A Sea Of Red

For those who didn't see it (again, our web site is being stupid and not showing this story), this ran today. Look for some depth chart news tomorrow and just for Medic, a note on Ryan Greiser.

By Chris Lang
clang@newsadvance.com
(434) 385-5529
Liberty punter Ben Beasley wanted to simulate late-game pressure, something Flames kickers didn’t handle too well during the 2005 football season.
Combined, Beasley and Zac Kolegue were an underwhelming 4-for-11 on field goals. Kolegue missed a 28-yarder that would have sent the VMI game to over-time. Beasley missed a 42-yarder in overtime that would have beaten Coastal Carolina.
Neither kicker managed to make a field goal longer than 27 yards in 2005.
So that’s how LU’s end-of-practice drill came about.
As Kolegue, the team’s top place kicker, lines up for field goals, the entire team gathers behind him, shouting and screaming as if he was shooting a free-throw in Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.
And if he misses the kick? Well, the team gets punished. Maybe it’s running extra lines or doing push-ups. Either way, Kolegue doesn’t want to let his teammates down … or have a ticked off 300-pound offensive lineman breathing down his neck after practice.
“(LU coach Danny Rocco) puts the pressure on us, and really, that’s what it is,” said Beasley, who will handle punts and kickoffs. “Every time we go in, you have to be automatic, you have to be clutch.”
Beasley talked to Rocco be-fore during the summer to pitch the practice idea.
The kickers spend most of practice honing their craft on one end of the field while the rest of the team practices on the other. Rocco wanted the entire team involved in the kicking game, so he was receptive to Beasley’s idea.
“More times than not, there are some consequences for these guys when they go out there to kick,” Rocco said. “They miss a kick, the rest of the team does 25 up-downs. That’s not a good thing.”
Neither is the sound of a foot-ball hitting the goalpost, which is something Kolegue heard far too often last season.
Though he made all 17 extra points he attempted, the field-goal miss against VMI was a “banger,” slamming off the right upright. Two other kicks during the season met the same fate.
“Anything that’s happened to me, I’ve put it all behind me,” Kolegue said.
Kolegue shook off the troubles and went into the offseason with a simple goal in mind: get more accurate.
“In the summertime, I’ll work out and swim and keep my legs in the water,” Kolegue said. “That increases my leg speed. And there are drills that you kick and don’t even use the uprights; just put a line down to make sure you’re kicking straight. You just keep working at it.”
Said Beasley: “It’s like hitting a golf ball. You’ve got to do it over and over and over again until you get it right.”
Rocco said Sunday that he plans to use his kickers much in the same way former coach Ken Karcher did. Kolegue is at his best from 40 yards and in; Beasley has a stronger leg and is better on longer kicks.
The only way for Kolegue and Beasley to get better is through practice, repetition and competi-tion, which is why the kicks at the end of practice are so impor-tant.
“Getting the whole team be-hind you in practice, screaming right in your ear, that’s one way to do it,” Beasley said. “If he can get pressure on us in the middle of August, in the middle of two-a-days, there should be no problem on Saturdays. It should be auto-matic.”

brilliant. Man, that acutally sounds pretty fun for the kicker. At least I would think it was more fun that just practicing meaningless field goals all day.

Too bad the NCAA didn't give points for hitting the uprights! I taped almost all of last year homecoming game. Forgot to turn on my camera for the clinker at the end of the game.

Lets not forget how many times it hit the upright v. CCU

Hey if Im correct didnt we get a kicker this yr? Maybe redshirt?

Schfourteenteen wrote:Hey if Im correct didnt we get a kicker this yr? Maybe redshirt?

Is that you, Drake?

I believe there are (4) listed on the roster. Gotta look that one up though

yep, I was right

28 Doug Barbosa K Freshman 6-0 175 Naples, Fla.
38 Ben Beasley K Senior 5-9 175 Laurel, Miss.
26 David Drake P/K R-Freshman 5-10 175 Louisville, Ky.
39 Zac Kolegue K R-Junior 5-10 170 Naples, Fla.

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=10871&TeamID=9

Depth chart for kickers is:

P - Beasley/Kolegue
K - Kolegue on all XP and short field goals (probably 35 and in); Beasley on longer kicks
H - Chris Rocco
LS - Dan Pope

Drake is a RS- ok

Libertine wrote:

Schfourteenteen wrote:Hey if Im correct didnt we get a kicker this yr? Maybe redshirt?

Is that you, Drake?

Hilarious

Medic, Drake redshirted last year. He is in uniform this year. I met him this weekend. Great kid. Interested in broadcast journalism a subject some would say I know a little about and some would say very little.

More the latter.

Ok, I pick on Medic so you pick on me? I see how it goes Sly

That's our organizational flowchart.

Very true. I'd like to think of myself as being near the top of Flamefans Heirarchy but SJ is pulling his weight on here with that post count so I defer to the gentleman from North Carolina.

SCAR wrote:Very true. I'd like to think of myself as being near the top of Flamefans Heirarchy but SJ is pulling his weight on here with that post count so I defer to the gentleman from North Carolina.

and thats a lot of pullin'

Interesting to see Chris Rocco as the holder. Id think that one of the QBs would do that, but I guess with all the stuff Zach and Brock are gonna do, and with Chris having experience at that from LCA, things worked out

Chris brings a wealth of experience to being the holder, LCA is known for running tricks on any given kick...

Chris Rocco is just about the most driven kid I've ever seen. Even at LCA, he drilled himself on every little technique of the game to make himself better. As a result, he's the best holder we've got and he's definitely going to see PT as a true freshman. My hat's off to the kid.

Where am I in this organizational flow chart? Or do me and Medic cancel each other out with all of the short/fat jokes?

Coach Rocco mentioned Chris in the press conference as one of the Freshman that have shown that they can contribute. Then he said, "that's my brother's kid so he has to play. I don't like it but, what can you do"....KIDDING!!!! Really though I am glad Chris decided to come to Liberty instead of the Ivy League or the Patriot League as he could have gone to.

Rocco was the QB for something like 5 years at LCA--so he can do the other stuff as needed. I think that is a great job for him, as I'm not sure we ever addressed the holders as contributing factors to all the kicking woes.

they may not have been a direct cause, but if you're rehabilitating the kicking game, might as well incl the holders in there too.

Seems like Chris will give us some options there too, trick play OR just a broken play: good thinking.

givemethemic wrote:Chris brings a wealth of experience to being the holder, LCA is known for running tricks on any given kick...

Ahh yes...anyone remember the muddle huddle?