Michigan Football: Kicking is no longer a problem for Wolverines

Michigan football is off this week, but there is still plenty to think about, one thing in particular, is the improvement in the kicking game.

Bye Week. Rest of the Big 10 pounding it out on Saturday. What’s new for Michigan football?

Some fans may remember the ^&%^&Y*) days not so long ago, say around 2007, when Lloyd Carr lead the fifth ranked Michigan wolverines into battle with Appalachian State. Not to bring back the pain, but Michigan football had lost the last three games against Ohio State and its last three bowl games.

App State grabbed an early lead, Michigan football came back, more from App State, and then … what would have been Michigan’s game winning field goal was blocked, and the rest is history. App State 34, Michigan 32. Opening game. At home.

Why bring it up? Because there has been so much chatter about Michigan’s offense, and so much praise heaped on Michigan’s defense, that fans may not have noticed that the wolverines have three of the best kickers in college football, arguably THE best kickers in college football.

Quinn Nordin has kept Michigan’s offense alive when other weapons fizzled, perhaps most notably in the Air Force game, when he notched 17 of Michigan’s 29 points. Want a sure thing? Nordin 5 for 5. Or, wait! Maybe it was in his first game when he knocked out 2 field goals of more than 50 yards. He currently has 11 field goals out of 13 attempts, and is rumored to have kicked field goals of 60 and 70 yards during scrimmage and practice.

Brad Robbins. I’m not going to bring up the Michigan State game in Coach Harbaugh’s first year, but let’s remember that a punter can be a game changer. Robbins is averaging more than 40 yards per punt, nailing 5 punts for 205 yards against Purdue, keeping their return guys off balance.

The true unsung hero,however, is James Foug. Here’s a re-post from Bruce Feldman of FOX sports:

“One other Michigan note: Jim Harbaugh has quite a weapon in kickoff man James Foug. Purdue special teams coordinator Tony Levine told me that in 15 years as a coach he’s never seen a kickoff guy get the kind of hang time Foug gets. Most of his kickoffs end up as touchbacks. The ones that are returned end up with the opponent’s average starting field position at their 17.

Levine says anything over four seconds of hang time on a kickoff is exceptional; Foug’s kicks consistently come in around 4.5. Usually when the returner catches the kick, you want the coverage guys to be inside the 35-yard line; Levine says that by the time Michigan’s opponents receive the ball, the Wolverines’ coverage team is typically inside the 25.”

One-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, etc. Try it next week when the Spartans arrive. Take the time to appreciate three special team athletes that set the table for the rest of the squad. Nordin, Robbins, Foug. Can’t tell the players without a scorecard. Know their numbers?

Nordin – 3

Robbins – 3

Foug – 31

Next: Top 10 Michigan Football running backs of All time

Nobody said this was going to be easy.

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