Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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specialists campus to re-install the muscle memory that is essential for a conlegiate punter if he can regain his consistency after not focusing on sistent punter. He compared the process to working the kinks out of punting for two straight years. In June, Brindza attended a workout a golf swing. Diaco, drawing on what he knows best, compared it to session in Florida with several other college punters, among them tackling. Texas starter Antony Fera. Kornblue said Brindza's best punt had a The linebacker coach was trying to help Brindza explode through hang time of 5.43 seconds. The next best kicker topped out at 5.18 his punts and separate the mechanics of a punt and a kickoff. When seconds. kicking off, it's best to pick up forward momentum continuously "He's obviously got the strength. He's got a leg that can hit long until the point of contact. When and a leg that can hit high punts," punting, it's better to gather one's "He's obviously got the strength. He's got a leg that Kornblue said. "It's the consisself before directing your explohitting can hit long and a leg that can hit high punts. It's the tency ofthe samethe same ball and sion upward more so than forhaving drop every time. consistency of hitting the same ball and having the ward. Diaco helped Brindza make It's just one of those things like the adjustment by providing the same drop every time. It's just one of those things like any skill where if you ignore it analogy of a defender needing to it as any skill where if you ignore it and don't focus on it as and don't focustoondigressmuch, break down and gather himself you are going from much, you are going to digress from where you were." where you were." before springing forward to make a tackle. Brindza has a full summer to Kicking specialist Brandon Kornblue on Brindza "I understood completely what get back to a consistent form. he's saying," Brindza said. "That's a big deal for us as kickers and When he returns to training camp in August, he'll have some compunters that he went out of his way for us specialists to really underpetition waiting for him. Along with Rhodes, Notre Dame will add stand the expertise and fundamentals you need." three walk-on specialists to the roster this year: freshmen Andrew Diaco's expertise stretches only so far in the kicking game. Poor Antognoli and John Chereson, and fifth-year transfer student Alex weather during the spring also held back Brindza's development as a Wulfeck. punter. Notre Dame rarely practiced outside during March and April, Wulfeck appeared in 25 games during his career at Wake Forwhich means the punters had very little time to get used to kicking est, but lost his punting job to an Australian kicker last season. He in the elements. averaged 39.7 yards per attempt in 2011 as a junior, including pinTheir rust was on full display during the Blue-Gold Game on April ning Notre Dame inside its own 10-yard line twice when the Irish 20. He and senior Jude Rhodes punted a combined seven times in the game and averaged only 30.1 yards per kick. That's more than 10 yards less per punt that graduated senior Ben Turk averaged last fall. ★★★★ National Title Contention; ★★★ BCS Contention; "The reality of it is we have to continue to work with him. I think ★★ Top 25 Potential; ★ Too Unproven the wind, obviously, and being outdoors is going to be part of our Starters ★★ consideration, but we've got to get better there, there's no question," Kyle Brindza, who might represent the entire group of starters for the kicking game, head coach Brian Kelly said following the game. has the leg to do all three jobs. His kickoffs and field goal skills are strong and have Most of Brindza's work this summer will be done with kicking been clutch in many close games, but he needs work in the punting department. specialist coach Brandon Kornblue. He said he plans on shipping Notre Dame's first-stringers in the return game — most likely George Atkinson III on out to one of Kornblue's camps nearly every other weekend during kicks and Amir Carlisle on punts — are explosive players with the potential to change games, but they need help in front of them to shake loose. Long snapper Scott Daly the months of June and July, making stops in Florida, North Carowill make his first college snap in September, but he was touted as one of the best in lina, Texas and Arizona, among other places. Kornblue, a former the country as a recruit. Michigan kicker and punter, has coached Brindza since high school Experience ★★½ and ranked the Irish kicker as the No. 1 punter and kicker prospect Notre Dame has two placekickers on the roster who hold or have held school in the country in 2011. records. Bringing fifth-year senior Nick Tausch back for another season gives the exKornblue said Brindza has the leg power to be a successful col- Preseason Analysis Notre Dame's Top Field Goal Kickers Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Starting Kicker FGM-A (Pct.) D.J. Fitzpatrick 12-17(.706) D.J. Fitzpatrick 11-15 (.703) D.J. Fitzpatrick 11-17 (.647) Carl Gioia 8-13 (.615) Brandon Walker 6-12 (.500) Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Starting Kicker FGM-A (Pct.) Brandon Walker14-24 (.583) Nick Tausch 14-17 (.824) David Ruffer 18-19 (.947)* David Ruffer 10-16 (.625) Kyle Brindza 23*-31* (.742) * Notre Dame record 3 5 94.3 By The Numbers Complete seasons since Notre Dame last attempted an onside kick. The Irish have never tried to recover an onside kick during Brian Kelly's tenure in South Bend. Made field goals, which ties a school record, for Kyle Brindza in the regularseason finale win over USC Nov. 24. Percent success rate on extra point attempts for Notre Dame in 2012. That ranks 98th among Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Thirty-nine teams, roughly one-third of the country, did not miss a point after try last year. perience level in special teams a boost. Junior Kyle Brindza has two seasons of kickoffs under his belt and plenty of practice kicking field goals a year ago. Punting, though, could be what holds the Irish back in this category as well. Freshmen Andrew Antognoli and transfer student Alex Wulfeck will battle Brindza for that job in August. Wulfeck punted for a year at Wake Forest, but no one brings a level of experience that could be considered BCS caliber. Depth ★★ When one man may be handling three jobs in the kicking game, that doesn't speak well to the group's depth. Wulfeck, Antognoli and fellow freshman walk-on John Chereson will help add to the sense of security, and few teams boast a proven reserve kicker like Tausch, who has converted 16 of his 19 career field goal attempts. When Davonte' Neal transferred out of Notre Dame in the spring it revealed another hole in depth with players who are prepared to return punts, which has been a major black mark on Brian Kelly's teams during his time with the Irish. The bodies will be coming in August, but there's no proof yet that they are ready to play. Overall Grade ★★ Special teams were low on the priority list when Notre Dame's new staff arrived three full seasons ago. Attempts to turn the "third estate" into a positive for the Irish have fallen on their face in each of the last three seasons. Even high points, like Brindza's record-setting 23 field goals in 2012, are more a product of bad red-zone offense than tremendous kicking. Across the board, the Irish special teams still have plenty of room to improve. Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview ✦ 109 108-111.Specialists.indd 109 6/25/13 2:40 PM