Congrats to Jack Mitchell
- Thread starter WestCoastWildcat
- Start date
Happy for Jack. He also earned (though wasn't awarded) Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. I guess they just try to limit any one school to two weekly awards to spread the wealth around.
Uh, no. Mitchell missed a makeable FG, and also there was a guy from Rutgers who broke Kinnick's single game return record that has stood for like 80 years. The reason he didn't win the award was because he didn't earn it.
Not taking a lot away from the Rutgers kid, but for Jack that was a low percentage FG that was more than made up for by hitting another long one that essentially sealed the win against a ranked team. So a quarterback who makes three touchdown passes in a winning game against a ranked team and has one under or over thrown pass into the end zone that kills a drive is equally unworthy?
Just who was Rutgers playing and how much of that return credit has to be shared with the blockers? Norfolk State isn't exactly Stanford. I maintain that Jack earned at least co-Big Ten Special Teams player of the week.
Just who was Rutgers playing and how much of that return credit has to be shared with the blockers? Norfolk State isn't exactly Stanford. I maintain that Jack earned at least co-Big Ten Special Teams player of the week.
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Actually, it was Will Likely of Maryland, not Rutgers. I mix them up. And they played Richmond from FCS. But, who cares??? He broke an 80 year old B1G record. He had 233 punt return beating the mark set by Iowa’s Nile Kinnick in 1939. Likely in one game tallied more punt return yards (233) than he did all of last season (225). The single-game total of 233 places him 12th on Maryland's single-season list. I don't think we had 233 punt return yards in our last two years combined!
A 49 yard field goal with the wind is not low percentage for a good kicker. Budzien was automatic at that distance. Not worthy of a B1G player of the week just because he hit a FG he should make (and especially after he missed one earlier). Wasn't even a game winner.
Thanks for the added details about the FCS game which were interesting. Breaking the punt return record is commendable, but would have been more meaningful against a top 25 opponent. That said, I hope we can fare as well in returning punts playing against FCS competion this week.
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Get your facts straight. The FG he missed was against the wind. The last one he made was with the wind. That made all the difference.
re Mitchell - as far as I'm concerned he is like a golf pro that won the Masters and gets a lifetime exemption. Kid beat Notre Dame in OT after tying the game at the end of regulation. Even with the lackluster team we had last year, he is still amongst my faves all time Duvic, Sam V, Goins, Budzien et al
While I hate to let facts get in the way of a good rant, per the ESPN web site, Budzien was 11 for 16 in the 40-49 yard field goal range and had a career long field goal of 47 yards. He was a heck of a good kicker, but not only was he not "automatic at that distance," he never made a kick at either the distance that Mitchell made or the distance that Mitchell missed.
I do agree, however, that breaking the Kinnick's record probably deserves the recognition it got.
You should probably learn to read. The made 49 FG was with the wind - I made no mention of the wind with regards to the missed FG. I was pointing out that hitting that isn't as incredibly impressive as the poster was pointing out, particularly given he had the wind behind him.
In addition, as I understand the wind had little to do with the "difference." The missed FG had the distance but was not on center. With or without the wind, Mitchell had the leg. This said, I don't know for sure if the wind was pushing to the side where he pushed it, so maybe the wind had an impact but not in the way that you mention. Which makes me wonder, if he can boot 50 yard FG's (his second FG was good from at least 55), why isn't he kicking off? He seems to have a strong leg, and I would think ought to be able to get it to or through the endzone regularly if he isn't aiming for the uprights or worried about a block.
Look, I am not busting on Mitchell. I think he had a good game overall, I like him as our kicker, and his second FG was very nice, but it wasn't a game winner. I just don't think there is remotely any argument that hitting a 19 yard FG and a 49 yard FG and missing one is a record that merits recognition over Likely, who broke an 80 year old B1G record and had more return yards than we probably had in our last couple seasons combined. He did what he was supposed to do, and that's great. Does it merit ST player of the week honors? Maybe for NU. Not remotely close for the B1G in week one.
His performance at ND last year is another story altogether.
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Actually, the really amazing thing is Fitzgerald even trying a FG. In the past he would have punted, like David Shaw did in almost the same situation!
+1 Fitz is changing. For the better. We should still run punts back. He needs to take a look at the Will Likely video to see what is possible.
I really could not believe my eyes when Stanford punted from the NU 38. And was not surprised by the touchback, that resulted in them gaining a net 18 yards of field position. If I was a Cardinal fan, I would have been livid.
Our final score was 16. We had one touchdown. If my math is right it looks like you left out one more field goal that Mitchell made. With that added stat I am sure now that you now agree with my premise.
(By the way I was trying to recall the most field goals we had by a single kicker in one game. Seems like 4 was the record and it was tied by at least two different NU kickers. 3 successful field goals in any game has gotta be up there, especially with one being a 49 yarder.)
Our final score was 16. We had one touchdown. If my math is right it looks like you left out one more field goal that Mitchell made. With that added stat I am sure now that you now agree with my premise.
(By the way I was trying to recall the most field goals we had by a single kicker in one game. Seems like 4 was the record and it was tied by at least two different NU kickers. 3 successful field goals in any game has gotta be up there, especially with one being a 49 yarder.)
Yup, I left out the first one. Oops. Still doesn't compare with what Likely did, but yes, he had a nice game. Just don't think he deserved the player of the week honors over a guy who broke an 80 year old record.
The record is 5 in one game, done by Joel Howells against PSU in 2005 and Jeff Bud against BC in 2012. And you have a short memory: Jack Mitchell himself kicked 4 against ND last year!! Finally, an NU kicker kicked 3 FGs in a game 32 times, not a particularly rare occurrence......
The award is for the best special teams player of the week and sorry but three FGs doesn't cut it when Likely has 233 yds of PR yardage in one game on the same day ( I do not care who it is against, it is special. Besides, is it different for a FG kicker against an FCS opponent when he is kicking) . Might be worthy on other weeks but not this one.
Because handling both duties can open kickers up to potential injury. Plus, as Fitz mentioned in his press conference, Mitchell is still working his way back from a camp injury.
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