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f o o t b a l l : s p e c i a l t e a m s p r e v i e w Who Will Kick? Griggs, McCartney compete at kicker; kick return looks solid BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com I n the first quarter of the bowl game, Purdue was in field goal range when special teams coordinator J.B. Gibboney decided on which of his place-kickers he'd use for the potential attempt. Without a primary No. 1 — Sam McCartney and Paul Griggs split the duties in 2012 — it was the type of decision that often had to be made on game days. And, like in the New Year's Day bowl game, sometimes the pick came at the very last moment. "Coach Gibboney was like, 'OK, Paul, get ready, you're going to kick this one,' " Griggs said, noting that Purdue faced a third-and-long from Oklahoma State's 22-yard line. "Then, we picked up two or three yards and (Gibboney) literally grabbed me as I was running out on the field and said 'No, let Sam take this one.'" McCartney missed. That was the trend for the Boilermaker kicking game last season, as the duo made only 9-of-14 attempts and missed five of their 49 extra points. Purdue will try to better its kicking game this fall but will likely do so again behind the right legs of Griggs, a scholarship sophomore, and McCartney, a non-scholarship third-year sophomore. The pair exited the spring continuing their now yearplus long competition with neither seeming to have an edge. It's an intriguing battle — games can be won or lost in the kicking game, after all — made more so by its backand-forth nature last season. McCartney started as the No. 1 but lost his job after a series of missed extra points; he regained it, then watched Griggs hit a long game-winner at Iowa; then McCartney was back as the primary kicker for the final two games, and, as it turns out, the bowl loss to the Cowboys. "We're teammates so we respect each other," McCartney said, outlining the competition. "We're both Purdue Boilermakers, but obviously it'd be a lie to say we're not competing or frustrated when one of us is playing over the other. I think that's natural. "But we don't have to confide in each other and be best friends to be great kickers." 54 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 Tom Campbell Paul Griggs handled all of Purdue's kicks beyond 40 yards last season, hitting four of his seven attempts. In whatever fashion its kicking competition shakes out, Purdue's taking a different approach to special teams under new coach Darrell Hazell. The first-year boss does not have a designated coordinator, like Gibboney under Hope the last four years, instead choosing to divide the responsibilities. Graduate assistant Brian Mason oversees the kickers and punters; linebackers coach Marcus Freeman is in charge of the punt unit (nicknamed Diesel); tight ends coach Gerad Parks handles punt return (Turbo); running GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com