Being a kicker in college football is a very skill-based assignment with plenty of factors that can influence a missed attempt versus a clean shot. For Oregon Ducks kicker Gage Hurych, it seemed that mounting pressure contributed to an overall bad day at Gies Memorial Stadium.
In fact, during the Ducks' 21-10 loss on the road against the Illinois Fighting Illini, the previously 100 percent field goal accurate Hurych fell to a 76.9 percent after three missed attempts, from long range, to salvage the mistakes happening with Oregon's offense.
Dan Lanning Breaks Down Oregon Kicking Struggles Against Illinois
For Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Hurych's struggles seem like a bad day and not a forthcoming trend (and based on Hurych's success helping inch Oregon to a victory in their three wins this season, it appears he's currently correct). Plus, Hurych's kicks were all longer than previous games with his missed attempts going in order of 52 yards, 53 yards, and 47 yards.
"I think the reality is those are those are long kicks. Some of those are really tough. You know, the wind's a little bit different in this stadium. I think we put them in a position that wasn't the easiest to operate," Lanning said. "We've been really fortunate this year. You look at those three. If they go in, it's a little bit different ball game in a situation. It's not engaged, right? It's a lot easier to kick from the 20."
To Lanning's point, AccuWeather's report prior to kickoff in Champaign, Illinois called for seven miles per hour wind blows from the Southeast and 13 miles per hour wind gusts occasionally.
A Bad Day, Not A Bad Season For Gage Hurych
Though there's no reason to think that Hurych will continue this miss-streak on the field as Oregon's kicker, it will be interesting to see how he's able to bounce back from three missed kicks in a row.
Though not comparable to Oregon's overall breakdown in Champaign, former kicker Atticus Sappington did go 0-1 in field goals against Oklahoma State and Indiana at the Peach Bowl, both of those attempts being 50 yards or more. However, just like Sappington's misses in the previously mentioned games, Lanning points out that the game result shouldn't rest entirely on the kicker.
"He wasn't doing that today, so you know that he'll be critical of himself. I know he will, but on the same note, that it's never one play that leads to a game. It's a culmination."
The Road Forward For Oregon's Special Teams
One quote from Lanning's post game remarks continues to stick out, and can be applied to Hurych's situation as it can to any Duck player currently grappling with the likely upcoming exclusion of Oregon from the College Football Playoff. Oregon had several mounting issues against Illinois, Hurych being a symptom, so how will Oregon's special teams react moving forward?
"Yeah, I think that's a great question," Lanning said when asked if the team would dissipate during the rest of the season after the loss. "We got to evaluate exactly who we are, right? Each person's got to look in their heart and respond and say exactly what they want to go attack and what they can improve and get better, and that's really where the focus has to be on one step at a time, one day at a time, looking for that opportunity for improvement."
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