What was it with McCarney and kickers?

**ISUChippewa** · 08-13-2010, 10:15 AM

So, I just got done reading WRNL's Top 25 worst football losses (which I will link below), and 9 of them were caused either directly or indirectly by our kicking game failures. Of those 9 games, 7 of them were lost during Dan McCarney's tenure.

I've written on this board before about my beleif that if we had a better kicker during DMac's time, he could still be coaching here (wins against Missouri in '04 and Kansas in '05 to get us to the Big 12 Championship game). But, my question now is why didn't we have better kickers during his time here? Did he not place value on recruiting BCS-level kickers? Did he recruit BCS-level kickers who all turned out to be busts? What was the issue?

I follow ISU basketball a bit more closely than I do ISU football, probably because I grew up when ISU football was at its worst point. I don't want this question to turn into either a McCarney rip-fest or a passionate defense of him. His time is done here, but reading about and remembering all those agonizing losses and seeing how many of them resulted from a horrible kicking game really has me wondering what the deal was.

http://widerightnattylight.com/category/isu-football/

**VeloClone** · 08-13-2010, 10:17 AM

DMac was adverse to offering scholarships to kickers during most of his tenure. He thought the schollies were best used elsewhere.

**mizouse87** · 08-13-2010, 10:18 AM

I can say with almost certainty that McCarney never recruited a kicker for scholarship.

**sodakjoe** · 08-13-2010, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by ISUChippewa

So, I just got done reading WRNL's Top 25 worst football losses (which I will link below), and 9 of them were caused either directly or indirectly by our kicking game failures. Of those 9 games, 7 of them were lost during Dan McCarney's tenure.

I've written on this board before about my beleif that if we had a better kicker during DMac's time, he could still be coaching here (wins against Missouri in '04 and Kansas in '05 to get us to the Big 12 Championship game). But, my question now is why didn't we have better kickers during his time here? Did he not place value on recruiting BCS-level kickers? Did he recruit BCS-level kickers who all turned out to be busts? What was the issue?

I follow ISU basketball a bit more closely than I do ISU football, probably because I grew up when ISU football was at its worst point. I don't want this question to turn into either a McCarney rip-fest or a passionate defense of him. His time is done here, but reading about and remembering all those agonizing losses and seeing how many of them resulted from a horrible kicking game really has me wondering what the deal was.

ISU Football Wide Right & Natty Light

What a lot of people don't remember is that Culbertson SAVED our seasons from the other ATROCIOUS kickers we had at the beginning of '04. BC had an issue with the high pressure kicks, but he was remarkably consistent throughout the year. Without BC's kicking, there's a good chance that we don't make bowl games either of those years.

**isuno1fan** · 08-13-2010, 10:22 AM

One of McCarney's many mistakes that ultimately cost him his job.

**tejasclone** · 08-13-2010, 10:23 AM

Most of the games that were lost on missed FGs could have been avoided by a variety of other means. Usually, poor coaching decisions/play calling in the clutch set us up for failure.

**isuno1fan** · 08-13-2010, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by cardinal&gold

Most of the games that were lost on missed FGs could have been avoided by a variety of other means. Usually, poor coaching decisions/play calling in the clutch set us up for failure.

Very true

**isufbcurt** · 08-13-2010, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by VeloClone

DMac was adverse to offering scholarships to kickers during most of his tenure. He thought the schollies were best used elsewhere.

Absolutely false!!!!! My 5 years with the program we had scholarship kickers.

**thatguy** · 08-13-2010, 10:28 AM

i had a couple players tell me that Dan Mac would rather have a 4th string TE that will never play on scholly than a kicker. When asked why, they would just shrug their shoulders and say, "no idea"
You could tell they weren't real happy about it either.

**isufbcurt** · 08-13-2010, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by mizouse87

I can say with almost certainty that McCarney never recruited a kicker for scholarship.

Carl Gomez, Jamie Kohl, and Tony Yelk all were scholarship kickers

**thatguy** · 08-13-2010, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by isufbcurt

Carl Gomez, Jamie Kohl, and Tony Yelk all were scholarship kickers

Those were earlier, it seemed in his later years he went away from this.

**CycoCyclone** · 08-13-2010, 10:30 AM

It was a Hayden Fry concept that is widely accepted (see the Fry disciples for more examples). Never give a kicker a scholarship the first year on campus.

**thatguy** · 08-13-2010, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by CycoCyclone

It was a Hayden Fry concept that is widely accepted (see the Fry disciples for more examples). Never give a kicker a scholarship the first year on campus.

i know this is true, but do i even want to imagine what would have happened if they would have offered Nate Kaeding or the kid that ended up at Miami (both out of Ankeny I believe)

**isufbcurt** · 08-13-2010, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by thatguy

Those were earlier, it seemed in his later years he went away from this.

The second poster said that Mac did not have a scholarship kicker for most (that means over 50%) of his time at ISU. I am disputing that. Also, towards the end of his time at ISU he had a couple scholarship kickers that never panned out and were beat out by walk-ons.

**isufbcurt** · 08-13-2010, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by thatguy

i know this is true, but do i even want to imagine what would have happened if they would have offered Nate Kaeding or the kid that ended up at Miami (both out of Ankeny I believe)

Sievers from Ankeny would have never chosen ISU over Miami, and no one in their right mind would either.