, that means he (on occasion, at least), can hit the ball close to 80 yards off a tee. I've read that Sebastien Janikowski has done that on occasion, and Jason Elam and John Hall. Brad Daluiso, who used to kick for the Giants, once claimed he could reach the 80s off a tee (he had the strongest leg I ever saw) pretty regularly with the right conditions (meaning wind, I assume). The same person who told me all this said Cunningham "regularly" drills field goals in the mid- to upper 50s in practice without a tee.

These numbers sound extraordinary, if they're true.

------------

Call me skeptical,
but if those are true stats, he'd be on the cover page of Rivals with a USC logo behind him on signing day...

Kicker Commits

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