Practice observations 11/13/07

[stonebreakerwasgod]

From Irish Insights

Interesting thing to me was the kicking stats....

Brandon Walker's kicking day: Extra point -- Good; 33 yards -- Good; 35 yards -- Good; 40 yards -- Good; 41 yards (left hash) -- Wide Right; 41 yards (left hash) -- Good; 45 yards -- Wide Left; 45 yards -- Good.

Irish Insights

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Not too bad from 40+

Not that I'm implying anything......

 

[WalshND]

What ever happened to Ryan Burkhart?

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

He's the waterboy delivering some high quality H2O. I have no idea brutha.

 

[WeisWeisBaby]

I really had some high expectations for Ryan as well, turns out he is missing in action... however, I was very happy we were able to steal Walker from Louisville and I think these kids will start kicking pretty consistent next year.

 

[SoCalDomer]

That's all they do in practice? a half-dozen kicks and practice is over for them? I could of handled that. I gotta go check my remaining eligibility.

 

[kmoose]

Not too bad from 40+

Not that I'm implying anything......

No offense, but if it implies anything, it implies that he can only make it from 40+ on the second try. I still think Weis should have trotted him out there to try, but 0-2 on first attempts (assuming that was the case) isn't exactly confidence inspiring.

 

[SoCalDomer]

No offense, but if it implies anything, it implies that he can only make it from 40+ on the second try. I still think Weis should have trotted him out there to try, but 0-2 on first attempts (assuming that was the case) isn't exactly confidence inspiring.

I'm beginning to think it was better he didn't try the field goal. If he missed because Sharpley had the laces in or something like that, it may have turned Walker into Ray Finkle who turned into Lois Einhorn. And then you might have unknowingly kissed her... er.. him.

 

[Timugen]

I'm beginning to think it was better he didn't try the field goal. If he missed because Sharpley had the laces in or something like that, it may have turned Walker into Ray Finkle who turned into Lois Einhorn. And then you might have unknowingly kissed her... er.. him.

LMAO.....ok....I have now changed my mind. I am now ecstatic that we didn't go for that FG.

 

[kmoose]

I'm beginning to think it was better he didn't try the field goal. If he missed because Sharpley had the laces in or something like that, it may have turned Walker into Ray Finkle who turned into Lois Einhorn. And then you might have unknowingly kissed her... er.. him.

LACES OUT, EVAN!!!

 

[SoCalDomer]

See, we shouldn't second guess CW all the time. grin:

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I'm great at second guessing.

 

[SoCalDomer]

Guess again stoney

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

You f.....r.

 

[Newc]

Guess again stoney

Haha reps!

 

[Junkhead]

Anyone know how Ragone got injured?

 

[BeatSC]

Kick the ball inside the 10!

Kick the ball inside the 10!

Can someone put a kickoff inside the freaking 10 yard line! We keep spotting the opponent the ball at the 40!

 

[johnnd05]

Can someone put a kickoff inside the freaking 10 yard line! We keep spotting the opponent the ball at the 40!

I think I've mentioned this before, but the NCAA average for kickoff distance since the new rule has been the 9.8 yard line (link). I don't know what our numbers have actually looked like, but I imagine they've been close to that. Not great by any means, but not awful either.

The kickers for Nebraska and Air Force are getting touchbacks nearly 50% of the time, though ... damn.

 

[SoCalDomer]

The kickers for Nebraska and Air Force are getting touchbacks nearly 50% of the time, though ... damn.

When Airforce plays at home, they have the added benefit of thin air; ball goes farther. If their away games are similar, maybe it's the kicker, not the air. I don't know what Nebraska's elevation is.

 

[NDnateOhio]

Nebraska is a very flat state.

 

[goldandblue]

The highest point in Nebraska is Panorama Point, at 5,424 feet above sea level.

 

[loomis41973]

We DO need someone who can put it in the endzone.

 

[johnnd05]

We DO need someone who can put it in the endzone.

Problem is, with the new rule there aren't many who can. From that link I attached earlier, it looks like there are only about twenty kickers doing it more than 20% of the time.

Actually, I found our kickers' numbers. Whitaker averages 58.8 yards per kickoff, and Walker 55.2. The NCAA average is 60.2 yards, so Whitaker really isn't that far below it. Again, that's not to say that his kicks have been satisfactory ... I'm just bringing in a standard to compare him against.

 

[kmoose]

To be honest, having short kickoffs has really only helped our defensive stats this year. Instead of giving up 80 yard drives, we've been holding opponents to 60 yard drives.

 

[Doomsday Device]

Sullivan walked onto the practice field as the team was stretching and spent the first part of practice off to the far sideline. Then, when the team moved into individual drills, Sullivan went with the offensive linemen and would pull guys aside to offer instruction, most notably sophomore guard Eric Olsen. He stayed out of John Latina's way and just went about doing his coaching thing.

Interesting to read about Sullivan helping out with some of the coaching when injured considering some of the (IMO undeserved) whispers he's received from a lot of fans about not caring and sandbagging. (I'm assuming this isn't some new hire that I miraculously managed to avoid hearing about and who coincidentally has the same name as the team's center.)

 

[domerfor life]

I'm beginning to think it was better he didn't try the field goal. If he missed because Sharpley had the laces in or something like that, it may have turned Walker into Ray Finkle who turned into Lois Einhorn. And then you might have unknowingly kissed her... er.. him.

LMAO!!! Laces out!! Laces out!!

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

She falls under the 'not hot' category. Although her hair is on fire......