If you're anything like me (which I hope is not the case), you were in absolute shock watching Virginia kicker Connor Hughes on Saturday. After missing just two kicks all of last season, the preseason All-American missed three kicks against Temple.
Hughes hit the left upright on an extra point attempt, missed a 49-yarder left and pushed his final attempt, a 43-yarder, right.
Could it be the unthinkable? After being superman last year, maybe Hughes is human after all.
"Now we're accustomed to seeing Connor make everything," Virginia coach Al Groh said.
So what happened? Hughes does have a new snapper and holder this fall, but Groh said that neither seemed to affect the way the ball was placed for Hughes. The bottom line is that we were spoiled by last season and have come to expect Hughes to make 40-plus yarders with ease. Yet nine NFL kickers missed more than four kicks from that distance last year, many of whom also lack Hughes' ability to hit from beyond 50 yards.
Hughes probably just had a bad day after a great week of practice, and the friendly confines of Scott Stadium will revert him back to form. Groh seemed unconcerned by Hughes' struggles, joking Monday that "we sent him off to a Trappist Monastery for the last two days to think this one out."
On the plus side, Hughes' day was far better than Oregon State kicker Alexis Serna's evening. The Beavers went to Baton Rouge and outplayed then-third ranked LSU. Serna missed his first extra point, only to redeem himself with a 40-yard field goal. Up 9-7, the Beavers punched it in at the end of the third quarter, only to have Serna miss another PAT, leaving it a one-possession game.
The Tigers came back to tie it in the last minute of the game and scored on their first OT possession. Facing a fourth-and-four in a do-or-die overtime situation, Oregon State quarterback Derek Anderson found a way to throw his third touchdown pass -- only to see Serna miss his third PAT and allow LSU to escape with a win.
Similarly, Northwestern kicker Brian Huffman missed five field goals against TCU, causing one to wonder if programs are forgetting about special teams.
Both Northwestern and Oregon State coaches should take a page from Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. According to Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel, Schiano told his staff to find the best kicker anywhere in the nation last offseason, and they went hard after Californian Jeremy Ito. It paid immediate dividends, as Ito drilled field goals from 56, 47 and 42 yards to lead the Scarlet Knights to an upset win over Michigan State. Without question, Ito was the difference-maker.
It's not just the kicking game that is so crucial -- it's all of special teams.
Games are easily won and lost on those few plays. Missed field goals, blocked punts and big returns all completely change momentum in a heartbeat.
Though most of the attention goes to his vaunted defense, Groh has quietly and quickly upgraded special teams.
Senior Kurt Smith has become a weapon on kickoffs, sending three of his eight kickoffs for touchbacks and hanging the rest long enough to limit returns. Last year, Smith sent nearly half of his 76 kickoffs for touchbacks, with opponents starting at an average of the 21-yard line.
As Groh has improved the quality of athletes in his program, coverage has been vastly upgraded. Though the Cavaliers lost two of their best special teams players this year in Ryan Sawyer and Ottawa Anderson, safety Marquis Weeks has become an outstanding coverage man, evident by his four tackles in six kickoffs.
Senior Alvin Pearman's punt return for a touchdown Saturday was the first time in eight years that a Cavalier had done such in the regular season. And two short years ago, Weeks' kickoff return to open the second half against UNC energized the biggest comeback in school history. With or without Ahmad Brooks returning kicks, the return game finally has some homerun threats.
This summer, Groh talked about filling some of Matt Schaub's yards through an improved punting game. Though this didn't quite materialize Saturday as Sean Johnson struggled in his debut, he should be a big improvement over Tom Hagan.
But too often the kicking specialists are overlooked. Remember the value of Hughes last year. Think Wide Right I. And II. And Oregon State-LSU. Even at punter, a scholarship player can be a tremendous asset. Tennessee's Dustin Colquitt is averaging 51.3 yards every time his foot touches the ball. Sunday night he hit one 61 yards out of his own end zone. Think Groh and every other college coach is jealous?
Rutgers' Schiano said he tries to have three kicking specialists on scholarship. The Cavaliers are at that stage now with Hughes, Smith and freshman kicker Chris Gould, though none fills the direst need -- punter.
Obviously, using a precious scholarship on a high school kicker is very risky, which is why many, including Hughes, come to campus as recruited walk-ons hoping to earn a scholarship. But Rutgers and Oregon State showed the importance of kickers.
Perhaps there is a reason after all that they call it special teams.
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