Can we take a second and admire Santoso's sense of style?

[jaymil]

I think it's pretty obvious he's doing it on purpose. Coaches and players lie to the media all the time. His legs looked fine on the 52 yard field goal.

 

[Iceland12]

Let me lay it out dpo style then.



That is the quote you responded to. Send a note to the coaches because he's doing that on purpose.

Matt: No he's not.



He is not purposefully choosing to kick the ball short of the end zone. He is kicking it there because, like MNVCGUY (and Santoso himself) said, he is unable to kick it out of the end zone at the moment due to tired legs. But keep trying to save face and twisting your words.

So he's not kicking it there on purpose, he's kicking it there on purpose? Yeah, I can see how you find yourself confused.

 

[Gopher028]

Well, since he stopped booting it through the endzone, we've blanketed them around the 15 quite a few times...

15 better than 25.

 

[GopherJack]

Let me lay it out dpo style then.



That is the quote you responded to.



He is not purposefully choosing to kick the ball short of the end zone. He is kicking it there because, like MNVCGUY (and Santoso himself) said, he is unable to kick it out of the end zone at the moment due to tired legs. But keep trying to save face and twisting your words.

Is he related to Joe Mauer? (bilateral leg weakness mumbo jumbo)

 

[matt]

Is he related to Joe Mauer? (bilateral leg weakness mumbo jumbo)

If he is we can just double his scholarship and play him at placeholder for the next 3 years.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Well, since he stopped booting it through the endzone, we've blanketed them around the 15 quite a few times...

15 better than 25.

Against Purdue here is where the ball ended up after each kickoff.

37
25 - touchback
10
25 - touchback
30
28
30

So on 4 of the 5 kicks that didn't end up in touchbacks because the ball bounced in play and went through the endzone Purdue ended up with better field position then they would have had the kick been a touchback.

Our coverage units did a good job keeping their guys from busting one but it isn't like we were pinning them down near the goal line either. I know people just like to argue but this one is stupid, if he could get the touchback everytime he would but since he can't they are going for the next best option which is to try and pin the return man up against the SL.

 

[gopher7]

Personally I find it hard to believe that he could have at least 3 touchbacks at Michigan, then has a week off to rest, and then comes out against Northwestern and suddenly loses his leg or messes up his mechanics. Especially when he drills a 52-yard FG with ease.

Regardless if he's trying it or not, the average starting opponents field position on our kickoffs has been the 23.5 yard line the past two games with no return past the 37 yard line, and two fumbles (which we didn't recover but it limited their returns) so it's working.

 

[Iceland12]

Against Purdue here is where the ball ended up after each kickoff.

37
25 - touchback
10
25 - touchback
30
28
30

So on 4 of the 5 kicks that didn't end up in touchbacks because the ball bounced in play and went through the endzone Purdue ended up with better field position then they would have had the kick been a touchback.

Our coverage units did a good job keeping their guys from busting one but it isn't like we were pinning them down near the goal line either. I know people just like to argue but this one is stupid, if he could get the touchback everytime he would but since he can't they are going for the next best option which is to try and pin the return man up against the SL.

Easy there, no reason to get so frustrated. You could be right, but Kill's statements aren't helping. Maybe people think it's a strategic move was based on the NW game too. Here's where they started after kickoffs there:

29
17
24
3
32

They are certainly not getting burnt either way. Whether they are doing it on purpose or to the contrary they are doing it on purpose.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Well, since he stopped booting it through the endzone, we've blanketed them around the 15 quite a few times...

15 better than 25.

You mean three times? And one where the guy just fumbled it out of bounds.

 

[gopherfannnn]

Although he was able to make the 52-yarder look easy, he may have a bit of a dead leg from kicking more than he is used to.
Here is a quote from Blair Walsh in the Strib:

That's something of which Walsh is conscious. Four years ago, as a newcomer at Georgia, he remembers his eagerness leading to fatigue.

"As a freshman in college, you're trying to impress too much and you overkick," Walsh said. "I learned from that. I got dead leg and wasn't as fresh as I wanted to be most of the time. ... I think everybody needs reminders to pull back at times. You can't be out there trying to boom 58-yarders and 60-yarders regularly just to try to do it. You have to get quality reps and be smart about it."

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

He is absolutely kicking high and to the corner on purpose. However the reason he is doing this is because he is no longer able to consistently kick the ball far enough to ensure a touchback. Given the choice between a kick down the middle that might be returned or one to the corner of course it makes sense to put it in the corner. I would be shocked however if the coaches were passing up on a touchback in order to allow for a potential return. Long kickoff returns can drastically shift the flow of a game so you don't put the potential for a long return in play in order to maybe gain a handful of yards in field position. It is not worth the risk no matter how good your coverage units may be, it only takes one long runback to kill you.

I would be willing to bet that you are right on the money, probably more than you realize.

It doesn't have to be a "tired leg", or hitting a freshman wall. Some days you have it, and some days you don't. You just know. And you know it in pre-game warmups. And if you know you can't get it more than 5 yards deep in the end zone, the percentage play is high and pinned up against the sideline. A KO that is high and lands inside the 3-5 yard line and within 5 yards or so of the side line is as good as it gets.

 

[Gopher07]

This thread took a turn I did not expect.