20 on '20: Fixing the Place Kicking
College football has opened up around the country, and as we await the Eagles return to Chestnut Hill it is time to look at some topics surrounding the team.
Do we highlight questions that need to be answered by the new staff? Perhaps we look at the biggest concerns with a team returning many starters and contributors but has specific questions needing to be answered at key positions?
In that light, BC Bulletin presents its "20 on '20" series where we dissect (you guessed it) 20 topics pertaining to the football program.
Previous Topics:
No. 1: Which Position Group is the Deepest?
No. 2: What is the biggest area of concern for the Eagles?
No. 4: True Freshmen Who Could Contribute
No. 5: New Names To Watch For on Defense
Place kicking was always one area that was always a major concern for Boston College under Steve Addazio. With the exception of 2013, the Eagles truly lacked a consistent field goal, and even extra point unit. For a team that was built like BC, where every point was needed and fought and scraped for, this put them behind the eight ball frequently. And ask anyone and they can think of games that were lost because of poor kicking, whether it was the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl, or the 2018 game against FSU, or 2019 against Wake Forest.
Jeff Hafley and special teams coordinator Matt Thurin will be tasked at turning this problem around. And there is no reason that this change can't happen immediately. Kicker Aaron Boumerhi showed in the Pittsburgh game that he has everything it takes to win a game with his leg, kicking four field goals. But still even with that game, he only hit 66.7% of his attempts in 2019.
There are so many positives for the team if he can become just a bit more consistent. BC can take the three points instead of constantly going for it on 4th down, and getting those field goals will help them win games that a team with special teams problems would lose.
Fixing place kicking shouldn't be a major hurdle, but there is one factor to consider. As we saw with the Wake Forest game last year, timing is crucial. Getting the unit on field, the offense off, and set to kick a field goal takes repetition and practice. Hopefully with the team on campus now, this will be something they can work on when the team hits that phase in the reentry program. But those reps were lost this spring, which is something to consider.
Aaron Boumerhi is a veteran place kicker with years of experience. If he can improve his accuracy, and hit 80%+ of his field goals, Boston College should be in good shape at the position.
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