Just moments after a missed PAT in the third quarter of Saturday’s spring game, holder Nate Costa approached kicker Rob Beard.
“My fault,” Costa said apologetically.
Facing the media afterward, Beard still didn’t know exactly what had happened on that kick.
“I didn’t see what (Costa) did,” Beard said. “But I know my foot came off really weird, and I’m sure the ball was kind of tilted.”
The missed extra point was one of the low points in what was an inconsistent day for Oregon’s special teams unit.
Beard made two of the three field goals he attempted, and finished five of six on PATs. The sophomore also averaged 63.1 yards per kickoff, but had one kick go out of bounds for a penalty.
“I’ve definitely had better days,” Beard said. “That field goal I missed, that was pretty rough. I don’t know what happened there … I can definitely improve. I’ve done a lot better in practices.”
Indeed, what most observers don’t know is that Beard has been working to perfect a new kicking technique.
“I used to take three steps to kick the ball, kind of like Morgan Flint used to (do),” Beard said. “It’s left, right, left. Now I’m just doing a right, left. I’ve heard it takes off some power, but it should make my accuracy better.”
A newfound accuracy may not have been apparent on Saturday, but special teams coach Tom Osborne has been pleased with Beard’s progress.
“I don’t think he did as well today as he has the last couple scrimmages or in practice,” Osborne said. “But that’s good to go out there in a game situation like that and let guys go when there’s a crowd and there’s media and all that kind of stuff.”
Beard’s first audition in front of fans may not have gone exactly as planned, but he is confident he will be ready to go come August.
“I want to do great in fall camp,” Beard said. “I’m definitely going to keep working; I know I have a lot to do. Hard work is all you’ve got to do for success.”
Punter Jackson Rice also had a forgettable afternoon. The freshman averaged just 32.25 yards per kick, and chalked most of his difficulties up to the mental side of the game.
“Honestly, when it comes down to it, it’s all mental,” Rice said. “And I let the wind get in my head today.”
Head coach Chip Kelly noticed a similar issue.
“Jackson got a little screwed up trying to think about the weather,” Kelly said. “He told me he was worried about the wind and things like that. I wish we did punt the ball a little bit better.”
Though obviously disappointed, Rice was still able to diagnose what went wrong in his mechanics.
“It was all in my drop,” Rice said. “The drop honestly is 90 percent of the punt. You can have a strong leg and everything, but if you don’t have the right drop, that’s going to mess it up.”
Rice did boot one kick 50 yards downfield, reminding everyone just how talented he is. What was different about that kick? It may seem counterintuitive, but the likelihood is that Rice simply wasn’t thinking.
“They say you kick the best when you’re not thinking,” Rice said. “I had too many thoughts going on today. It’s just more motivation to keep doing better.”
Expect both Beard and Rice to keep improving over the summer. Just don’t ask them to be doing much thinking in the process.
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