If not for Dylan Long, McNeese State was primed to make college football history.
Assuming the outcome would allow it, Cowboys coach Lance Guidry planned to allow 325-pound defensive tackle Isaiah Golden, a part-time kicker in high school, to get goal line carries in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 33-3 win against Tarleton State.
“I thought it would be cool if he scored a touchdown and kicked his own extra point,” Guidry said, “because I don’t think that’s ever been done by a defensive tackle in college football.”
Golden, who made an extra point during spring practice, was denied his chance. Long scored the Cowboys’ final touchdown, an eight-yard run in the fourth quarter, and Golden was stuffed on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.
Golden also lined up as one of two blockers in the McNeese backfield on three other goal line plays earlier in the game.
“We’ve got some other things for him, maybe a couple pass plays,” Guidry said with a smirk. “Of course he’s going to block. Might let him throw a pass, you never know.”
Raycom, KPLC to televise Saturday’s game
Saturday’s UL-Lafayette-McNeese game will be televised on Raycom Sports on ESPN3, McNeese announced Monday.
KPLC, a Raycom station, will carry the game live.
Guidry seeks answers for shaky special teams
McNeese’s ailing special teams got a boost from a former legend.
Guidry phoned former Cowboys all-conference punter Pat Neck, a teammate of his in the mid-90s, to diagnose a lingering problem with freshman Michael Mack, whom Neck also coached at St. Louis.
Mack averaged just 35.5 yards on his four punts against Tarleton State, buoyed by a 52-yard kick from his own 12-yard line in the fourth quarter.
Two of his four punts travelled less than 26 yards, though one of those — a 25-yarder that was downed inside the 10 — came from the Tarleton State 35-yard line. Mack shanked his first punt, which landed out of bounds after just 21 yards.
“Usually when (Mack) shanks the ball, he’s not getting the ball extended enough, so he starts to lean back a little bit and he tries to overcompensate,” Guidry said. “That’s what happened the other night. We have to get him going with a couple things and we think we can fix the problem.”
Special teams snafus didn’t stop there. Both Cowboy kickers missed field goal attempts — starter Trent Manuel was wide left from 35 yards out when the game was scoreless and Alabama transfer Gunnar Raborn pushed a 28-yarder wide left in the fourth quarter.
Raborn handled five of McNeese’s six kickoffs, averaging 63.6 yards per kick with one touchback. Manuel made his two other field goal attempts from 22 and 24 yards, respectively.
“We’re going to keep rotating,” Guidry said. “Both of them had the same problem with the field goal, they lifted to see where the ball was going instead of keeping their head down.”
Latronico, Yruegas, Washington all primed to return
The Cowboys trio that missed the season-opening win should return Saturday against UL-Lafayette, Guidry said.
Both Anthony Yruegas and Josh Washington will return to practice Tuesday, Guidry said, but he noted a limit on Washington’s snaps while he recovers from a high ankle sprain.
Yruegas, who was added back as a starter at defensive tackle on this week’s two-deep depth chart, is nearly a full go following an MCL injury in fall camp. Washington is listed as the team’s starter at Buck safety.
Latronico, a true freshman offensive lineman Guidry praised throughout fall, did not dress out against Tarleton State because of an abscess on his tailbone.
from American Press: Your Best News And Advertising Source - Home http://ift.tt/2c0CXzG
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment