Blair Walsh Sets Georgia Record
Georgia fans are feeling a little better after a Bulldog blowout for Homecoming. Vanderbilt was no match for a resurgent Georgia team that continued their air assault, but found a decent ground attack as well. Washaun Ealey played his best game of the year, but I am focusing on my man Blair Walsh for today.
Blair broke the Georgia record for consecutive PAT’s held by Brandon Coutu at 114 in a row. Blair now has 115 and a season and a half to go. I thought I would let you know what he is up against in terms of the SEC record. The list is below:
- John Becksvoort- Tennessee (161) 1991-1994
- Van Tiffin-Alabama (135) 1983-1986
- Michael Proctor-Alabama (130) 1992-1995
- Damon Duval-Auburn (125) 1999-2002
- Jonathan Nichols-Ole Miss (117) 2001-2004
- Blair Walsh- Georgia (115) 2008-present
If Georgia’s offense continues to improve, Blair could be in second place before the season is over. I wish him well.
Is Georgia the Real “Kicker U”?
I was going to post this last year and never did. Now, as of yesterday, I am working the Georgia Kicking Camp next Tuesday June 1st. Dax Langley is running the camp. It will be great to see him.
Ole’ Bill King of Junkyard Blawg fame or infamy depending on who’s posting, was apparently short on material one day. He posed the question that I am sure was on everyone’s mind at the time. Who is the best kicker in Georgia history?
I have no delusions on this one and actually posted a vote. UGA has had it’s share of successful kickers, whether on the college level or in the NFL. But is Georgia the true Kicker U?
I had to know!
Here is my UGA list:
Bobby Etter – Falcons – 1968, 1969
Alan Leavitt -All-America 1976 - Buccaneers – 1978?
Rex Robinson – All American 1979-1980 - Patriots – 1982
Kevin Butler – All American 1983-84 – Bears, Cardinals 1985-1997?
John Kasay – Seahawks, Panthers – 1990-Present – Holy Crap!
Todd Petersen – Giants, Seahawks, Falcons – 1991- 2005?
Billy Bennett – NCAA leader in FG’s (87)
Brandon Coutu – Seahawks – 2008
Blair Walsh – Lou Groza Finalist 2009
Who will be next? We may see him Tuesday.
Any guesses of the other Kicker U? The University of California-Berkeley
Ray Wershing – 49er’s – 1973-1987
Jim Breech- Bengals – 1978-1992
Mick Luckhurst – Falcons – 1981-1987(could have been longer)
Doug Brien – 49ers, Saints, Jets, Bucs, Colts, Bears -1994-2005
Ryan Longwell – Packers, Vikings – 1997-present
That’s a pretty strong group, but a couple of the guys I thought went to UC, Berkeley actually went to other California schools. Frank Corrale went to UCLA. So maybe UGA does out- shine Cal. It has been an amazing run for those who wanted to be a part of a great group of guys at Georgia.
Kickers? Different? Well yeah, you have to be to do what we do. It’s hard to put a finger on what came first. Crazy people being drawn to kick or kicking making them that way. Either way, you have to have a different mindset or you will be cuckoo for cocoa puffs.
As I mentioned earlier, I cast my vote on AJC.com. As much as I love the young guys, Kevin Butler is still the man. But who was the man that made the man, wanna be the man. Hmmm? Yeah, that’s right. lol. If you look, Kevin is still ranked #3 in career field goals and #4 in kick scoring in SEC history, nearly 25 years later!
Blair Walsh’s Year to Remember
As a Georgia Bulldogs fan, if you do a search for Blair Walsh on my left side bar, you will see just how much I have supported the sophomore kicker from Boca Raton. If you are a long time reader of my blog, you already know. A great deal of space has been dedicated to the promotion, defense and praise of Blair Walsh. At this point, an I told you so might be in order, but I would never ever do that. Heehee.
Blair had one of the best single season records in the history of Georgia football. His 90.5% is third best in school history. Blair hit field goals of 50, 51, 52, and 53 yards. By the way, he is already tied for #2 in career field goals over 50 yards for a career(6). He was 37-37 on PAT’s. One of his two misses came from 55 yards. He led the SEC with 17 touchbacks, even though many times he was asked to forgo the deep kick for short high kicks for coverage purposes.
He kicked a game winner against Arizona State that kept a struggling Georgia team’s head above water during it’s tough early schedule. His miss against LSU was an inexplicable anomalie based on his body of work this year.
Some people are curious to say the least as to why Blair did not make any All-American teams. He was after all, named a finalist for the Groza Award for the nation’s top kicker. Kai Forbath of UCLA won the award. The reason is simple, field goal attempts. There were at least twenty-five kickers that had more attempts than Blair, therefore there were eleven with more field goals made. it was to their credit that the Groza people saw past that to bestow the honor of his being a finalist. The sad part is, no one else has looked past these facts.
I will be honest, Kai Forbath deserves all the recognition he’s gotten. The young man was 26-29 on field goals and all of his misses were from 50 yards or more. That is pretty strong. My problem is with Blair not getting any first team All-SEC recognition. Leigh Tiffin attempted more field goals than any kicker in the country(33). He made 29, with one kick of 50 yards. His misses were of 36, 39, 43 and 49 yards. He also missed 3 PAT’s… do you hear the crickets chirping? To me this single stat can’t be over looked, but it has been.
So the bottom line of all this? Blair’s exceptional year will be remembered by the Georgia faithful, but his omissions from any first team All-SEC listings are a travesty. The fact that he has not made any All-American teams while disappointing, is not evidence of a hose job. He just did not have enough attempts. The fact that he played on an average Georgia team didn’t help.
I am glad he has two more years to try and reach these two goals.
He is very deserving.
AP Lazy Picking All-SEC
The Georgia Bulldogs had three 1st team All-SEC members announced by the AP today. WR AJ Green, LB Rennie Curran and P Drew Butler were easy choices as they were statistically superior compared to other players. By statistically superior, I mean “most” or “highest”. AJ was second in yards per game recieving(83.4). Rennie led the league in tackles(122) and Drew far outdistanced the other punters in gross average by over five yards(48.8). Net punting was a little closer. So far so good.
Kickers as you know are different, all the way down to how you judge who had a better season or career. Obviously the AP voters chose Leigh Tiffin over Blair Walsh because Tiffin had 29 field goals and Blair only made 19. Forget the fact that Tiffin had eleven more attempts than Blair. Forget the fact that Tiffin actually had misses of 36, 39, 43, and 49 yards and three missed PAT’s. He also had a long kick of 50 yards. Forget that Blair on the other hand missed one kick of 32 and one of 55 yards, period. He did not miss a PAT(37-37). He was 4-5 from over 50 yards with a 50, 51, 52 and a long of 53 yards.
Blair also had 17 touchbacks on 67 KO’s(25%). Tiffin had 13 on 89 KO’s(15%). There is no easy and quick way to know how many of these kick-offs were deep attempts, so I’ll just leave it at face value. Georgia fans know Blair was not allowed to kick deep at times, so his numbers could have been even better.
To make a long story a little shorter, Blair got hosed. I’m sure he knows it, and numbers don’t lie. He should have been 1st team.
Tiffin had better not win the Groza Award. That should probably go to Kai Forbath of UCLA, who is 26-29 on field goals. All three of his misses are from over 50 yards. Not bad.
Congratulations Blair on an All-American type year, much less All-SEC.
Kicking Duo Could Be Best Ever
Georgia Bulldog fans have had very little to cheer about in 2009. That fact is magnified by the fact that potentially two of the team’s most decorated players could be the kicker and the punter. I think that’s awesome, the rest of you I’m guessing, not so much. That’s understandable. But today, both Blair Walsh and Drew Butler were named as finalists for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy awards, respectively.
This is an amazing thing.
Drew joins Michigan senior Zoltan Mesko and Florida junior Chas Henry in competition to be named the nation’s top punter. UCLA junior Kai Forbath, Alabama senior Leigh Tiffin and Blair are all vying for the distinction of the nation’s top place-kicker.
Good luck guys!
Spread the Love Folks
The Georgia Bulldogs’ 31-24 win over Auburn was a very pleasant surprise. Particularly after spotting the Tigers 14 points on the first two possessions. It was looking bad for the good guys, but then A.J. Green got hurt. Wait, did I say that right? Like it was a positive thing? I would never wish that on anyone. I hope A.J. heals up quickly, we need him, but to persevere and win without him was huge to me.
Early in the season A.J. was our team, making catch after miraculous catch. To progress to a point where we can beat a pretty good Auburn team without him is immeasurable. The growth of our O-line and running backs is gratifying to see. The young receivers like Israel Troupe having their chance and making the most of it. Tavares King could be an awesome compliment to A.J. Green in the future.
I have to also say that the defense came to play. The Auburn no-huddle offense and what I bet were scripted plays really put us on our heels. The third possession seemed to stop the hemorrhaging and whether it was swagger or something else, it was fun to watch. Even though there could have been more, the two interceptions were a delightful change of pace as well.
Blair Walsh continued to impress with his sixth career field goal over 50 yards, with four this season. This kick moved him into a four-way tie for second place in career field goals over 50 yards. Alan Leavitt, The Blogger himself and Brandon Coutu also had six. If he continues to have the opportunities and stays healthy, obviously he is on pace to break a very special record held by Kevin Butler(11). The younger Butler(Drew) had a disappointing night, only punting for a 47.4 average on 5 punts. His season average plummets to 49.0. I guess being on the Ray Guy watch list went to his head. Just kidding folks.
I tell you, Dawg fans have been super critical of the coaching staff, sometimes for good reason. My belief is when they pull things together you should acknowledge that as well. The sign of good coaching is when a player and/or team gets better over time. This team has gotten better the last four games, the Florida game notwithstanding. They may win out, which I would not have predicted 48 hours ago.
Randall Cobb of Kentucky gave us fits last year and Tech is a well oiled machine, but shtuff happens, as we have seen all too often this year. Maybe we can make some shtuff happen and make someone choke on their Thanksgiving leftovers. You know who I’m talking about!
A Proud Crazy Uncle
Okay, okay Georgia Bulldog fans, I have held off long enough. I have been holding back believe it or not. But someone called me on it earlier in the week, and I really should put in my two cents. This season of frustration has had it’s bright spots and today is my day to discuss a couple of them.
The Dawg’s kickers, Blair Walsh and Drew Butler have each excelled this year. I have written a great deal about my faith in these guys to perform at a high level, especially Blair. This being Drew’s first year of being the man, I believed he would do well. I am sure no one predicted Drew to lead the nation in punting at nearly 50 yards a punt. Just today, Drew was listed as a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award for the nation’s top punter. This is on the heels of Blair being listed as one of twenty semi-finalists for the Groza Award for the best kicker in the nation. What a rare accomplishment. Both kicker and punter on the premier watch lists.
Blair is 13-14 on field goals with three over 50 yards. He is tied with Auburn’s Wes Byrum for best FG percentage in the SEC at 92.9%. He also leads the SEC with 14 touch-backs. In my humble opinion, this combination of stats mean All-SEC, even if another kicker has more attempts.
No matter what else happens, both of these young men have been recognized nationally as being among the best in the business and I am one proud crazy uncle.
Keep it up guys!
Forgiveness Fridays
This has certainly been an interesting week. Georgia Fans expressed strong feelings about my perceived attack on Coach Mark Richt. I consider this “attack” an aggressive defense of Blair Walsh and nothing more. Anyone that is a regular reader of RTK knows that I respect Mark Richt as a man and a coach. You also know how much I have written about my support of Coach Richt. But does that mean I have to agree with everything he says or does? Or does it mean that if I do disagree, I have to just to keep my mouth shut as some have suggested.
Well, you can forget that. As I said earlier this week, if I’m going to do this blog, I have to be honest and say what I really feel. There are some real problems going on in Athens. I am not privy to any strife that could be contributing to our struggles as a team and/or coaching staff.
If the Dawgs suddenly click and play a complete game, a lot of you will feel differently about things. Winning always cures what ails you the most. But what most of us complain about are the symptoms of the problems in Athens. There is something systemic that has gone awry.
One thing thats important to add is this. I don’t think Blair Walsh has performed his job perfectly. There is always room for improvement. But even when he has kicked perfectly acceptable kick-offs, our coverage has been lacking.
Many Georgia fans have called for firings of certain coaches, while I have not. You will never hear me cry for the amputation of the “withered limb” that failed us last week as some fans do. I just want to encourage the “head” to make it stronger, and not ignore it.
And above all else, don’t blame the toe for what the arms aren’t doing.
Throw-up Thursdays – Georgia Bulldog Style!
The highlighted section is a linked excerpt to David Hale’s blog.
For the second straight year, Georgia’s kickoffs have been an adventure, but this season there is one big difference: Richt has an alternative to kicker Blair Walsh.
The Bulldogs signed junior college transfer Brandon Bogotayduring the offseason to push Walsh for the kickoff job, and while a change hasn’t come yet, Richt said the team has given some thought to handing the job to Bogotay if Walsh continues to struggle.
First of all, it’s the kick-off coverage that is the adventure.
Many of you have left positive comments on my attempts to be frank and honest about issues concerning Georgia Football. I do try, but I bite my tongue quite often.
I am sure many of you will understand my growing disdain for any coach…any coach, that would utter the nonsense written in this section of this blog post. It is beyond my comprehension.
The kicker is a convenient target. Because admitting you can’t motivate players to cover kicks and make tackles reflects poorly on you as the special teams coach and of course that kind of thing goes all the way to the top.
And what does it mean that the “team” has considered “handing the job” to Bogotay….
Who is in charge Coach Richt?
Blair Walsh, My Man!
I have waited to talk about Blair Walsh and his game-winning 37 yard field goal Saturday night against Arizona State. I was as nervous as I’ve been in a long time. Not because I was not confident in Blair. I always get nervous watching young kickers in pressure situations and this one was worse because I actually know him.
In the past year or so I have seen Blair ride the proverbial roller coaster that is a kicker’s existence. He started out very well last year, particularly on field goals, but the challenges of directional kicking derailed him temporarily. He finished strong but the seed of an idea was already growing in Mark Richt’s mind. Maybe Blair was not the answer after all. He even said as much in a press conference when he said he would go as far as Poland to find some one that could kick-off through the end zone. I can’t tell you how angry I was at this uninformed flippant statement from some one I had grown to respect very much. It was a low blow.
Following up on his promise, Georgia signed a junior college kicker, Brandon Bogotay based on nothing more than a recruiting video. Now I believe Brandon to be a very good kicker as well. He, like Blair is not allowed to kick as he did previously.
As most of you know, I have been an advocate of Blair’s for several reasons. First, I knew how well he had performed in high school and after meeting him last summer, I knew his resolve to succeed at this level. Secondly, I knew the flawed philosophy he was being forced to employ. Third, he was being unfairly criticized by coaches and fans alike for struggling at times with said flawed philosophy.
This past off-season has been a time of tremendous growth for Blair I’m sure. He has already surpassed last year’s number of touch-backs with five. Even so, he is not allowed to even try but from time to time. As of now, he is a perfect 8-8 on field goals with two over 50 yards. Just so you know, he will miss someday, so don’t have a hissy fit when it happens.
I could not be happier for this young man who has been through so much from fans and coaches alike, for no good reason. I have never met his parents, but I’m equally happy for them.
Billy Bennett, Brandon Coutu & now Blair Walsh,
aka The Killer B’s,
Coach Richt must think he’s in heaven already.
All he ever knew before Georgia was WIDE RIGHT.
At Georgia, Team Means Team
The Georgia Bulldogs are 3-1 after Blair Walsh’s last second field goal against Arizona State. The Dawgs kept ASU in the game with turnover after turnover. At one point in the fourth quarter, I was pretty sure no one wanted to win this thing. Then it seemed the Sun Devils wanted it more. Luckily for the Bulldog Nation, A.J. Green wanted it most.
A.J. caught 8 balls for 153 yards which is basically a normal night for this superior talent. I am pretty sure A.J. was recruited for his offensive prowess, but has now proven to be a shot blocker as well. His block of a 37 yard field goal with 4:31 to go in the game, opened the door for Blair Walsh’s heroics.
Ugly does not adequately describe this game. Believe me, I have seen ugly. I played for the Dawgs when winning ugly was raised to an art form. Plus, I went to O’Malley’s many a Tuesday night in 1980-81…..but that’s another blog post for another day!
Believe me, I know how hard it is to watch a Bulldog team where absolutely nothing is assured. Life for these Dawgs really is like a box of chocolates. Too bad it’s Ex-lax. My stomach can’t take this stuff man! One week it’s the offense that struggles, the next the defense stinks and then there’s the kick-off coverage(special teams). On the flip-side, when one is down another picks up the slack, and that’s a very good thing.
It’s the epitome of “TEAM”.
I have said it before. Finding a way to win when things aren’t perfect is a rare commodity. How many times have you seen the Dawgs win games they had no business winning, ten, twenty, a hundred? If you are an “OLD DAWG”, you’ve seen it plenty.
Prepare to see it again soon, at a stadium near you!
Georgia Kick Coverage, Like GroundHog Day
Have you ever watched a Georgia game and felt like you were actually watching Groundhog Day instead? The same song starts playing and you get that pit in your stomach. Well, the first quarter of the season is done. I wanted to check out the kick-off stats around the country and was really not suprised with what I found. Blair Walsh is better, coverage is not. Blair has already matched the number of touch-backs(4) from last year on only 21 kick-offs. Even with this being true, the coaches are not letting him consistently attempt kicking it deep. His two kicks out of bounds did bother me, but it is a risk inherent in the directional kicking philosophy. He had one lucky bounce last week, two were not so lucky.
I thought we had turned a corner with the South Carolina game. Blair’s kicks were deeper and/or placed well. One kick was kicked deep, but a coverage breakdown allowed the returner to reach mid-field. I think that squelched Coach Richt’s willingness to kick deep. Forget the fact that even with the long return, SC’s average starting field position was the best in recent memory.
Even so, our coverage is worse overall, giving up 26.73 yards per return.
That’s another category where our national rank is in triple digits.
Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Team Report
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense
| Year: 2009 | Thru: 09/19/09 Minimum Pct. of Games Played |
| Rank | Name | Returns | Kickoff Return Yardage | TDs | Yardage Per Return | Kickoffs | Touchbacks | Wins | Losses | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIU | 4 | 43 | 0 | 10.75 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 15 | 221 | 0 | 14.73 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Washington | 15 | 226 | 0 | 15.07 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Arkansas St. | 10 | 154 | 0 | 15.40 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Colorado | 12 | 186 | 0 | 15.50 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | Navy | 12 | 187 | 0 | 15.58 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | UCF | 12 | 191 | 0 | 15.92 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Rutgers | 17 | 275 | 0 | 16.18 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | Vanderbilt | 11 | 180 | 0 | 16.36 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | LSU | 18 | 296 | 0 | 16.44 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Louisiana Tech | 12 | 198 | 0 | 16.50 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | Mississippi | 12 | 198 | 0 | 16.50 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Iowa St. | 15 | 248 | 0 | 16.53 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Air Force | 20 | 336 | 0 | 16.80 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Florida | 22 | 370 | 0 | 16.82 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Baylor | 7 | 118 | 0 | 16.86 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Kent St. | 7 | 118 | 0 | 16.86 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | Duke | 12 | 203 | 0 | 16.92 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | TCU | 15 | 257 | 0 | 17.13 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | La.-Lafayette | 13 | 229 | 0 | 17.62 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Tulsa | 14 | 250 | 0 | 17.86 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Houston | 15 | 270 | 0 | 18.00 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | North Carolina St. | 21 | 378 | 0 | 18.00 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 21 | 378 | 0 | 18.00 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Cincinnati | 17 | 314 | 0 | 18.47 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | California | 22 | 411 | 0 | 18.68 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Boston College | 15 | 281 | 0 | 18.73 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Marshall | 8 | 151 | 0 | 18.88 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Illinois | 10 | 189 | 0 | 18.90 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Northern Ill. | 16 | 303 | 0 | 18.94 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Western Mich. | 9 | 171 | 0 | 19.00 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | BYU | 13 | 247 | 0 | 19.00 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Boise St. | 21 | 400 | 0 | 19.05 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | UNLV | 12 | 229 | 0 | 19.08 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Ohio St. | 15 | 287 | 0 | 19.13 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | Clemson | 22 | 421 | 0 | 19.14 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | Idaho | 13 | 251 | 0 | 19.31 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 38 | Virginia Tech | 16 | 314 | 0 | 19.63 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 39 | Eastern Mich. | 10 | 197 | 0 | 19.70 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Oregon St. | 15 | 296 | 0 | 19.73 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 41 | Kansas | 20 | 397 | 0 | 19.85 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Texas Tech | 14 | 278 | 0 | 19.86 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 43 | Arizona | 12 | 241 | 0 | 20.08 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 43 | Memphis | 12 | 241 | 0 | 20.08 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 45 | Buffalo | 10 | 201 | 0 | 20.10 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 46 | Southern Miss. | 20 | 403 | 0 | 20.15 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Rice | 11 | 222 | 0 | 20.18 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 48 | Kansas St. | 8 | 162 | 0 | 20.25 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 49 | Northwestern | 17 | 345 | 0 | 20.29 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 50 | Stanford | 15 | 305 | 0 | 20.33 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 51 | Iowa | 14 | 286 | 0 | 20.43 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 52 | Utah | 11 | 225 | 0 | 20.45 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 53 | Ohio | 10 | 205 | 0 | 20.50 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 54 | Mississippi St. | 18 | 370 | 0 | 20.56 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 55 | West Virginia | 18 | 371 | 0 | 20.61 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 56 | Indiana | 15 | 310 | 0 | 20.67 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | Syracuse | 13 | 270 | 0 | 20.77 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 58 | Fla. Atlantic | 6 | 125 | 0 | 20.83 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 59 | Michigan | 14 | 292 | 0 | 20.86 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 60 | North Carolina | 17 | 355 | 0 | 20.88 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 | Arkansas | 14 | 293 | 0 | 20.93 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 62 | Tulane | 6 | 128 | 0 | 21.33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 62 | Hawaii | 15 | 320 | 0 | 21.33 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 64 | South Fla. | 20 | 427 | 0 | 21.35 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 | Texas A&M | 12 | 258 | 0 | 21.50 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 66 | Miami (FL) | 11 | 240 | 0 | 21.82 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 | Akron | 12 | 262 | 1 | 21.83 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 68 | East Carolina | 13 | 284 | 0 | 21.85 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 69 | North Texas | 10 | 219 | 0 | 21.90 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 70 | Oklahoma St. | 10 | 220 | 0 | 22.00 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 70 | Central Mich. | 15 | 330 | 0 | 22.00 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 72 | Ball St. | 11 | 243 | 0 | 22.09 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 73 | Georgia Tech | 17 | 376 | 0 | 22.12 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 74 | Arizona St. | 15 | 333 | 0 | 22.20 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Connecticut | 8 | 178 | 0 | 22.25 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 75 | Kentucky | 12 | 267 | 0 | 22.25 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | Nebraska | 11 | 245 | 0 | 22.27 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 78 | UTEP | 12 | 268 | 0 | 22.33 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 79 | Maryland | 15 | 338 | 0 | 22.53 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 80 | Wake Forest | 11 | 248 | 0 | 22.55 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 81 | Texas | 16 | 362 | 0 | 22.63 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | Southern California | 14 | 319 | 0 | 22.79 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 83 | Missouri | 18 | 412 | 0 | 22.89 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 84 | Oregon | 16 | 367 | 0 | 22.94 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 85 | Michigan St. | 19 | 439 | 0 | 23.11 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 86 | Bowling Green | 12 | 278 | 0 | 23.17 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 87 | Troy | 9 | 209 | 0 | 23.22 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 88 | Tennessee | 14 | 326 | 0 | 23.29 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 89 | Army | 13 | 303 | 0 | 23.31 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 90 | Purdue | 14 | 327 | 0 | 23.36 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 91 | Notre Dame | 19 | 444 | 1 | 23.37 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 92 | New Mexico | 9 | 212 | 0 | 23.56 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 93 | UCLA | 15 | 354 | 0 | 23.60 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | Western Ky. | 6 | 144 | 0 | 24.00 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 94 | Wisconsin | 14 | 336 | 0 | 24.00 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 96 | SMU | 12 | 292 | 0 | 24.33 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 97 | Toledo | 14 | 342 | 0 | 24.43 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 98 | Florida St. | 11 | 270 | 0 | 24.55 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 99 | Auburn | 20 | 491 | 0 | 24.55 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 | UAB | 14 | 345 | 0 | 24.64 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 101 | Alabama | 22 | 547 | 2 | 24.86 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 102 | Temple | 7 | 175 | 0 | 25.00 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 103 | Colorado St. | 16 | 408 | 0 | 25.50 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 104 | San Diego St. | 13 | 332 | 0 | 25.54 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 105 | Fresno St. | 19 | 491 | 0 | 25.84 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 106 | Penn St. | 14 | 362 | 0 | 25.86 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 107 | Utah St. | 8 | 211 | 0 | 26.38 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 108 | Georgia | 15 | 401 | 0 | 26.73 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 109 | New Mexico St. | 4 | 107 | 0 | 26.75 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 110 | Middle Tenn. | 15 | 405 | 1 | 27.00 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 111 | Minnesota | 11 | 302 | 0 | 27.45 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 112 | Nevada | 2 | 56 | 0 | 28.00 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 113 | La.-Monroe | 15 | 442 | 2 | 29.47 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 114 | South Carolina | 16 | 473 | 1 | 29.56 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 115 | Washington St. | 10 | 301 | 1 | 30.10 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 116 | Wyoming | 8 | 241 | 0 | 30.13 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 117 | Louisville | 13 | 397 | 1 | 30.54 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 118 | Virginia | 9 | 306 | 1 | 34.00 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 119 | Miami (OH) | 3 | 106 | 0 | 35.33 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 120 | San Jose St. | 8 | 283 | 1 | 35.38 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Arkansas, the Other White Meat
The Georgia Football Bulldogs have shown signs of life. After looking rather dead in Oklahoma, they were on life support again last Saturday night. Rennie Curran answered the 911 call and the DawgNation took in a collective breath of life. I literally took my blood pressure medication in the 3rd quarter before my head popped off.
Some one said it was a crazy game but fun to watch. Hey, I don’t need fun in my life. I need life in my life, thank you very much. I won’t go over all the game’s details because they have been discussed plenty. All I want to say is this:
Thank the Lord for touch-backs. Or even the chance for some!
Great Job BW! Keep it up!
I am concerned about this weekend. I am really hoping Bobby Petrino gets a job offer today and maybe he’ll be gone by Saturday. If that does not happen, then we better get a better pass rush or pass coverage. I don’t care which, either one will help immensely. Justin Houston will be back from suspension and that’s a good thing. Going with four tackles was not the ticket.
Last week Ryan Mallett, who sat out last season after transferring from Michigan, went 17 for 22 for 309 yards and a touchdown for the Razorbacks. Backup Tyler Wilson also played and threw for 138 yards and two TDs. But that was against Missouri State.
Hopefully the Dawgs can slow-cook the Hawgs.
The reason I am optimistic is Joe Cox played better. He still needs to do more. Richard Samuel was an under-utilized bruiser. Branden “That little joker is fast” Smith finally had something go right for him. A little end a round action and a 61 yard touchdown.
Pssst. Branden! You can take a knee in the end-zone. Nobody will boo.
They might even cheer at this point.
Here’s the clincher. Dawg Fans have been screaming for Marlon Brown and Rontavious Wooten, our speedy freshman. I think Coach Richt and Co. are slowly adding the ingredients that as the season progresses, will be come a potent mix on offense. I think this eventually will include Logan Gray as well. We have so many weapons, it must be tough to decide which to pull out.
But even the biggest knife loses in a gun fight , remember?
Georgia Fans…A Little Something Sweet
Georgia Football fans should know. This blog will never “rival” the big boys for news and numbers. That’s the meat and potatoes of an online fan feast. I don’t want it to be like all the other blogs. Many have good well rounded information, like a helping of your favorite veggies. There are a few of these blogs with enough flavor to pass as a really good dessert. But I want Roughing the Kicker to be that place that when you are too full from the main course, you hold off. Then on your way home you stop by for something a little different…a special treat. I call it Blaagen Dazs. It may not be something you want to consume every day, or maybe your metabolism can take a daily helping. Who knows?
Below you will find a listing of flavors you can expect in the future:
*One flavor that has been discontinued is the Rocky Road…too much of that last year* Some new favorites are expected to be the Joe Cox Strawberry… The A.J. Green “Mint Chocolate”… The Blair Walsh Irish Cream… Justin Anderson Vanilla Bean? …and introducing Rookies and Cream for freshman only…. and all Dawg Fans love Bark Chocolate…lol…Boy, I amuse myself sometimes.
For Georgia Fans…A Conversation with Brandon Bogotay
A few weeks ago I received a “friend request” on Facebook. Brandon Bogotay, the newly signed JUCO transfer was reaching out to the old guy. You never know who is really in touch with the tradition of a program, but Brandon seems to understand it and embrace it. I gladly accepted, even though I support Blair Walsh as much as anybody, save his family. I certainly don’t harbor any ill will towards the ‘new guy”. He has every right to come in and compete, just like the other hundred some odd guys on Georgia’s roster.
I had a chance to talk to Brandon on the phone Sunday evening and he shared some of what is on the horizon for him. He is coming to Georgia this week and going through some orientation. He’ll take some summer classes to get started on his academic transition. He plans on pursuing a business degree although the specifics have not been decided upon. He has time to decide the details later because right now he has other things on his rather over-sized plate.
If you were to go back two years from the date of this writing, June 28th, 2009, Brandon Bogotay had never played in a football game. He had played alot of futbol, but no football. If you go back just one year when he was preparing to play at Grossmont College, he still had not even attempted a field goal in a game. He kicked off the last five or so games for the Patrick Henry Patriots in 2007, and that’s it. Amazing.
As many of you know he went 15-23 on field goals last fall which is very respectable for his first year EVER. He had a long kick of 52 yards. His claim to fame is his strong leg on kick-offs. He kicked twenty touchbacks on fifty-two kick-offs. That’s a 38% success rate which is well above average.
I still question if it will be enough to change the philosophy of directional kick-offs….
I hope the coaches take the harnesses off. I’ve talked enough about that before, so I’ll leave it alone for now. Brandon has been working on all aspects of his game with San Diego kicking coaches, Lance Ortega and John Coker. He says John in particular has helped a great deal. Georgia’s overall philosophy is to allow and encourage competition at every position, so he and Blair Walsh will be competing on field goals as well.
Both of these guys are good kids as well as quality kickers. There will be no “KICKER CONTROVERSY” at the University of Georgia. No drama here. Both competitors are going about their business in a mature fashion. Believe me, that was not always true with all the guys in recents years at UGA. So this will be a pleasure to watch unfold. The kicker’s contribution to special teams will be much better in 2009, I guarantee it.
Oh, on a side note. I made some predictions as to what Brandon’s eventual nickname might be, but I decided to keep it between he and I. It might be an RTK Poll for down the road.
NCAA says no to touchbacks…
Imagine if you will, a professional golfer who is consistently able to drive the ball 300 yards with reasonable accuracy. Now you tell him he HAS to either to drive it 330 yards with the same degree of accuracy OR drive it 290 with an even higher degree of accuracy on the left side of the fairway, with greater height. WITH THE SAME CLUB. But he can’t tee it UP, he has to tee it down. If you are a golfer and/or a knowledgable golf fan you probably see the lunacy in these expectations.
Yet this is what was expected of Blair Walsh last year.
I am going to try to explain this with as much factual information as possible, so it will not appear I am trying to make excuses for Blair or anyone else. (more…)
Tell me what you really think!