Help is on the way for Alabama's kicking game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The stat line was as inconsistent as the kicks that sailed well wide of the uprights in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama’s struggles in the kicking game this spring continued during its A-Day game as the Crimson Tide made just 3 of 6 field goals, including two misses inside of 40 yards. (Scroll down to continue reading)
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Walk-on kicker Andy Pappanastos missed both his attempts from 31 and 38 yards respectively. Punter JK Scott had a better performance, hitting 3 of 4 attempts, including the game-winner from 30 yards out as time expired. However, he missed a 45-yard attempt, his only try from more than 40 yards out, late in the fourth quarter.
While A-Day served a grim reminder of what has been an Achilles heel for the Tide in recent years, Alabama can take solace in knowing help is on the way.
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“We have a kicker coming in that we really like so he's going to be in the competition in the fall,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said earlier this spring. “I can't say now that's going to work out, but we have high hopes that he'll do a good job.”
The aforementioned kicker is Joseph Bulovas, a three-star recruit out of Mandeville, La., who is rated as the No. 1 kicker in the this year’s class. Bulovas will join Alabama this fall as a blue-shirt, meaning he will enter as a preferred walk-on before eventually receiving a scholarship when one opens up.
Don’t let the unheralded scholarship status fool you though— Bulovas figures to be one of the Tide’s most important freshman next season. While he hasn’t generated anywhere near the same amount of hype as Alabama’s other top-rated freshmen, Bulovas is expected to step in and compete immediately for the starting kicker position left behind by departing senior Adam Griffith. The true freshman possesses a powerful leg and has had made a field goal from as far as 70 yards out, according to a video posted on his Twitter account.
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Kicking guru Chris Sailor, who runs ChrisSailiorKicking.com, rated Bulovas as the No. 2 kicker in the class behind Brandon Ruiz, who was previously committed to Alabama before flipping to Arizona State. During the Army All-American Bowl in January, Bulovas was 2 of 3, connecting from 34 yards and 49 yards out before having a 27-yard attempt blocked.
“He’s one of those kids you knew right away,” Sailor said. “He stands out physically, he’s extremely athletic. Then as soon as he hit his first ball, the power, control, natural swing and ability were obvious. He was really one of those kids, it was obvious he’d be a top prospect down the road.”
Along with Bulovas, the Tide also brought in the top-rated long snapper in the nation, Thomas Fletcher. Enrolling early this spring, Fletcher has had time to get acclimated to the pressures of the college game. While Bulovas won’t be afforded that same privilege, Sailor is confident the freshman kicker will be able to adapt quickly to the next level.
“I think that Alabama’s done a great job. With Fletcher and Bulovas, they’ve brought in arguably the best unit in the nation. In my opinion, it is the best,” Sailor said. “They should be able to build chemistry pretty quickly because they are so good at their particular skills. Experience matters, but if the level of athlete is better it’s easier to become a unit much quicker.”
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Earlier this spring, Saban alluded to using two kickers next season, replicating the previous dynamic Alabama used in 2012 when Cade Foster came on for longer field goals and Jeremy Shelley was used on shorter attempts.
“The competition is there. We have a guy that is pretty accurate that doesn't have a real strong leg, and we have a guy who has a really strong leg that can kick long field goals,” Saban said. “... I'm comfortable with that situation with those two guys. Do we need to improve that? Yeah, but I think everyone can improve at every position. But I also think the competition that's coming in may enhance that as well.”
Alabama has struggled in the kicking game in recent years. Last season, Adam Griffith made 21 of 28 attempts (75 percent) but was 3 of 7 on attempts of 40 yards or more. The last time Alabama had a constant kicker who made at least 80 percent of his field goals was in 2009 when Leigh Tiffin connected on 30 of 35 tries en route to being a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Whether or not Bulovas can provide that same sense of stability will be determined this fall. That’s a big expectation to place on a true freshman, but one that those close to Bulovas feel won’t be too much for the young kicker to handle.
“He competed with all the top guys in the country and didn’t miss a kick,” Sailor said. “There was yelling, cheering and a lot on the line. He made kicks from big distances that looked like he was just practicing. I’ve just seen the kid be too successful too often to think that he’d crumble under pressure.”