Tech's 2021 Placekicking is Up in the Air..or is It?
Toe meets leather next Saturday. But whose toe?
Field goal kicking and PAT results at Georgia Tech over Coach Geoff Collins’ first two years have been sub-par, and by a significant margin. For each of the past 2 seasons, Tech has attempted just 8 field goals and has made only 3. Over Collins’ 22 games as head man at Tech, those totals are 6 made, of 16 attempts, for a lowly 38% success rate. Among those numbers there have been several blocked kicks, including three in the 2020 season opening win vs. FSU. Those results put Georgia Tech deep in the lower ranks among all Division 1 schools.
That type of placekicking performance can have a pervasive negative effect on a team. The obvious immediate effect is the failure to score points on a play whose only purpose in that moment is to score. It sounds self-evident, but consider that most plays from scrimmage bring a hope to score points. Field goal attempts and PAT’s are a focal moment in which points are expected to be added. Missing that opportunity is a drag on the offense.
Beyond that missed scoring opportunity is the detrimental effect poor placekicking has on residual offensive strategies. When your opponent knows you have grown reluctant to try a field goal, that knowledge aids their ability to anticipate not just what play you will run, and when you might run it..but how the play calling leading up to that moment may go. All those effects make the offense’s job that much harder. Add to that the the oddity that only 3 years ago, in 2018, kicking was a team strength for Tech thanks to the stellar work of then freshman Wesley Wells, who did not miss a single kick that year.
The good news for Georgia Tech is that judging from the summer camp just completed, better options will be available in 2021. Returning from last year is former Allatoona High School standout PK Jude Kelley. And via the tranfer portal, Geoff Collins added PK Brent Cimaglia to Tech’s roster as a graduate transfer from the University of Tennessee. Kelley had a rather inconsistent year for Tech last season, connecting on 1 of 5 field goal attempts and going 4 for 5 on PAT’s. His lone field goal went for 32 yards, which was the longest of the season for Tech. (Also kicking in 2020 was Gavin Stewart who hit 2 of 3 field goal attempts –both inside the 30– and went 22 of 24 on extra-point tries).
Cimaglia comes to Atlanta with loads of experience, having kicked for the Vols for the past 4 years. He actually had his worst year in 2020 statistically speaking, hitting 5 of 9 field goal attempts. Prior to that he was 41 of 53 over his first three years. His resume includes 4 kicks made from beyond 50 yards. He also hit 19 of 20 PAT attempts last year after 3 perfect years on the extra points.
At his press meeting last week, Collins was effusive in his praise of both kickers. Kelley, he said, had worked hard and made great improvement in the off- season, as evidenced by the 2 field goals he made in the preceding Friday night scrimmage. And despite Cimaglia’s impressive track record in the SEC, Collins insisted that there will be open competition for the kicking job. “Everything we do is a week-to-week competition” Collins said. But he then went on to praise Cimaglia for his confidence, his leg strength and his “presence in the room”. Collins finished by saying of Cimaglia, ” I’ve got to believe he’s going to be one of the top kickers in America this year. I’m glad he’s here.”
Given Cimaglia’s record at UT, he may well provide a big lift to the Yellow Jackets this season. Having a reliable kicker who has accuracy plus range is a huge asset. Prior to his arrival at Tech, Cimaglia hit on 4 of 6 from beyond 50 yards in his career, with a career-long of 53 yards. Those numbers portend a significant improvement for Collins and the Jackets, meaning that any penetration inside the opponent’s 35 yard line brings the strong possibility of at least 3 points. That’s a big switch from last year’s long effort of 32 yards and that extra range will expand Tech’s offensive options as they cross midfield on a given possession.
If all of that promise holds forth, the kicking game will be one area where year 3 brings sizable improvement to Collin’s team– which could well mean more W’s for the Yellow Jackets in 2021.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports