BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd will get prepared to aim a area aim in opposition to Baylor at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Oldroyd has missed his final three area aim makes an attempt, two to the left and one to the best. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd kicks an additional level in opposition to Oregon at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
The superstitious imagine dangerous issues are available threes. If that’s the case, BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd needs to be in for a large night time Saturday in opposition to Wyoming.
For the primary time in a profession that started by booting the game-winner in opposition to Arizona in 2016, Oldroyd has missed three consecutive area aim makes an attempt, and whereas BYU reopened the kicking competitors this week, this isn't the time to present him the hook — nevertheless it’s getting shut.
Oldroyd hit 4 straight area targets to start the season, however two misses late within the sport in opposition to Baylor and one other miss final week at Oregon have him kicking on skinny ice.
Head coach Kalani Sitake has no selection however to present backup kicker Justen Smith extra reps in follow. Smith crammed in admirably final season when Oldroyd was out for 4 video games with lower-back points. The redshirt freshman from Sandy linked on 14 of 15 point-after-tries and two of three area aim makes an attempt — together with his longest of 40 yards coming in opposition to Arizona.
Oldroyd is a redshirt junior with a historical past of consistency. Final season he made 9 of 13 area targets, together with 6 of seven between 30 and 39 yards. In 2020, he was an ideal 13 of 13 and hit all three of his makes an attempt of fifty yards or extra. Oldroyd was runner-up for the Lou Groza Award honoring the nation’s prime collegiate kickers.
Even in 2019, his first yr again after a two-year church mission, Oldroyd linked on 16 of 24, together with 2 of two from 50 yards or extra. The eight misses are regarding, however he by no means missed three in a row, till now.
So what's BYU to do? Sit him down and let him assume issues over or put him into the sport on Saturday night time and let him rip one via the uprights? Generally the extra an individual thinks about his issues, the more serious they get.
Wyoming and Utah State should not Baylor and Oregon. The margin for error will probably be better over the subsequent two video games. Oldroyd has earned the prospect to rediscover himself. Nevertheless, with Notre Dame and Arkansas on the horizon, he should sort things shortly or give up the job.
Soccer is a sport of outcomes. Coaches are employed and fired primarily based on wins and losses. Oldroyd delivered Sitake’s first victory at BYU in 2016 with a 33-yard area aim with 4 seconds to play to beat Arizona, 18-16.
To say he has been round, is an understatement. Oldroyd has kicked for quarterbacks Taysom Hill, Tanner Mangum, Zach Wilson, Baylor Romney and Jaren Corridor. He’s made 45 area targets and is an ideal 5 of 5 past 50 yards.
This funk he's in is particularly unusual contemplating all three misses have been 39 yards or much less. Towards Baylor he pulled each kicks left. Saturday at Oregon, he missed badly to the best. In all three kicks, the snap and the maintain have been good.
Oldroyd is bodily advantageous. This is a matter that's upstairs and that makes it tough to treatment. If he will get the hook this week, he might not make it again onto the sphere. Kickers are arduous to learn. Nevertheless, with slightly extra time and some extra makes an attempt, maybe the demons that hang-out him will dissipate.
In any case, crucial kick for a kicker is his subsequent one. They play a place the place judgement is swift and never at all times good, however in addition they maintain down a job that may decide the end result by their foot, and their foot alone.
Fortuitously for BYU, Oldroyd’s misses didn’t value them the win in opposition to Baylor and his miss on Saturday, whereas it stifled the staff’s momentum within the second quarter, it performed no consider the truth that the Cougars couldn’t cease the Geese from scoring on their first six possessions.
So, No. 19 BYU (2-1) kicks off in opposition to Wyoming (3-1) Saturday night time (8:15 p.m. MDT, ESPN2) with some drama on the kicking place. Oldroyd’s reception by the followers will probably be fascinating when he trots onto the sphere with the sphere aim unit. Do followers boo BYU’s failure to modify him out for Smith, or do they bolster him up a number of extra occasions whereas he works via the kinks in his kicks?
Sitake is simply too clever to not give him each likelihood to rebound, however he additionally is aware of he can’t wait for much longer. Oldroyd has two video games to get issues proper. He has earned the additional time. Nevertheless, when the Cougars go to Las Vegas to face Notre Dame on Oct. 8, the time for playing on area targets will probably be over.
It’s as much as Oldroyd to maintain his job and if dangerous information actually does are available threes, like his three missed area targets, he's destined for a bounce-back Saturday night time.
Dave McCann is a contributor to the Deseret Information and is the studio host for “BYU Sports activities Nation Recreation Day,” “The Put up Recreation Present,” “After Additional Overview,” and play-by-play announcer for BYUtv. He's additionally co-host of “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com.
BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd kicks an additional level in opposition to Oregon at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information