Broken record: Holtz not happy with Tech's kicking game
It's evident Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz is sick of talking about how poor the Bulldogs' kicking game is.
Whether it's a 30-yard punt or a missed extra point, Holtz has seen enough of it and Saturday's spring game acted as a sign there have been few improvements since 2014.
Tech missed a 19-yard field goal and an extra point Saturday, prompting a question regarding what the kickers and punters need to do to solidify the position for the 2015 season.
Holtz put his head down and took a few seconds to gather his thoughts.
"They gotta do better, and they're capable of better," Holtz said. "Physically, I've seen them punt the ball better. I've seen them kick field goals better. We missed an extra point today. We missed a field goal from the 2-yard line. We had a 20-yard punt and another that went 20 in the air and got a lot of roll so it looks like it went a long way."
As Holtz continued, he pointed to the mental side of things as an explanation for why there are so many struggles.
"I didn't think the kicking game was very good at all today. We've gotta be able to perform in some game-like situations with people in the stands," he said. "When you go out and pull out the charts and the numbers and what they're capable of doing, it's much better. I just hope that we can take what we're capable of doing and putting it out here on the field. Right now, we have not. It's disappointing. It's frustrating."
The issue started last year with poor punts and missed field goals throughout the season. It showed up in the Conference USA championship game at Marshall when Tech averaged 30 yards per punt and missed an extra point and a field goal in the three-point loss.
On Saturday, Jonathan Barnes did make a fair of field goals, but missed a chip shot from 19 yards out. Kyle Fischer missed an extra point later in the game.
As for the punters, Logan McPherson shanked one for 28 yards. Gerald Shouse hit one for "53 yards" but it wasn't a true 53-yard. Only the punt was live, not the return, so Trent Taylor let the ball roll an additional 20 or so yards to boost the number.
Between the two kickers and two punters, it'd seem like Tech would get some consistency, or at least some more after the 2014 season.
Holtz said it's the biggest weakness on the team. He's right, and it's something that needs to be fixed.
"Yes, without a doubt," Holtz said. "I think our o-line is getting better. I like what Beau Fitte is doing and with Nick Thomason coming back and all those young linebackers got work today to get some great individual things on them. I like how our secondary is coming and some of the things the receivers are doing. But right now we need to improve on our kicking game."