End of season report: Clemson kicking game

By Bob Wilson  |   Tuesday, March 06, 2007  |  Comments( 7 )

 Clemson Tigers
Going into the 2006 season, most Clemson fans felt good about their place-kicker and were very nervous about the punting situation. What a difference a few months make, though. Kicker Jad Dean went from All-American candidate to goat in a matter of weeks, and punter Cole Chason ended his college career on the upswing. Dean entered his senior...
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CommentsComments: 7
 No.1
Marc H.		 02:35 PM
03/07/2007
Dean's case is indeed a tragic one. Although I've never seen anything pinpointing the cause of this problem I've heard a couple of rumors. First, the NCAA went to a different kicking tee that, I believe, stands higher on the ground. That can account for his kickoffs being sub-par but it doesn't explain the field goals. I've also heard he went to a kicking class or something prior to the 06 season to where the coaches there had him change his style, which if this is true this explains the field goal problems. But really I don't know; this is all rumor. But Chason did come on pretty decent and was at least reliable and could be counted on. So I was pleased with that.
 No.2
Agent Orange		 11:39 AM
03/08/2007
Rumor around campus all last year was that Deans girlfriend broke up with him after a few years of dating and serious consideration of engagement. Don't know if it is true but that was what was going around the stands......
 No.3
Charles		 04:16 PM
03/29/2007
Interesting article, but you put too dark a tint on Dean's season. To say "was unable to get his kickoffs anywhere near the goal line in 2006." is not quite right. In the first game of the season, he hit 4 of 9 kickoffs into the endzone for touchbacks. The kick coverage was part of the problem. After the returner from BC had some big returns, other teams started returning the kicks even when they were a few yards deep in the endzone, figuring they had a chance for a good return. It would have to go several yards deep to discourage a return. After Bowden started having Chason pooch a kickoff to the 25 yard line, the kicks were returned to the 35 to 40 yard line, which wasn't much better. (Heck,you could have tried onside kicks and done almost as well, and had a chance to get the ball.)

Thanks for at least pointing out the blocking issues on the left side of the line. Dunbar, who blocked the extra point in the BC game, stated that he saw a flaw in Clemson's formation on the play and that helped him get in for the block. That did hurt Dean's confidence and his kicking for a while. At FSU, the guy who blocked the field goal was untouched. (FYI - Duke blocked a FG attempt by Dean from the left side of the line in 2005.)

To state "Sadly for Dean, the misses didn't cease." is misleading. Your article fails to note that after the tough start, Dean made 11 or 12 field goals, and was 15 of 19 after 11 games (almost 80 percent). And he had good numbers on his extra points after the FSU game. Against South Carolina, it was 38 yard kick, which is not a gimme. Against Kentucky, he missed from 37, and then his plant foot slipped on his second kick from around 27 yards. The field was in really bad shape. Chason later slipped on a kickoff. (Bowden snidely remarked "Their kicker didn't slip", but failed to mentioned that the UK kicker missed his kick, too. Bowden had an unhelpful habit of publicly raking Dean over the coals.)

Rumors mentioned in the other comments have no basis. He began working with Tim Williams BEFORE the 2005 season, in which he was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.

You note that Chason did much better punting with a different formation, which points out the importance of the blocking. The line, holder, and kicker have to all do their job.

Please give a more balanced view next time.
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