PK Blair Walsh getting lots of advice amid worst slump of career
Blair Walsh, who has missed 10 of his 23 field goal attempts this season, has gotten plenty of advice on fixing his slump. (AP photo)
ATHENS — Technically, Blair Walsh doesn’t have a kicking coach. Not at Georgia anyway.
The Bulldogs don’t include a kicking coach or even a special teams coordinator among their NCAA limit of nine assistant coaches.
But that doesn’t mean Walsh doesn’t get advice. For that, Georgia’s senior place-kicker has endless resources.
Through high school, Walsh trained under Nick Gancitano of the Nick Gancitano Kicking Academy in South Florida and Walsh still talks to Gancitano regularly about kicking. But Walsh hears from plenty of other experts as well.
“Nick Gancitano is a guy I refer to as my coach, but I’ve had a lot of guys reach out to me and talk to me about kicking throughout my entire career,” Walsh said this week. “I talk to them about the ups and downs of the job and they give me words of encouragement or advice or tell me if they see anything I need to change. Nick, Rex Robinson, Kevin Butler, Billy Bennett, all those guys have been a help to me.”
Walsh has gotten more than his share of advice this season as he has endured the worst slump of his collegiate career. The 2009 Lou Groza Award finalist has missed 10 of 23 field goal attempts this season. This after missed just five kicks in his sophomore and junior seasons combined.
“Sometimes it can be overwhelming to hear everybody’s opinion,” Walsh said. “But those guys know what they’re talking about. They’ve been doing it a long time and they’ve been successful at this level and obviously above. I’m open for any advice from them because they know what they’re talking about for sure.”
For decades, Georgia had a kicking coach in the late Bill Hartman Jr., a former All-American who handled the duty as a volunteer assistant. But the NCAA eliminated volunteer coaches in the late 1990s and the Bulldogs, like most teams, have been winging it ever since.
Georgia coach Mark Richt said he and the Bulldogs’ assistants generally steer away from giving the kickers technical or mental advice. He equated it to golfers, who generally have their own personal swing coaches.
“[Kickers] still kind of rely heavily on the guys that have taught them all along,” Richt said. “If you have too many people trying to teach a guy to swing a club or to swing his leg as a kicker you could have problems. The unfortunate thing is we can’t just bring Blair’s coach in there and let him coach him, even for a couple of hours. That is a problem. It’d be nice to have somebody on staff who is an expert at that.”
Walsh’s problems finally reached a point where last week Richt opened up the kicking competition between him and Brandon Bogotay and had them alternate kicks in last Saturday’s game against New Mexico State. Bogotay, a senior from San Diego, is also a scholarship kicker.
The Bulldogs brought him to Athens in 2008 when Walsh was struggling with kickoffs. But Bogotay enters this week’s Auburn game having attempted only one field goal in his career — a miss from 35 yards in last season — and neither played had a try against the Aggies. Bogotay was 4-for-4 on extra points.
Walsh said he hasn’t made any wholesale changes in his kick during the slump. Meanwhile, Richt said the competition between Walsh and Bogotay continued in practice this week. He could not, however say how the rotation, if there was one, would work against Auburn on Saturady.
“If I knew 100 percent I really wouldn’t want to tell you now anyway,” he said.
From a practical standpoint, it seems unlikely the Bulldogs would throw a unseasoned kicker such as Bogotay into a field goal duty in as crucial an SEC game as is Auburn on Saturday. Georgia needs to win it to remain in first place in the SEC East with one conference game remaining.
And when you consider that the average score of the Georgia-Auburn series over 114 games is 15.86-15.53, it could well come down to a kick from Walsh.
Walsh said he’ll be ready if that happens.
“Like I’ve said, my abilities are still there and I believe in myself and I believe in my ability to perform on the field consistently,” he said. “I just think I need to get into a rhythm and gets some kicks under my belt and move from there.”
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96 comments Add your comment
Old Dawg
November 10th, 2011
2:20 pm
we don’t want Muschamp or Smart for sure… Maybe Chris Hatcher for O.C…. Saban going to Penn State or Ohio State…
TampaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:21 pm
DC
November 10th, 2011
1:11 pm
who wears jean shorts these days? haha..I think i wore those when i was 5
————————-
Been to Gainesville anytime recently?
TampaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:23 pm
I think Saban stays put. As far as prestigious jobs go, I don’t think any Big 10 school has any more prestige than Bama does (and yes, this coming from a Dawg fan). Especially Penn State. No real historic rivalries to compare to playing in the SEC. No real history even being in the Big 10. But the Chris Hatcher for O.C. thing is intriguing however.
TampaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:26 pm
DC, I think Dyer gets his yards either way. Just like in the SC game, Lattimore got plenty of yards against the Georgia D, yet key mistakes were still the difference between the score being 42-17 and what it actually was which was 42-45. Yes, with Tree back in the lineup, there is a huge difference in the middle of the field. I think UGA wins 31-17 with Dyer still getting about 120 on the ground.
DC
November 10th, 2011
2:26 pm
No I have not Tampa haha..i thought that was just a running joke..didn’t know people in florida still wore them!
Mark (another one)
November 10th, 2011
2:33 pm
I think Walsh’s problem is Butler exerting side pressure on the placement trying to mess him up. He wants a chance to kick some points.
Just kidding
.
AltamahaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:40 pm
Lowcountry, I believe Jackie Mason famously said the line “be the ball” in the movie Fletch.
TallaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:46 pm
1eyedJack @11:33am – That would be a violation of NCAA rules.
TallaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:48 pm
Altamaha Dawg: Your man card is hereby REVOKED. That quote was Chevy Chase’s character, Ty, in Caddy Shack giving advice on putting to caddy Danny. Every man between the ages of 25 and 50 should have that movie memorized.
TampaDawg
November 10th, 2011
2:50 pm
I’ll be in Gainesville tonight (great people there in all seriousness), I will give you a jorts to bagshorts ratio tomorrow.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
November 10th, 2011
2:57 pm
TallaDawg,
It was also in II when he was coaching Jackie Mason on the Driving Range.
DC
November 10th, 2011
3:00 pm
haha sounds good!
NCDawgs Fan
November 10th, 2011
3:03 pm
Back to the DAWGS!!! Can’t wait for Saturday. Always a great game. Blair will be awesome! I have a bet with my niece from Auburn…loser has to dress in the winners’ colors and sing the fight song on video posted on FB and YT. Can’t wait to see her in red and black!
Delbert D.
November 10th, 2011
3:19 pm
Someone who is arriving at the game early, see if they are videotaping the kickers’ foot hitting the ball. Georgia Tech had a guy taping closeups right at the spot before the Clemson game.
dawg fan
November 10th, 2011
3:20 pm
Walsh needs to lay off the Twinkies, its slowing his leg from what he is used to and making him push left or right. if he lost the 20lbs of excess leg mass (not muscle) he put on last year, he would be fine again.
dawg fan
November 10th, 2011
3:22 pm
Caddy shack is a terrible movie. Terrible. its like watching fight club and pretending to like it.
Delbert D.
November 10th, 2011
3:22 pm
No one answered my question about the revamped strength and conditioning program. Did Walsh and Butler do anything different?
dawgfan
November 10th, 2011
3:26 pm
Walsh’s kicking wouldn’t be such a big deal if our offense could put it in the end zone consistantly. Nobody has ever won a championship because they had a great field goal kicker. We didn’t beat Florida because we had a great field goal kicker. We usually lose to Florida when we have a great field goal kicker. We beat Florida because our offense finally grew a pair and scored touchdowns. Field goals should be a last resort. They should be icing on the cake. They shouldn’t be one of your main weapons to generate points. If you make them great. If not oh well. If wins and losses come down to making field goals you probably don’t deserve to win anyway. Maybe the team and fans are putting too much pressure on Walsh when we should be directing our angst at Bobo the Clown & Co. Bobo is absolutely clueless in the redzone. He has no idea what he is doing down there.
Class dismissed.
Delbert D.
November 10th, 2011
3:32 pm
One of the guys on ESPN radio was talking yesterday about whether Alabama still deserves a shot at the BCS CG. Callers were saying that LSU didn’t really beat Alabama, the missed field goals did. That simply is stunning.
UGA Pride
November 10th, 2011
3:34 pm
I know several students that know Walsh personally. They told me he and his girlfriend broke up. They said this is why he tells them he is struggling kicking field goals. That’s lame if its true. Let Bogotay kick.
SouthGA Dawg
November 10th, 2011
3:40 pm
dawgfan
November 10th, 2011
3:26 pm
Walsh’s kicking wouldn’t be such a big deal if our offense could put it in the end zone consistantly. Nobody has ever won a championship because they had a great field goal kicker
TELL THAT TO BOBBY BOWDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cost him three NC rings. Wide right wide right wide left. The kicker is very important to winning. FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SouthGA Dawg
November 10th, 2011
3:43 pm
LSU beat Alabama get over it. They had their shot at the title and lost at home. I would hate to see a rematch. I would rather watch LSU play OK or Boise. I believe Boise can play with any team on any given day they have a great all around team and play really good together.
Smoking with Crowell
November 10th, 2011
3:54 pm
Please!! Boise gets smoked like a Crowell blunt if they play in BCS title game. Would love to see Bengal Tigers clown stomp those fools….tired of hearing they can play with anybody. If they can then schedule tough teams each week rather than one a year. Look what happened to Utah when they had to play in a big boy conference week in and week out. Can’t help they beat us earlier in the year as the Dawgs played an awful game but world beaters BSU is not……..
Smoking with Crowell
November 10th, 2011
3:57 pm
As far as ‘Bama rematch I say let the two best teams play whomever that may be…..most likely ‘Bama does not get another chance as they blew it at home. Playoff would solve all this BS….then you most likely would see two SEC teams playing in the championship game. Sooners would be only other real threat in my opinion.
Smoking with Crowell
November 10th, 2011
3:59 pm
Sooners give Cowboys Big Brother little Brother Beat Down at end of year…..will expose the Cowboys like they did Kansas State.
Smoking with Crowell
November 10th, 2011
4:00 pm
You like apples, Delbert? How ’bout them apples?
Trojan
November 10th, 2011
4:22 pm
Russ, no Russ: He got the mange from your mom!
Trojan
November 10th, 2011
4:23 pm
Hey Tide fans….. you lost.
Inlet Dawg
November 10th, 2011
4:34 pm
First of all we need a special teams coach.
Walsh just needs to bring back that loving feeling,needs a new girlfriend
dawgfan
November 10th, 2011
4:58 pm
SouthGa Dawg,if his offense had put the ball in the end zone he wouldn’t have had to worry about it. If a championship comes down to a field goal you don’t deserve it. Don’t go throwing the kicker under the bus. That’s weak.
brookenhavendawg
November 10th, 2011
5:07 pm
based on what I’ve seen, he kicks better from the left hash mark. Just make sure if there’s a likely field goal situation make sure we’re on the left side of the field for the kick. The misses against Florida were from the right hash mark. He didn’t push the kick. He just kicked it straight and it missed to the right.
RedandBlackDawg
November 10th, 2011
5:22 pm
Delbert,
I think they are starting the same line as they did last week. Lee broke his leg against Vandy I think. I think they only have a couple of freshmen left to substitute right now, so I hope these guys hold up for the rest of the season.
RedandBlackDawg
November 10th, 2011
5:34 pm
If Walsh losing his girlfriend is the reason he is kicking so poorly, then it must be a mental thing. If that’s the case, I am sure there must be cat houses around a major city like Athens. Have the coaches form a pool, and take Mr. Walsh over, on the Friday before each game. He might still miss her, but at least he will feel lighter kicking on the field.
Matthews Dawg
November 10th, 2011
7:06 pm
Get Smoltzy shrink to help out upstairs!!
Ole Yeller Dawg
November 10th, 2011
8:35 pm
Karma @ it’s best:
You can thank Coach Grantham for giving the choke sign to Chas Henry in Jacksonville last year…it has effected the wrong kicker’s psyche!
Be careful of what you wish on your enemy, for it could (& it did) come back to haunt you!
Dawg1
November 10th, 2011
10:26 pm
Rex Robinson has a track record of helping many-many kickers at the high school level that have gone on to kick for many schools – including UGA.
Butler and Robinson are at every game… This is kind of a ‘duh’ moment… I have defended CMR all year – but a little miffed on this one…
Dawg1
November 10th, 2011
10:32 pm
Just read some of these…
CMR haters… What are you going to do if UGA wins out…
Old Dawg – Saban to PSU or OSU? Why would he do that. He’s just short of GOD at Alabama. SEC verses Big 10. Your kidding right…
Jordan
November 10th, 2011
10:35 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/11/08/ugas-kicker-controversy/
Auburn D's Suck
November 10th, 2011
11:29 pm
DC,
Auburn’s D suck that can’t stop the run!
Auburn D's Suck
November 10th, 2011
11:31 pm
Chik fil A bowl no way auburn would be going therfe the chick fil a bowl is better then the cotton bowl
Jborodawg
November 11th, 2011
9:30 am
SouthGA Dawg…”Nobody has ever won a championship because they had a great field goal kicker TELL THAT TO BOBBY BOWDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…”
Tell it Saban too (I refrain from adding umpteen exclamation marks). Lost by a field goal; not to mention only able to score six points. So, according to the logic displayed here so often, Saban and his OC should be fired…for running that predictable samo-samo offense (Richardson up the middle).
No telling what Walsh’s problem has been. But, it’s like coach Richt said, too much advice can be detrimental and self-defeating. We can only hope he gets it together; the potential is there (former Lou Groza Award finalist). Don’t give up on him quite yet; CMR hasn’t. Hopefully, we won’t need many FGs.
Dawg1, and others: As has been pointed out, they can’t have volunteer coaches. They are allowed a set number of coaches on the payroll. If you add a ’sports psychologist’ or professor, you’d have to make him a coach…and pay him. Another option is to have an assistant coach cut back on his duties to coach kickers/punters. As CMR said, it’d be great if one of his assistant coaches were also a ‘kicker specialist’. But none are and assistants are usually hired for other areas of expertise. SouthGA Dawg is right in that a championship team shouldn’t hinge on having a great field goal kicker; although some have indeed been won by a FG.
ugab
November 11th, 2011
11:21 am
Bogatay deserves to be on kick offs. I don’t know how Bogatay would do under pressure with field goals. I do know anything is better than walsh’s slump. Sooner or later, Walsh is going to have to kick a game winner or loser. Idk .
ugab
November 11th, 2011
11:24 am
Walsh looks like he is rushing the kick a little bit, Idk I’m not a coach.
ugab
November 11th, 2011
11:26 am
Alabama’s kicker is singing the blues too. lol
zbulldawg
November 11th, 2011
3:14 pm
Thanks “ugab” That’s awhole lot worst than Blair’s deal ! Blair will come through at the right time and all this WILL BE HISTORY !! Just like the 0-2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Andrew
November 12th, 2011
10:11 am
Amazing video of a high school player from Columbia TN who kicks the ball dead straight 75-80 yards in the air. He was 54 of 54 this year…a perfect 100%. Now he needs a college team. Can you please help?
Watch for yourself…it is unreal!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_JKwgwFY3g