Can anyone explain why UF does not simply kick the ball through the endzone on kickoff's? I have watched this part of the game closely this season and rarely does the kick returner get tackled before the 20 yard line. Plus the majority of the time they get out past the 30 yard line. It seems to me that the Gators are giving their opponent 10 plus yards of field position every time when they could simply kick it through the endzone and make them start at the 20.

Great question. I have also wondered why we dont score a TD on every offensive play. I know ball control is important and field goals are good too, but I think we should just score a TD on every offensive play. Lets go with that.

I'm frustrated with that as well, but I guess there simply aren't a lot of guys who can kick it that far. I've always thought if you were a bigger guy who could tackle and learned how to boot the ball deep you'd have a job for life as a specialty player.

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Originally posted by Zambo:
I'm frustrated with that as well, but I guess there simply aren't a lot of guys who can kick it that far. I've always thought if you were a bigger guy who could tackle and learned how to boot the ball deep you'd have a job for life as a specialty player.

I think Calib Sturgis has a strong enough leg to at least put it 5 yards deep into the endzone if not all the way through it.

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Originally posted by airg8r96:

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Originally posted by Zambo:
I'm frustrated with that as well, but I guess there simply aren't a lot of guys who can kick it that far. I've always thought if you were a bigger guy who could tackle and learned how to boot the ball deep you'd have a job for life as a specialty player.

That was the game plan when we recruited Sturgis, but apparantly he is not capable of it. If he was able to kick it through the end zone I am sure that is what the coach's would be asking him to do

I think Calib Sturgis has a strong enough leg to at least put it 5 yards deep into the endzone if not all the way through it.

Weakest part of our entire team. Seems like we haven't had a kicker who can do that in ages. LSlose started with good field position after almost every ko return. Of course, the rest of our special teams play is fantastic this year... So I'll take it.

Air you do realize Sturgis was injured and NOT playing last night? Hard to kick it through the endzone while on the bench.

there were a few kicks returned by LSU where there wasn't a Gator on the TV screen until the 30 yard line

I think Meyer takes special teams coverage personally.

I agree though when youre kicking off to a dangerous guy like Holliday...he was their only offensive threat so to kick to him that many times was asking for trouble

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Originally posted by nautigator:
Air you do realize Sturgis was injured and NOT playing last night? Hard to kick it through the endzone while on the bench.

??????I saw him kick last night at least once

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Originally posted by seminoleslayer:

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Originally posted by nautigator:
Air you do realize Sturgis was injured and NOT playing last night? Hard to kick it through the endzone while on the bench.

??????I saw him kick last night at least once

I thought I saw him out there on kickoff's. But, if he was hurt then that could explain why the Gators didn't kick it in the endzone for last nights game.

At the halftime interview, Meyer said that Caleb was hurt.

This has been my pet peeve for quite a while. I've started 2 other threads on kickoffs asking the same general question. One theory was that the coaches wanted to have the kicker hit it high and to the goal line so that our speedy kickoff team could tackle the runner deep in his own territory. If that is indeed the case I find it a stupid plan that has failed constantly.
I've been to a bunch of high school and JV high school games this year and have seen at least a dozen kickoffs into or through the endzone. It baffles me as to why this is so hard for a top 5 college team. It's going to end up biting us in the ass one day.

I wonder about this, too. My theory is that if they kick it out of the end zone every time, maybe the coaches think the coverage team will get complacent and on the few times the kicker fails to kick it through the end zone, they won't be prepared.