Miami football team uncertain about kicker versus Georgia Tech

After walk-on, Turner Davidson made two extra points and a field goal in last week’s 17-9 victory over Virginia the kicker for the Miami football team is still uncertain entering Saturday’s home game against Georgia Tech at Hard Rock Stadium.

Sophomore Bubba Baxa and walkons Turner Davidson and Camden Price all figure in the battle to handle field goals and extra points for the Miami football team on Saturday against Georgia Tech. Baxa has been very good on kickoffs this season and will continue to handle those duties. Baxa is averaging 63.94 yards per kickoff.

Baxa is 21st nationally in average yards per kickoff, 38th with 20 touchbacks and 44th with 57.14 percent of his kickoffs resulting in touchbacks. The inconsistencies from Baxa on field goals and extra points have cost the Miami football team in all three losses against Florida, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

Baxa is 17-19 on extra points and just 5-9 on field goals in 2019. As a freshman in 2018 Baxa was 45-46 on extra points and 9-12 on field goals. Baxa missed a key fourth-quarter field goal attempt against Florida. Miami would have been down one point late in the game instead of four.

The one point deficit would have allowed the Hurricanes to utilize a different game plan and kick a field goal on either or both of their last two drives in an attempt to take the lead. Two weeks later against North Carolina in Chapel Hill a Baxa miss on an extra point attempt changed the entire complexion of the game.

A successfully made extra point would have tied the game at 20. When the Hurricanes scored the go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter it forced them to go for two. The two-point try failed and Miami led 25-20. When UNC scored to regain the lead they added a two-point conversion and led by three.

The game otherwise would have been tied at 27 as North Carolina would have likely elected to tie the game against a team they were evenly matched with. Later on last month North Carolina head coach Mack Brown chose to go for two late in the game trailing Clemson by one.

Two weeks ago against Virginia Tech, a Baxa missed extra point cost the Hurricanes a chance to take a 36-35 lead against the Hokies late in the game. Miami football head coach Manny Diaz said Baxa’s miss deflated his team. Even winning just one of those games would put the Hurricanes at a more respectable 4-2.

Diaz spoke about where Miami is with their kickers after last week’s win over Virginia. The depth chart for the Miami football team lists the three kickers as even. It lists Baxa first followed by Davidson and Price, but states or for all three. Davidson earned he nod on PATs and FGs last week during warmups.

"“He’s been with us for a little while now and has gotten better…He had a really good week, and when we got to the warm-up today, he was, without a doubt, the better guy in the warm-up…It could.We ended practice today (Wednesday), and all three went up there, and they missed one [kick]. And all three went up there, and they made one. It’s something that, the more snaps we put on them and the more pressure we put them under, the better off they’ll be for that. So, right now, that race is still ongoing.”"

You can always try and simulate conditions during a game. Until the kicker has to get on the field and make a big kick with the pressure of the game and roar of the crowd it is difficult to know how they will handle the pressure. Diaz is remaining diplomatic on who it will be Saturday. Davidson has proven himself.

Diaz and special teams coach Jonathan Patke have likely not made the decision yet on who will kick against the Yellow Jackets. With the decision made last week during pregame warmups it seems that is the direction Diaz and Patke will go this week unless one of the kickers was substantially better in practice Thursday and Friday.