Why a Short Memory is Essential for Oklahoma Kicker Zach Schmit
NORMAN — Oklahoma kicker Zach Schmit has learned to move on from one kick to the next as quickly as possible.
Like a defensive back who gets beat on a deep pass, Schmit knows the value of having a short memory.
"It's really just a mental game of me telling myself just forget about the last one," he said Monday following practice. "For the offense, first and second down, they're kind of dependent on one another. For me, that last kick and that next kick aren't dependent on one another."
Schmit played through his share of ups and downs in 2022. After connecting on eight of his first nine field goal attempts, the redshirt junior from Oklahoma City sputtered, missing five of his next nine attempts, including two of three kicks in a 23-20 loss to West Virginia.
"The West Virginia game, that was just some rough weather," he said. "The 54-yarder was short (but) it was still a really good hit. I just didn't drive it enough through the wind. The same thing with the 46 off the upright. I just didn't play the wind correctly enough.
"On those, it's unfortunate, but for me, I didn't just shank them. I didn't miss them by a lot; they were both really close kicks, and obviously you want them to go in. I'm never going to justify a miss, but at the end of the day, it's something I can learn from."
Schmit, who converted all 53 extra points and scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard reception against Iowa State, is adjusting to a new snapper (Ben Anderson) and a new holder (Josh Plaster).
"That's what the summer's for, and thankfully, I was able to get in a lot of good work with both Ben Anderson and Josh Plaster this past summer," he said. "We were able to get a great cohesion and great chemistry together through the summer, and then once fall camp hit it just kind of all clicked."
Gone are Kasey Kelleher, who snapped on all punts and all but one placekick over five seasons, and punter Michael Turk, who doubled as Schmit's holder.
"I trust those guys just as much as I do Kasey and Turk," Schmit said of Anderson, a redshirt freshman from Charlotte, NC, and Plaster, a transfer from Arizona State. "I trust them to get their jobs done and this fall camp they've done exactly that."
It was Kelleher who taught Schmit the value of moving on from one kick to the next.
"He knew all the details to tell me just to get my mind right for the next kick and make sure that I'm not beating myself up too much on those lows and also not getting too high on the highs," Schmit said.
Now it's Schmit's turn to share the lessons he's learned with the other specialists in the room, which includes two snappers, three kickers and three punters.
"I feel like I'm a great leader for that room," he said. "I'm able to show them how to be mentally tough, how to just, you know, if things aren't going your way, you have to just persevere through 'em and the next kick isn't determined by the last kick, and some days just aren't going to go your way.
"But at the end of the day you've got to continue to just persevere, push through it, and it doesn't really matter, you just have to make sure you're ready for the next one and that's the main thing that (former kicker) Gabe (Brkic) always taught me is make sure you're ready for the next one."
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