Rich Rodriguez: Michigan football team's kicking job open
Clinging to a 27-24 lead with 27 seconds remaining Saturday, Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez wasn’t taking any chances.
After watching Brendon Gibbons miss two field-goal attempts wide right earlier in the game, he sent Seth Broekhuizen in to kick the extra point for the Michigan football team.
Broekhuizen’s successful point-after gave the Wolverines a four-point lead and took the option of a potential game-tying field goal away from Notre Dame.
Seth Broekhuizen
“That was a pretty critical extra point to put us up four,” Rodriguez said Monday.
As he has been since the preseason, Rodriguez remains concerned with the team’s kicking game. Gibbons is 1-of-4 on field-goal attempts, and had an extra point blocked in Michigan’s season opener versus UConn.
Right now, Rodriguez is not sure who will kick against UMass on Saturday.
“It’s going to be an open competition all week,” he said. “I could not tell you today who’s going to be the starting kicker on Saturday.”
Broekhuizen, a redshirt freshman from Holland, isn’t Michigan’s only alternate. Michigan soccer player Justin Meram spent the summer kicking with the Wolverines, and now splits his time between the soccer and football fields.
“He’s doing a lot of soccer, so he’s not been over as much for us to get a better evaluation of him, but he’s still got a chance,” Rodriguez said. “That’s what is probably holding him back a little bit. But he’s a great soccer player, so we understand that.”
Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556 or emailed at petebigelow@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
WWBD?
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 : 1:36 a.m.
Bo had some shaky kicking teams, too. I can remember sometimes he had guys on kick offs who couldn't even keep them in bounds much less make the end zone. All they could do was squib it. Inconsistent kicking and punting will put a team in a hole real quick and all it takes is a few shanks and some key misses/blocks to remind everyone just how important it is to not have a lousy kicking game.
Lokalisierung
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 5:25 p.m.
"Michigan kicking has never been very good historically." Whoa....don't know if I'd say that. Zoltan was an excellent punter and went earlyish in the draft. As for bad kicking I can only remember a couple years at the end of Lloyd where kicking was really really embaressing. Other than I would say solid.
tulsatom
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 11:40 a.m.
Both the field goal kicking and punting were pretty bad against ND. I bet they kicked well in practice or else they wouldn't have been able to kick in the game. Handling the pressure kicks is something that some people have and some people don't and you can't always tell that until you are in a game situation. I hope people step up and become solid punters and kickers for U-M. A good punter and kicker can win games for you.
JGS
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 4:40 a.m.
@jameslucas - Good call! All the negativity that is on this site is just amazing. I guess that's what the internet does for people. It gives them anonymity so they can spew their negative drivel to the masses. If everyone stopped attacking each other and looked at the positive side of things maybe we wouldn't have so much hate in this world, but I digress. sorry. Michigan kicking has never been very good historically. Maybe the snaps or holds were not right? I'm just sayin'. The long snapper, holder and kicker have to gel and have a chemistry with each other. I would have them kicking field goals for 4 to 8 hours a day if I knew anything about coaching. (which I don't and never will claim I do).
John-Maize Blueblood
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 3:11 a.m.
I still don't understand why we waste our time paying attention to some of the trolls posting negative stuff on just about every article regardng the team and RR. A certain troll here must either be a kid with Attention Deficit Disorder or a mentally challenged adult. I will not call that particular troll out by name to avoid getting my post removed, but he/she knows exactly whom I'm referring to. That particular troll just continuously posts stupid stuff like "DRob bailing RR out". He/she is not even bright enough to realize by now that football is a team effort. DRob is great, but there is no way he would have achieved what he has so far achieved if the O-line was weak. That troll only posts here to draw the attention that he/she craves so much. I notice recently that the more we pay attention to that troll, the more he/she tends to continue posting stupid stuff here hoping to pull our legs. Why don't we just ignore that retard and he/she will go away like all annoying flies eventually do?
WWBD?
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 7:56 p.m.
That was a good move taking Gibbons out. I thought M won the coaching category. Putting in Rees then immediately calling a pass play was quite stupid. And not taking the points at the end of the half was another big bonehead move on Kelly's part. The only play I second guess RR on was the second field goal attempt. A 7 yard 4th w/ Denard had a far better chance of succeeding. RR will be back. This team accross the board is stronger and faster and much better tacklers. We all know they are just missing a few parts- like a good field goal kicker to be real contenders. But the infrastructure's there. The hate that people have for the coach is beyond me, they must be Michigan haters anyways and don't want to say who they're for. Wierd. Has anybody seen that Badger team? I'm so glad our OL doesn't look like their's anymore.
jameslucas
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 5:35 p.m.
I know two things: 1. Coach Rich Rodriguez will be here next year. 2. The user name 3 And Out will not be here next year.
chiro19
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 4:19 p.m.
It shows that kicking is fairly important! This game should and could have been 33 - 14 michigan. A couple of bone head plays by the secondary (odd) made it a lot closer than it should have been not to mention a throw away at the end of the first half by montana. The problem that I see coming about is the weather possibly causing problems. At that point every point you can get is important i.e. field goals. Michigans D line I thought played well. There linebackers where ok and secondary just made way to many mental mistakes again like letting Rudolph behind you again and again and again. But they are young and have a lot of up side if they are being coached properly. The biggest problem I had with the entire game where a couple of play calls on 3rd down when rr brought out the I formation as if he was going to try and power it and they did not get it instead of running the read.
Yelmonian
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 3:52 p.m.
I didn't think kickers were needed... don't they just line up DR?
3 And Out
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 3:27 p.m.
The kicker and punter that Rich Rodriguez recruited have been pretty terrible so far. Anthony LaLota has reportedly asked for a transfer... the weekly transfer out of Rich Rod's recruits. The Rich Rod Error continues. D. Rob has bailed him out so far.... gosh what excuse will this guy have if he is around next year for the lack of depth? Its his guys that are leaving and not performing (other than D Rob).