Former Hoosier Snyder Makes Amends With Game-Winning Field Goal

Nathaniel Snyder never had a chance to kick field goals during his time at Indiana, but he was known for his booming leg on kickoffs, and that came in handy on Saturday.

Snyder, a graduate transfer from Greenwood, Ind., who was a high school star at Center Grove and is now at Louisiana, made a 53-yard field at the buzzer for the Ragin' Caguns, winning the game 20-18 over Georgia Southern and helping them get their third straight victory.

😎 The Goatee in Lafayette. @N_Snyder9 with @DawnDavenportTN after his game-winning, 53-yard field goal. #cULture | #GeauxCajuns pic.twitter.com/lz4DYVMDqg
— Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns® Football (@RaginCajunsFB) September 26, 2020

“The second I hit it, I knew it was good,” Snyder said. “I think I was half way to the sidelines before the ball was even to the end zone.”

Snyder, who goes by Nate now, has actually struggled out of the gate for Louisiana, and he's done it for all to see. In the very first upset of the college season — a noon game on ESPN on No. 23-ranked Iowa State, he missed two short field goals and was replaced on a few extra point tries.

He missed another field goal Saturday from 34 yards, but Louisiana coach Billy Napier had enough faith in him to let it all hang out on that final play.

Snyder admitted in the postgame interview that much of his trouble has been “aiming” his short field goal tries, instead of just plowing into the ball. Having to unload on the ball helped on that final kick, because he used more of that booming motion that he's known for on kickoffs.

“I know Nate has had an up-and-down couple games here with us and certainly missed one today,” Napier said. “But you’ve got to him a lot of credit to have the mental toughness to overcome obstacles and go out there and execute for his team and be ready to do his job when it mattered the most.

"What an unbelievable kick.”

Louisiana is 3-0 for the first time on 30 years, and they are ranked No. 19 in the country, though that may change next week when the Big Ten teams return to the rankings.

Snyder arrived at Indiana as a walk-on in 2016 and was redshirted. He didn't play at all in 2017 and 2018, but was Indiana's kickoff specialist a year ago.

In one of the feel-good stories of the year, he received a scholarship last year during a workout at Lucas Oil Stadium prior to the season-opener against Ball State. Former Colts kicker Pat McAfee made the announcement on the big screen, and after he did, all of his teammates surrounded him and cheered.

Indiana and the Big Ten begin playing on Oct. 24.