A Question for the Michigan Fans on this Site

We here are confident that soon the coaches will read the essay by Mathlete and be conviced by statistics and logic (and Charts!)  to abandon punting and FG kicking completely and go all four downs every time. Mathematically speaking, it's the only sensible option. So no worries. We don't need no kickers, no punters.  See you next year.

go for it

go blue

go for it blue

The 2002 Phil Brabbs/Troy Nienburg adventure is only other season I can recall us having as bad a FG kicking situation as this year.  That year Adam Finley showed up and was able to at least consistently hit from inside 35 yards or so.  Hopefully Gibbons will get it together but if not, we could use an Adam Finley type this year.

Gibbons-8th best kicker in the 09 class.

Hagerup-3rd best kicker in the 10 class.

 

I would give anything, save Denard, to have Olesnavage back right now...

My dad had Bob Ufer's greatest hits on 8-track. We used to listen to that to get fired up for games. I'm pretty sure he referred to Mike Lantry as "Super Toe." Looking back at his history (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Lantry) I wonder if he's the kicker equivalent of Tacopants. He was an All-American kicker who missed kicks in back-to-back years against tosu. It seems like we've had bad luck in the kicking game ever since. I was at a UofM-nd game in the late 70's, nd lined up for a ~50 yarder, the guy hadn't made one longer than 40 yards in his career, and as the ball is kicked, the wind picks up and nudges the ball over the goal post. Does any body remember that Reggie Ho from nd? He was a 5'5", 135 pound PK who beat us one year with a late FG. I suffered through so much of that nd heroics crap growing up that any time we beat them it feels sweet, I don't care how bad they suck or if Nate Montana craps the bed for a half. Too bad nd, it's your turn for some bad mojo.

So when a good kicker comes along, like a Garrett Rivas, Mike Gillette, or Haji-Sheikh, I cherish those guys. Gillette, by the way, was an All-American in baseball IIRC.

Basically all you need to know about our kicking game for the past 3 years is that once special teams roll out there for a kick about 90% of the fan base shuts their eyes and mutters "o god o god"

There was a disturbing stat posted online about 4-5 years ago that ranked Michigan dead last of all 1-A teams in field goal kicking percentage since 1990.  It was bad but not exactly surprising.  

The kicking game has always been an interesting adventure - Peter Elezovic, Kraig Baker, Hayden Epstein.  Certainly nothing to write home about.  But compared to now?  Those guys look like studs.     

I remember whenever Ali Haji-Sheikh would drill one towards the student section end of the field, we would come out of our stupor and all of a sudden shout ALI!!! ALI!!! ALI!!!

Didn't Hagerup place-kick in high school? I know Rodriguez likes to use different people for punt and kick, but the kid has a big leg.

In the 4th qtr of the '72 Rose Bowl, Dan Coin ( i think that was his name) missed a 38 yard FG and Stanford was able to score on a last second FG by Garcia to snatch a national championship away from Bo. I was in the 4th grade and was heart broken by the loss.  If only Coin would have made the  FG.  But I remember there was some trick play that Stanford got their only TD on!   

I just hope Gibbons can improve his accuracy. Some of his kickoffs last week seem to have more air under them. Ma that's a good sign. I think once he build some confidence he'll be OK.

THANKS FOR RUBBING IT IN!

I believe Gibbons was the second ranked kicker coming out of h.s., behind Fera who originally comitted then switched to PSU.  RR is doing fine recruiting, they just need to live up to their rankings.

Gibbons was either the #2 or the #3 ranked placekicker in high school. When Michigan offered him a scholarship, I figured, “OK, the kicking duties ought to be sorted for the next four years.”

Instead, he got here and couldn’t beat out a 5th-year walk-on who had never seen the field. And now, even after a redshirt year to adjust to the college game, he is back at second string, with no hope in sight.

Not that the college game ought to require that much adjustment. Kickers, unlike other players, don’t have new schemes or playbooks to learn. They do pretty much the same thing at all levels of the game. Why a kid who was nearly the best in the country in H.S. now can’t make even routine kicks is beyond me.

we've seen our kickers is cause Denard wanted them to see playing time, so he intentionally DIDN'T convert every single 3rd down that he obviously has the power to do. They failed Denard's test. They will kick no more.

You noticed we were lacking kickers the last three years?  Hear of a guy named Mesko?  Punting is part of kicking.  Our place kickers have been solid if not spectacular the last few years.  In the past we have had some excellent kickers.

In the last few games we have had a few issues with freshman.  That is the basis for your analysis that we somehow now have a chronic "kicking problem" under RR?  

Michigan football is on the verge of a major comeback.  If you are going to pile on the negative hype come up with something honest and substantial.

At times this thread has been a nice walk down memories lane. At other times it has made me want to go jump off a cliff. Here's to hoping this week provides the former not the latter.

http://www.thewolverineblog.com/2009/05/01/top-15-of-the-last-15-specia…

3. Garrett Rivas, K, 2003-2006 — Rivas wasn’t exactly spectacular, and didn’t have the world’s strongest leg, but Michigan fans used to seeing the likes of Phillip Brabbs and Troy Neinberg trying to split the uprights had little to complain about during his four years as the team’s placekicker. He set the Michigan career scoring record with 354 points, and sits second all time with a 78% field goal percentage. As a senior, he converted 17 of 20 field goal attempts, was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, and was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and the media. For a team that had been searching for consistent kicking since, well, the guy at the top of this list, Rivas was invaluable.

1. Remy Hamilton, K, 1993-1996 — Arguably the best kicker in the program’s storied history, Hamilton was a Walter Camp first-team All-American as a sophomore in 1994, his first year as the team’s starting kicker. That year, he converted 25 of 30 kicks (including going 13-for-13 from 30-39 yards) and finished with 101 points. Anyone familiar with his work almost certainly remembers this:

Clutch. That kick is my fondest memory from my first season of watching Michigan football, and it marked the first time a Michigan win sent me running around my house in a display of pure (and hyperactive) joy. For that alone, Hamilton deserves the top spot, and his great career numbers (63-82 on field goals, including a 10-for-18 mark on 40-49 yard kicks, 280 career points) cements his placement atop this list.

Check out the page for the rest of the top 5....

Olesnavage can't be a 6th?7th? year senior... he was pretty consistant, especially compared to Gibbons.