Monday, March 30, 2009
The Georgia kicking game and the Bulldog response...
Last week the Georgia Bulldogs signed Brandon Bogotay, a junior college kicker from San Diego, Califonia. He was given a scholarship by the team, which gave the Bulldogs three scholarship kickers. This subsequently set off howls of indignation from many Bulldog fans who a) don't consider Kickers real football players and b) don't think that specialists are worthy of scholarships that could be better used on say, a third string Tight End. Surely a walk on can handle kicking chores, save scholarships for athletes they cry.
I respectfully disagree with these people and will now tell you why. First off there was the disaster that was UGA's kickoff team last season. The Dawgs ranked 94th nationally in kickoff average, at 59.62 yards per kick, almost nine yards per kick less than the national leader, South Carolina. Georgia was 80th nationally in touchbacks with just 4(out of 77 kickoffs, a whopping 5%). That 5% was good for the 92nd national ranking in touchback percentage. As for opponents’ return yardage, Georgia was 75th, at 21.66 yards per return. Georgia also had 9 kicks sail out of bounds as well, resulting in a penalty that puts the ball at the 40 yard line. 9 out of 77 kicks is 11%, which certainly seems excessively generous on the part of the Dawgs. These stats can all be found here.
So when you look at net return yardage as subtracted from kickoff average, what you’re left with is a typical starting point for Georgia’s opponents at their own 32 yard line. For comparison’s sake, Georgia’s opponents averaged 61.97 yards per kick and Georgia’s kickoff returners on average gained 21.1 yards per return. That works out to an average starting point for Georgia’s offense after a kickoff of somewhere between the 29 and 30 yard lines. That's a net of about 3 yards per kick exchange for the opposition, not a huge number but it could work out to a couple of extra first downs of yardage in a high scoring game.
Now if you look at Bogotay's kickoff numbers from last year he had 24 touch backs in 52 kickoffs or 46% touch backs. That would have been good enough for 3rd in the nation at the D-1 level a season ago. All of the kickers with his kind of touch back percentage averaged better than 65 yards per kick or about 6 yards per kick better than the Dawgs did a year ago. Now an extra 6+ yards of field position on every drive could be the difference in a defensive stop and a long field goal, which to me is worth a scholarship. Or at least more than say, a third string TE.
Video of the young man kicking here.
I respectfully disagree with these people and will now tell you why. First off there was the disaster that was UGA's kickoff team last season. The Dawgs ranked 94th nationally in kickoff average, at 59.62 yards per kick, almost nine yards per kick less than the national leader, South Carolina. Georgia was 80th nationally in touchbacks with just 4(out of 77 kickoffs, a whopping 5%). That 5% was good for the 92nd national ranking in touchback percentage. As for opponents’ return yardage, Georgia was 75th, at 21.66 yards per return. Georgia also had 9 kicks sail out of bounds as well, resulting in a penalty that puts the ball at the 40 yard line. 9 out of 77 kicks is 11%, which certainly seems excessively generous on the part of the Dawgs. These stats can all be found here.
So when you look at net return yardage as subtracted from kickoff average, what you’re left with is a typical starting point for Georgia’s opponents at their own 32 yard line. For comparison’s sake, Georgia’s opponents averaged 61.97 yards per kick and Georgia’s kickoff returners on average gained 21.1 yards per return. That works out to an average starting point for Georgia’s offense after a kickoff of somewhere between the 29 and 30 yard lines. That's a net of about 3 yards per kick exchange for the opposition, not a huge number but it could work out to a couple of extra first downs of yardage in a high scoring game.
Now if you look at Bogotay's kickoff numbers from last year he had 24 touch backs in 52 kickoffs or 46% touch backs. That would have been good enough for 3rd in the nation at the D-1 level a season ago. All of the kickers with his kind of touch back percentage averaged better than 65 yards per kick or about 6 yards per kick better than the Dawgs did a year ago. Now an extra 6+ yards of field position on every drive could be the difference in a defensive stop and a long field goal, which to me is worth a scholarship. Or at least more than say, a third string TE.
Video of the young man kicking here.
