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AFTER watching last night’s “we cannot score”, a touchdown, that is…..
We should not be so down on Kyle Bombard. I have not been down that path.
TOB’ Polish Rocket (memory?) Hooked a chip shot.
Fans left as excited as a strip clubs patrons after their star attraction’s accidentally dropped her bottom and revealed her past manhood.
Good luck to KB this weekend.Had KB made just one of the two field goals he booted your NC State would be sitting at 5-2 with a win over ClemPson in Death Valley, making the LVille beat down not so horrible. Instead KB, Division One kicker at a power 5 conference school shanked two, Pack 4-3 with a demoralizing loss at Clemson and a complete raping at Papa John’s. Hate it for the kid knowing he absolutely wanted with everything inside him to make the kicks but at this level he should be able to eek one if not both in.
I have to agree with Mac. Last night’s SNF atrocity doesn’t make it any more acceptable. I hate if for the kid, I really do. But he has to get better, or he has to get replaced. The Clemson game should have been ours. I won’t say it’s his fault, necessarily, because that calls a number of variable into it which shouldn’t be. But that’s semantics. It was on his foot, center of the field, easily make-able kick. Yet I suspect most of us knew he wasn’t going to make it. I know I did.
That’s a problem.
OK, I understand both posts. Now, what should DD do?
IF I read correctly, he started out With Conner Haskins. That did not work. Now we have Kyle Bamburg. The next two are RS Fresh and RS Soph. IF DD reverts back to Haskins, will the “gotta try something” Haskins be Better, Worse or the Same as he was when he started or maybe when relieved. If I understand the comments from the announcers, a PK is a different “breed” of FB player. He sometimes zones out everything and only lets his holder and snapper into his “inner circle”. That is because he has to concentrate and focus…I think that Mark Thomas said a PK was a “Head Case” and that most coaches were reluctant to go BACK to one that had been demoted….as he was usually WORSE…due to the increased pressure.
OR does Coach D go to one of the RS PK’s and make HIM the “kicker” of the day? If so, what will he do?
I assume that the kickers are judged in practice on their accuracy…..and also get a “mental rating” on their resistance to PRESSURE. What do you do to improve the PRESSURE resistance? Do you threaten their loved ones with pain (or embarrassing pictures) if the Kicker does NOT make more practice field goals that his peers?
I certainly do NOT have an answer…but if our radio staff is correct, you go with the most accurate one that you have and THEN you work with him on focus and try to keep the pressure off him. I THINK that Skip Holtz came out onto the field when the opposing coach called a TO to ice the kicker and instead of blowing sunshine up his orifice, told a joke and did NOT extoll him to CONCENTRATE.
Jimmy V told a story about motivation and also “de-motivation” that he learned in his early career. One of the coaching clinics he went to had an example. The coach told the attendee’s….NOW during my opening slides, please pay careful attention, and under NO circumstances, think of a Black Cow. You guessed it….MOST if not ALL of the coaches admitted that the Black Cow image was in their head.
His Point….do NOT, under any circumstances, DE-Motivate your player(s)…..V said that during the the run, there was a key foul shooting sequence. He called over the team and said…”After Lo makes these two, this is what we run….”. He repeated that one more time. As they broke the huddle, he grabbed Sidney Lowe and said….If Lo misses, then THIS is what you run. V said that Lo said, at least twice….”I got dess….” and he smiled and said….I know….and this is what we will do after you make them. The image of the Black Cow was in his head and he was NOT going to do anything to take away from Lo’s concentration or confidence.
My point was that even the Pro’s miss. And with our limited talent or depth, what choices does DD have? If it were as simple as going back to Haskins, then I think he would have done it. Rightly or wrongly, I think that our analysts or commentators have a better feel for the dilemma that we are in and their comments carry some weight.
Maybe CowDog can chime in….
My point was that even the Pro’s miss. And with our limited talent or depth, what choices does DD have?
In the here and now, there’s not much to be done. Obviously the coaching staff sees him as our best option, and I’m sure they’re right. At this point I suspect more of Kyle’s problems are mental. And that could go either way depending upon him. I hope he works thru it. And if he can’t, I hope we are recruiting/have recruited a PK.
I already chimed in on the matter in the horse race post. They need a horse whisperer…or go find the guy that worked Owen Spencer through his dropsies.
CD….moi point exactly. I assume that the rationale to change from Connor Haskins to Kyle Bambard was based on how accurate they were in practice. Maybe NOT….maybe they were equal and Haskin’s “game performance factor” was in question….and the coaching staff decided to try a different horse. Whatever, the decision is made and odds are, you can’t, Thomas Wolfe, GO HOME AGAIN..or whatever that phrase is about burning your bridges behind you.
Your “horse whisperer” sums it up. Kickers are head cases and they need different strokes….than most of the team.
Know any good PK or FB Shrinks? Our announcing staff, with some credentials, say that you have to take the same girl home that you brought to the dance and, eventually, you will score….metaphorically speaking….of course….FWIW, I thought he would make the kick at Clemson. While I’m only a relative novice when it comes to field goal kicking, the review made it seem to me as if he was was trying not to overkick it and ended up pushing it right.
Either way, as one of my high school coaches used to say, the kicker is a man on an island. I believe there is a ton of truth to that as there is with a goalie in soccer/hockey/etc. or I would imagine a reliever in baseball.
To be successful in any of those roles, you have to be a little different. Some might say a little “off” even. In short, you have to be good with being that man on the island. However, just because someone is good with that doesn’t mean there isn’t a significant (mental) team aspect that factors in. In tough times like this, you reap what you sow (player, coach, and team).
KB’s Combined Kicking Stats (2015-2016)
20-29: 3-3
30-39: 8-14
40-49: 1-6
50+ 0-0The above says to me a few things.
-Haskins really isn’t viewed as a better option
-We should seriously question any FG attempt over 35 yards (5 of 12)
-Start converting more 3rd downs or get a heckuva lot better at 4th down conversions.Pressure is the key phrase. Assuming that we do not utilize the Uday Hussein “Motivational Program” (google Iraq Olympic Team Torture Wood Chipper), then there is really not much that can be done. KB has to “kick through” this and get confidence. If we are NOT beating the bushes for a more reliable kicker, then we really going to be up the lower branch of Feces River….
I certainly HOPE that KB is getting some much needed “reps” to make him more automatic. He tends to Slice and needs to figure out how to kick straight….
It’s always something. If it’s not the offense, it’s the defense. If it’s not the defense, it’s the offense. This year, it’s the kicking game. No offense to our kicker, because I did feel bad for him and hate it for him, but if we had almost any other kicker from our past, Saturday could have possibly been the first loss of the season.
BAMBARD… is what he is. An OK kicker.
Put me in the camp of those who say the quality of kicker we have (or any other position) is squarely on the recruiting/coaching staff. (And I have been a supporter of DD)
I don’t fault BAMBARD for missing the FGs at ECU and Clemson – I fault the coaching staff for him being the NC State kicker, if that’s the best he can do.
This scenario is not unlike the Amato/post-Rivers QB scenario we had. Amato did not/could not recruit a QB of the caliber we needed to win games, and that was ultimately on him.
I don’t fault BAMBARD for missing the FGs at ECU and Clemson…
And it’s a good thing because Bambard wasn’t the kicker for the ECU game.
If Bambard is the best kicker we have, then go with him. I’m more concerned with the confidence that the rest of the players have. And the confidence the coaches have in the play-calling.
My own confidence needs a shot in the arm as well. After the ND and Clemson games I thought we were in good shape team wise to win 8 or 9 games. I dropped down to 6 or 7 after L’ville.
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