Quinn Nordin: WTF?
I didn't see a Special Teams Snowflakes thread and though this warranted some discussion.
Nordin has nailed three 50+ yarders in his young 1.5-season career, including a career-long of 55, and is a perfect 9-for-9 from within 30 yards. This season he's a perfect 8-for-8 from within 40 yards.
At the same time he's missed 5 extra points and several of his made FGs and PATs have looked questionable with weird rotation and hooking motion.
He's either going to win a game by nailing a 60-yarder or lose us one by missing a 5-yarder. I can't figure him out.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:03 PM ^
Seems to me whatever injury issue was nagging him last year is back. The ball was coming off his foot all sorts of strange all night, just like last year.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:06 PM ^
I wan't aware he was working through an injury last year. Maybe that's it.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
That doesn't mean an issue from a year ago is back. Dude is human, not injured.
October 14th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^
His kicks have become somewhat of an adventure. He's made some nice kicks, but I hold my breath every time he kicks.
October 15th, 2018 at 8:25 AM ^
for what it's worth ... in warmups Saturday he was nailing everything. Beautiful kicks. At Northwestern he missed more than half his kicks in warmup, then delivered nicely during the game. It has to make a difference kicking off turf vs. natural grass - and this coming Saturday will be off grass. I expect him to perform as he did at Northwestern.
Go Blue!
October 15th, 2018 at 1:20 PM ^
All of his kicks were odd Saturday, couple of knuckle balls too. He might be a kid that the pressure gets to or has a hard time keeping focus Or just needs a good mentor.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:03 PM ^
College kickerzzz
October 15th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
Wild thing
October 14th, 2018 at 2:04 PM ^
It's weird that in the beginning of your post you acknowledge that he's perfect from within 40 yards, yet predict he'll lose us a game by missing a short FG. Huh.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:07 PM ^
I think because he missed 5 extra points and his kicks look kind of weird is what he means.But yea, he had some injury issues hasnt he?
October 14th, 2018 at 2:10 PM ^
Yeah I mean that's the paradox. He's been really good from long yardage and yet he's prone to missing PATs. God forbid he's called upon to make a game-winning kick from PAT range. It'd almost be better if he had to kick it from the 25. Come to think of it, do we have the option to let him kick from 20 yards behind the LOS? (/s...sort of)
October 14th, 2018 at 9:32 PM ^
Small sample size, not a paradox.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^
Monster leg, but has issues with accuracy. Pretty simple to figure out.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:06 PM ^
I haven't gone back and watched, but it seemed to me on his first miss that his timing was off by an obvious offsides by Wisconsin that went uncalled
October 14th, 2018 at 2:07 PM ^
He may have some nagging issues but another part may be with the snap/holder set up.
During warms up there were several times the snap came back and literally slid by the holder. There are three parts to every successful kick: snap, hold and kick and Nordin only controls one of them.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
As a former coach, this.
Everyone thinks laces out is important (and it is), but what's more important is a consistent angle of the football when it is spotted. This facilitates consistent contact and rotation of the football. Of course, the kicker has to be consistent, too. My point is that it may be Nordin, it may be the holder, or it may be a combination.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
If he wants to make the NFL, he will have to get more consistent. I think NFL teams would rather have somebody who reliably makes 45 yarders vs somebody who can sporadically make 55 yarders
October 14th, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
He's a college kicker hitting 80%+ of his FGs, and you can line him up from 50+ and feel like you at least have a coin flip chance. That's about all you can ask for in my opinion.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
Maybe someone is putting liquid heat in his jock strap?
October 14th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
Great thread title
October 14th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
It kind of reminds me of Cliff Clavin saying, "Airline food....what's up with that?"
October 14th, 2018 at 2:14 PM ^
In 1.5 seasons, Quinn has made 78.9% of his field goal attempts (30-38) and 94.2% of PATs (65-69). For a college kicker are those really "WTF" numbers?
October 15th, 2018 at 12:27 PM ^
78.9% on FG would have been #45 of 108 qualifying kickers last year.
94.2% on PAT would have been #88 of 108 qualifying kickers last year.
The FG number, given the long kicks Nordin attempts - isn't bad at all.
The PAT number on the other hand, is pretty concerning. It's almost 3% worse than the D1 average over the last 10 years.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
Last night Fowler made an interesting comment that Nordin is like the golfer who goes up to the tee and smashes it every time. Maybe he just needs to take some heat off the kicks????
October 14th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
Nah fam. Just like putting, hit it hard enough to take the break out. None of this reading the green BS.
I say double down and kick that SOB as hard as possible.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
fam??? Wow. That’s such a neat word.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
I use my driver for putting.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
As someone who has struggled with this for a while (in golf), it's not as easy as you would think. Sometimes taking a bit off screws with the motion.
October 14th, 2018 at 3:06 PM ^
I should have added the /s to my post.
Oh well.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
Overall he usually looks good but last night was not. He did have some WTF moments. The last FG came off properly. Maybe some adversity will motivate him to work and be more humble.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
His first two field goal makes last night were nervously close.
I don't know. I feel like this is 'such is life' for a Michigan fan. Field goals will always be an adventure. There was about a five year span where making a 20 yarder was asking a lot.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:50 PM ^
Kicking is adventure for all but a tiny fraction of kickers, Michigan has had it’s share of solid ones when looked at through the lense of time. The NFL can’t even find 32 consistently good kickers.
October 14th, 2018 at 7:44 PM ^
when was that 5 year span?
October 14th, 2018 at 2:26 PM ^
He had the dreaded double-cross, like in golf. You get a little over the top and hit that dang pull-hook. Once it starts it is hard to stop. Well, back to the practice range to straighten that shot back to the pin. Its mechanics and fixable, but in-game its tough. He was struggling and you could see it in his body language.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
If we're kicking a 5 yard FG (i.e., with the ball starting inside the end zone) well sir, I'm going to have a lot of questions.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
Seems like he's rushing it. When he took his time on a PAT it went beautifully down the middle. He might be trying to do to much. He had plenty of distance on the long one he missed. It might be a mental thing he has to work on.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
I saw him screaming in the face of a Wisconsin player after hitting a PAT. Hopefully he was saying “I suck at these and that’s why I had to get that really stupid haircut”
October 14th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
Jay Feely is saying he’s breaking his ankle instead or keeping it rigid. That’s why it’s wobbly. He also thought he was kicking it too high. But on the second FG, his hips got it through.
October 14th, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
Honest question, who is responsible for coaching the kicker? Maybe its an analyst? If there is a consistent technique issue, we should be able to fix it.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:43 PM ^
He's also going to get us a flag for taunting one of these weeks. He seems pretty high strung, not sure that's a great attribute for a kicker.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:51 PM ^
This is why we need to punch it in the end zone every time. The FG is not a guarantee.
October 14th, 2018 at 2:52 PM ^
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this kid is a little too emotional for a kicker? After makes he acts like he just won the game.
October 14th, 2018 at 8:10 PM ^
Because football players never celebrate when they score on a play?
October 15th, 2018 at 12:20 AM ^
It's obvious to everyone after his kicks he's a little off
October 14th, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
The form is definitely off, but I feel like his recruitment built up ridiculous expectations as well. Keep in mind that Kenny Allen once dorfed 3 kicks against Wisco in a close game and everyone seemed to be okay with him after a week. TBH, Quinn went 3 of 4 on kicks that weren't 54 yards, and you can get too bent about missing a 54 yarder.
October 14th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
A reasonable take.
October 14th, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
Sorry but I just don’t think we can rely on this kid. He’s erratic as hell. Even his extra points are scary. Save home for the long ball. Put the other guy in for the rest.
October 14th, 2018 at 3:19 PM ^
He only knows how to kick 1 way... As hard as possible. Kids got the death of a pig bladder on his brain every time he goes to kick. If he could just silence the anger, channel his inner Che, and listen for the still, small voice, he'd do just fine.
Also, he's a kicker, and kickers are nervous birds. Never eat a kicker, that's what Jim Harbaugh says.
October 14th, 2018 at 3:21 PM ^
Not a reasonable take. For one of those, see a bit higher.
October 14th, 2018 at 8:30 PM ^
Salinger for the win. LMAO.