How to get rid of our kicker issues!

[rogosIRISH77]

Primarily, I think Burkhart should be given the in-game chance... Sure, Weis says Walker wins this position battle each week in practice... But, when you suck so much in the game, practice doesn't matter. There has to be some point where the in-game suckfest he has put on trumps good practice performance, and we are at that point! I know he did okay at Washington, but still give Burkhart the chance! He wasn't too bad last year, and we know he's got more power.

Another idea is to pull the Texas Tech... KICKER TRYOUTS! Open to all eligible students at the university. It worked for Texas Tech, Matt Williams won the tryout and the starting position, no FG attempted, but 9/9 on PAT. So hey Charlie, give it a shot. Sure, Notre Dame may have a different breed of students with the level of academic excellence, but it's worth a try. We also have a great soccer team, get someone from there.

Do it, why not? What's the worse that can happen? We find no one else and we're in the same boat we're in now. Maybe we catch some criticism in the media, but what's new? We already are being criticized for everything possible! So I say KICKER TRYOUTS

 

[Junkhead]

I would agree, besides the fact that Walker was 5-5 on 2 FGs and 3 PATs against UW. No need to yank him now if he is starting to catch on.

 

[NDinL.A.]

More kicker tryouts = Walker kicking their asses once again. Have you seen the guy's leg? He has a potentially pro leg. He just can't kick in games. But he was rock solid vs. UW, so to pull him now makes no sense. 2 weeks ago, then I feel you.

We basically did have tryouts, 'cause we got a walk-on that is nails (in practice). He might be someone we turn to down the road. Weis said he simply does not miss (in practice). Face it, Burkhart can't even sniff Walker in all those tryouts, so giving him a shot in a game over Ruffin is pointless at this point. He's just not good enough yet.

And Texas Tech's kicker is doing the same thing that Walker has done all year (make PAT's). I wouldn't call the TT experiment a success at all (yet), unless you say that Walker is also having a great year.

I'm anxious to see how Walker responds this weekend. This is a HUGE game for ND...

 

[Steve]

i was watching the player interviews after the UW game and walker said they found something in his mechanics from watching alot of film. they corrected it and he's been making the kicks ever since. i remember the announcers saying during the UNC game that burkhart didn't make a single kick in the kick competition so i don't think giving him a shot in the game is really a good idea.

 

[phork]

How about just going for it on 4th down instead of FGs? Hehe.

 

[brownkj002]

I don't know if I am correct but I think Walker has made 3 in a row. No need to yank him now that he is starting to make some field goals. He seems to have more confidence now than in the beginning of the season.

 

[SoCalDomer]

Primarily, I think Burkhart should be given the in-game chance... Sure, Weis says Walker wins this position battle each week in practice... But, when you suck so much in the game, practice doesn't matter. There has to be some point where the in-game suckfest he has put on trumps good practice performance, and we are at that point! I know he did okay at Washington, but still give Burkhart the chance! He wasn't too bad last year, and we know he's got more power.

Another idea is to pull the Texas Tech... KICKER TRYOUTS! Open to all eligible students at the university. It worked for Texas Tech, Matt Williams won the tryout and the starting position, no FG attempted, but 9/9 on PAT. So hey Charlie, give it a shot. Sure, Notre Dame may have a different breed of students with the level of academic excellence, but it's worth a try. We also have a great soccer team, get someone from there.

Do it, why not? What's the worse that can happen? We find no one else and we're in the same boat we're in now. Maybe we catch some criticism in the media, but what's new? We already are being criticized for everything possible! So I say KICKER TRYOUTS

your suggestions are a week or so late.

1) Walker's last performance was 2/2 FGs and 3/3 PATs. Pulling him has potential to screw with his confidence, something that is vital to kicking.
2) The open kicking competition has been done. Weis has already said he's approached the soccer coaches looking for help, but no one pans out. Yes, that's not the same as opening it up to the whole school, but the soccer team is the more likely place to find a reliable kicker.
3) As of last week, dressing for games is walk-on kicker Ruff, who attempted a PAT in last week's game. So apparently Weis did invite a non-sport player to try-out and apparently he did enough to get a shot.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

The kid was perfect last week and he has been perfect the whole season on PAT's so maybe he is on an upswing on his field goals and he will get on a hot streak from here on out. If the kid gets going and starts to really show some consistency for the rest of the season it will be a great comeback story. I am really pulling for the kid and I hope we win a game with his leg in the final seconds this season. That would make a great story.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

I really feel sorry for Brandon. He played a hell of a game right up to the last kick. It was not his fault. The offense did not set him up for too much success. I bet he is feeling really bad after that loss, but I hope he gets out of the tank. I really hope he continues his kicking we have seen from him the last few games. Whatever mechanics they saw on film and corrected must have worked. He is really kicking good the last few games. I am sending lots of prayers his way this week that he does not put the blame on himself. He missed the kick, but he was put in some bad situations.

Hang in there Brandon!!!!

 

[Rocket's Rocket Fan]

I think he has turned the courner. I was really incourage to see him kick as well as he did. Every kick, with exception to the last one was right done the middle. And the last one he didn't miss by much.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

What I have seen is that he "squares up" to the line of scrimmage before kicking, then twists his body in order to kick. You lose momentum that way. Most soccer style kickers line up at an angle.

It's a biomechanic thing. No brainer.

CW has no regard for the kicking team, and this babe is taking the brunt of CW's stupidity.

YO CDUB! FIX IT! IT IS YOUR FAULT!

Quit trying the next popular gimmick.

We (did I just say we?) are as good as our worst.

CHARGE FORWARD WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR ATHLETES.

They might make you look good. Aim for 70-0 (ND) every game. Wake up dude. You pissin some people off.

 

[goirish90]

You cant blame the pitt game on walker it should have never come down to that we should have played 4 quaters of football and we would have got out of there with a win in regulation!!!!

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

You cant blame the pitt game on walker it should have never come down to that we should have played 4 quaters of football and we would have got out of there with a win in regulation!!!!

Nope...the kid came through BIG this weekend. He hit a 48 yarder!!!

The team left him out to dry...he done good. Props to Walker.

 

[phork]

No fault to Bwalk on the Pitt game at all. We had plenty of chances to put the game away.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

The kid deserves some kudos because he is 100% on PAT's this season. I don't know the exact stats, but I would guess he would be close to the team leaders for scoring on PAT's alone. Seeing him hang his head on the sideline after missing that last kick was heartbreaking. He was not set up by the offense to be in a good situation. I hope he continues to improve this season and gets even better next year. This kid could turn out to be a really, really good kicker. I hope he doesn't get too down on himself because it was not his fault. He played a hell of a game. Someone said it in another post, if you give out game balls in a loss, Brandon would have to get the ball for this game.

 

[CurtisCandy]

Yea, I'm completely in Walker's camp on this one. He definitely struggled a lot early in the year, but in the past couple of games he was ROCK solid!

Yea, he missed that final kick, but he also made three that kept us in it, including a huge, clutch 48-yarder. On the final kick, it's not like he choked and it never had a chance. It was so close, in fact, I thought he had made it. Even on replay, it was hard to say that it didn't sneak through.

Clausen struggled a lot last year and has been getting consistently better. We certainly don't want him thrown overboard because he missed an open receiver Saturday. I believe, at this point, Walker deserves the same consideration.

 

[rogosIRISH77]

what is the stat for leading scorer on the team? i would think it would be jimmy with our lack of rushing td's, and because walker hasn't hit very many fg's.

also, you def. can't put the blame on walker. i started this thread and wanted him out, but the coaches obviously figured out something in his mechanics cuz he did well against pitt. he was perfect again on pat's and 4-5 on fg's was way better than the shit he had been pulling before.

i will be anxious to see if he can overcome this loss, and keep goin with this upswing. hopefully he can come through against bc, i would really like to see that.

 

[kicker20]

what is the stat for leading scorer on the team? i would think it would be jimmy with our lack of rushing td's, and because walker hasn't hit very many fg's.

also, you def. can't put the blame on walker. i started this thread and wanted him out, but the coaches obviously figured out something in his mechanics cuz he did well against pitt. he was perfect again on pat's and 4-5 on fg's was way better than the shit he had been pulling before.

i will be anxious to see if he can overcome this loss, and keep goin with this upswing. hopefully he can come through against bc, i would really like to see that.

The Irish fans have more than expressed the dislike with walker, and constantly want Burkhart to get a chance. Walker jeeped the Irish in that game. It was evident in OT to me that FG's would not win the game . We needed to score a touchdown, because their running game was destroying our defense. They rushed for over 160 yards and came back from a 14 point deficit. t home you can't lose a lead to a team who can move the ball and take time off the clock. We didn't do a great job on special teams. Burkhart has yet to have a touchback in the last to seasons. I doubt he could have made th 48yd fg that tied the game in the 3rd OT. Walker went 4/5 and had a 48yd fg. That is a huge step for a sophomore who is trying to develop his confidence, as well as the teams. We lost as a team, walker did his part.