It's not Manti. It's not Shaq. It's not Riddick.
Say hello to our Frosh MVP: Nick Tausch.
After what seems like a decade of kicking ineptitude, ND finally has a solid go-to guy in freshman Nick Tausch. On Saturday Tausch set a record, hitting 5 field goals in a single game, and more importantly keeping the Irish in it when the offense failed time and again to find the end zone.
On the season, Tausch is a solid 10 for 11 Field Goals (including a streak of 10 for 10) on the season (91% yo!) and 15 of 16 in PATs.
What's more, we're seeing weekly improvement in his kicking, very evident in his kickoffs. Where we were seeing somewhat shallow kicks landing around the 8-10 earlier in the year, we're now seeing kicks with more hang time and dropping in around the 5 on average. And a few, GASP!, have even made it to the 1 or the goal line. If his progress continues, we'll be seeing touchbacks again at ND, and it will be a thing of beauty.
Though not glamorous, and something we'll all forget about and take for granted pretty quickly, having a solid kicking game is a huge part of any team. It's been a liability for some years now.
With Tausch? No more.
Congrats kid. Keep it up.
By Craig October 6, 2009 - 4:41 pm
It’s four years of kicking ineptitude. It just seems like a decade.
(Lest we forget, D.J. Fitzpatrick was actually a very solid kicker.)
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By The Biscuit October 6, 2009 - 6:22 pm
yep, Craig, agree. DJ wasn’t bad at all. Hence the ‘seems like’ in the post. the ‘seems like’ is appropriate too, because DJ was sandwiched between all kinds of incompetence, all the way back to the mid-90′s.
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By RedMahoney October 7, 2009 - 7:31 am
Now if only ND could find a kicker that can reach the endzone on a kickoff…
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By Ted October 7, 2009 - 2:38 pm
RedMahoney, give the kid this year, and I believe we will see deeper kickoffs. For now, and in the future, I will take his ability when it counts for points.
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By The Biscuit October 7, 2009 - 7:14 pm
Red, I agree, that’s a big need. But Tausch has added ~5 yards to his kick over 5 games. Next year he’ll be a goal line guy with regularity. Tough to be that strong as a frosh.
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By Trey October 8, 2009 - 10:57 am
As a cowboys fan, ive gotten really used to god-awful kicking for quite a while. Now, it seems both dallas and the irish have addressed the issue and both of our teams are becoming the best kicking teams in their respective leagues. I wonder if chaz shouldnt do like jurra jones did an carry a kickoff specialist? David buehler has been amazing for us in big d and id support a similar move by charlie
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By The Biscuit October 8, 2009 - 2:23 pm
Trey, we already have 3 kickers taking up schollies (i’m pretty sure). 4 isnt the answer. Tausch is decent on kickoffs, and he’s improved. by the end of this year, he’ll be averaging the 3 or 4 yard line and occassionally get a touchback. and next year he’ll be an endzone guy, assuming he can get in the weight room this offseason and do some WORK
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