The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JULY 2016 ■ 91 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2016 said. "We want a guy that can break tackles, be hard to tackle, be smart back there and make good decisions. "Bra'Lon wanted it [last year]. We also had guys that make good blocks. Junior wide receiver Gavin Locklear has been huge. He probably got every return started for Bra'Lon." Cole finished ninth in the ACC with a 41.7- yard average on 66 punts, with a long of 72. He landed 28 inside the 20-yard line, had 26 fair caught and six went for touchbacks. Cole proved adept at making sure opposing punt returners had little room or opportunity, surren- dering just 2.9 yards per punt return. "Once you are inside the 20-yard line, it's a below 15 percent chance that you are going to score," White said. "Short fields also help the punt return units." Faulkner credits Cole for helping the Wolf- pack win the battle of "hidden yardage." "A.J. gets really good hang time and height on the punt," Faulkner said. "The biggest weapon on that unit might be [senior nickel back] Dravious Wright, and [sophomore cornerback] Freddie Phillips has come along and improved." Maples averaged 61.1 yards on his 73 kickoffs, and had 39 go for touchbacks. Opponents averaged 20.3 yards on kick returns with a long of 43. Maples had four kickoffs go out of bounds, which resulted in penalties. Bambard made 7 of 14 field goals with a long of 37, and he was accurate on 54 of 56 extra points. The key for Bambard is to be- come more consistent inside of 39 yards (6 of 9), and then stretch his range. "Bambard was a freshman last year, and we all know the night-and-day difference from freshman year to sophomore year, especially at that position mentally," White said. "That will be the difference." Bambard missed the spring, which opened the door for Haskins to impress. The former UNC Pembroke kicker, who didn't play last year, went 38 of 53 on field goals with a long of 50 yards and made 91 of 96 on extra points dur- ing the first three years at his old school. "I feel good about Bambard, but there is go- ing to be competition for sure [in August]," White said. "Connor is mature, feels very com- fortable here and is happy to be here. I like the competition and that will be good to watch." Senior safety Josh Sessoms led the Wolfpack with nine special teams tackles, sophomore linebacker Riley Nicholson added six and junior safety Germaine Pratt chipped in five. Pratt has been switched to linebacker for this year and should be a special teams force again. ■ New NC State kicker Connor Haskins, who transferred from North Carolina Pem- broke for his final year of eligibility this spring, grew up a Wolfpack fan. That means he's plenty familiar with the story of Seattle Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka, who arrived at NCSU for the 2007 campaign as a post-graduate student from Division III Middlebury College. Hauschka was perfect on all 25 extra points and went 16 of 18 on field goals that year, earning a tryout in the NFL. After playing for five clubs in his first three seasons and even spending some time in the UFL, he was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks, and became a Super Bowl champion and one of the most reliable kickers in the professional ranks. It's a story of perseverance and overcoming the odds when opportunity presents itself, and one with its be - ginnings running parallel to Haskins, who started at a Division II program and is intent on replicating at least part of that journey once more in Raleigh. "It's inspiring and also that was kind of my sell to a lot of the coaches [when looking for a new school] — it's been done before," he said. "It's crazy that I end up at NC State, where it's happened before. "The biggest thing for me was to get my foot in the door. Once I got in, I just wanted to prove myself and show I'm capable of playing at this level." When Haskins was calling around and gauging inter - est from potential landing spots, he even compared the statistics from his first three years of college football to Hauschka's — and the results favor the youngster. Hauschka was 20 of 28 on field goals and 35 of 40 on extra points at Middlebury, while Haskins started his career by going 38 of 53 on field goals and 91 of 96 on extra points. Haskins not only comes to State more proven, but his accuracy averages were better in both departments (71.7 percent to 71.4 on field goals and 94.8 to 87.5 on extra points). However, Hauschka was incredibly reliable in Raleigh — which is something the new Wolfpacker is striving to duplicate. He's had his chance already and delivered when head coach Dave Doeren put the pressure on the senior newcomer at the first spring scrimmage. The coach told his team that they would run if Haskins missed either of his two "game-winning" kicks, and he converted both like the veteran he is. "Whenever you're put in a big-time situation like that, whenever the team is counting on you, you want to come through for them," he said. "That's what I did. That's kind of my mantra — just be able to be reliable, consistent and counted on. "They [the position players] are going to make a lot more plays than I am, so when I'm called upon I want to be able to come through." Haskins answered the bell again with a 42-yard field goal during the Kay Yow Spring Game April 9. Doeren has said there will be competition during fall camp between Haskins and returning sophomore kicker Kyle Bambard, who missed the majority of the spring due to injury. The whirlwind of finding a new school and then get - ting a legit chance at winning the job has been exciting for Haskins. He admitted he was about to commit to another Division II school at one point. Days before pulling the trigger, he got in touch with NCSU, and they asked him to take a visit. "They said, 'If we can get you into school, we'd love to have you just to come in and compete, and try to win the job,'" Haskins recalled. That was exactly what the kicker wanted to hear. The plan to enroll at NC State, where his mom was a cheerleader, in January after graduating from UNC Pembroke was put into motion. "I applied and got in, and the rest is history," said Haskins, 22. "I'm just thankful for the opportunity. Division I football is definitely a different animal … but I love it. I always wanted to be here, I just never really got the opportunity. "Now that I have, I'm just trying to take full advantage of it." — Ryan Tice Getting To Know: Kicker Connor Haskins Year-By-Year Kicking Stats Year FG PAT Punt Avg. 2015 7-14 55-57 41.8 2014 12-17 46-48 45.4 2013 19-23 31-31 42.0 2012 13-23 44-46 38.4 2011 11-16 46-47 37.2 2010 21-27 49-50 37.8 2009 10-12 46-47 37.1 2008 16-19 33-34 38.2 2007 16-18 25-25 36.7 2006 12-16 22-23 39.1 Haskins converted a 42-yard field goal and five extra points in the 2016 Kay Yow Spring Game. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN