Lincoln Riley not worried about Gabe Brkic after crucial missed kick
As if 2020 hadn't already produced enough mayhem, it's also now revealed that even Gabe Brkic is mortal.
The Sooners' redshirt sophomore kicker made all 69 of his placekicks in 2019, including two kicks of 50-plus yards. However, here in 2020, he's missed two of his first six field goal tries. The first of those misfires, a 54-yarder in steady rain against Iowa State, was entirely forgivable. But the second errant attempt was egregious, especially given the circumstances in which it occurred.
In the third overtime Saturday against Texas, Brkic lined up for a game-winning 31-yard try, with the ball comfortably between the hash marks. For the Sooners' seemingly superhuman kicker, it was a chip shot. A gimme. Money in the bank.
Yet Brkic inexplicably let fly a wobbly, off-target attempt that sailed wide left.
The Sooners would prevail 53-45 in the fourth overtime, as Drake Stoops reeled in a 25-yard touchdown catch and Tre Brown intercepted Sam Ehlinger to ice the game. Despite his uncharacteristic miss, Brkic avoided goat status as Oklahoma hoisted the Golden Hat.
He'd made high-pressure kicks before, particularly his 31-yarder last November to cap the Sooners' 34-31 comeback win over Baylor. But for the first time in his collegiate career, Brkic's nerves of steel seemed to waver on Saturday.
Is it cause for concern going forward? Lincoln Riley doesn't think so.
"The first one he missed against Iowa State, he really hit well," said Riley. "It was a long field goal he really hit well. This was the first one he didn’t hit well. Yeah, just got a little bit off on his fundamentals and didn’t stick to it. So no, I’m not concerned. I’ve seen how the guy’s been hitting the ball in practice. I saw how he hit the ball on kickoffs the other day."
Kicking is highly mental, and it's not out of the ordinary to see even the most accurate kickers come unglued after a couple of misses. Mike Vanderjagt, Roberto Aguayo and Adam Vinatieri can attest to that reality. However, Riley believes that the shanked game-winner will have the opposite effect on Brkic. He's confident that his famously even-tempered kicker will take it in stride and approach his craft with renewed focus.
"I mean, that was just a one-offer that he missed," Riley continued. "And I think that’ll be a great learning experience for him that, even a guy that’s as good as he has and had as much success as he’s had, he’s still got to lock into those fundamentals on each and every kick."
Much as he's been patient with Spencer Rattler, Riley will assume a position of patience with Brkic as well. One bad miss doesn't detract from the larger narrative; the Ohio native has now made 87 of his 89 attempts as a Sooner. He's earned Riley's trust, and that trust remains steady.
"Knowing Gabe, he’s a competitor," Riley said. "He’s a confident kid and he’s a tremendous kicker, one of the best I’ve ever been around. So he’ll rally, he’ll learn from it and he’ll be better because of it."
To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.
