By Donnie Collins / Times Tribune

Last season, Penn State kicker Collin Wagner was one of the steadiest in the Big Ten.

All season, he missed just five of his 25 field goal attempts, and if his worth wasn't fully appreciated by the Nittany Lions then, it certainly is now.

Three games into the 2011 season, Penn State's kickers have already missed as many field goals as Wagner did throughout 2010.

As Penn State's kicking game has fallen into a tailspin this month, solutions to what has become a folly film of a performance from kickers Evan Lewis and Sam Ficken, as well as punter Anthony Fera, are few.

"I'm very concerned about the kicking game, obviously," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "Our kicking game needs to get better, and we're working on it. Hopefully we can improve. But the proof is in the pudding."

The proof that Penn State's kicking game is in shambles is rather overwhelming, too.

A former receiver who won the starting job this season in just his first full year as a kicker, Lewis has performed poorly. He has attempted five field goals this season and missed all but one of them, including a 36-yarder in the fourth quarter against Temple that would have tied the game.

Ficken, a strong-legged true freshman, had a chance to boot a 49-yarder to end the first half against the Owls, but his low line drive was swatted to the turf by Owls lineman Shahid Paulhill.

In fairness, it was a long kick, and it was Ficken's first career field goal attempt. But it also would have tied the game.

Now, factor in Temple's blocked punt in the third quarter against Fera, who was so slow getting the punt off that Paterno commented he must have been inspecting the ball to make sure it was a football, which gave the Owls the ball at the Penn State 39 with a chance to go up 17-7.

Clearly, the Lions kicking game did more to lose the game than to win it.

Part of the problem, Paterno said, is that the top two kickers on his depth chart had never kicked at the college level before this season.

Nerves might be playing a role, he said.

"Sometimes you've got to expect some of that," Paterno said. "But having a blocked punt? That was just absolute carelessness on the part of one person who just had not had any problems prior to that. I think he just got a little bit nonchalant about it and hadn't been hurt, and that kid came up and blocked it."

It's not as if Penn State doesn't have enough talent at the position.

Ficken was a two-star recruit coming out of Valparaiso High School in Indiana, and when he was recruited in 2009 as a kicker, Fera was the No. 2-ranked kicker in the nation by Rivals.com.

All three of Penn State's kickers are on scholarship - including Lewis, a former walk-on who defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said is one of the most fierce competitors on the team.

But the projections and the competition haven't produced results, and for the Nittany Lions who are struggling to find the end zone, that has led to some frustration with the amount of points being left aside.

"It's definitely tough," quarterback Matt McGloin said. "But at the same time, we're working with two kickers. I'm not worried one bit.

Evan Lewis and Sam Ficken are going to bust their butts to get better."

By Tyler Mason / Fox Sports North

MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota running back Duane Bennett had just seven carries for 13 yards in Saturday's win over Miami (Ohio). But it was a play he made on special teams that turned out to be the play of the game for the Gophers, as he blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's 29-23 victory.

For that play, Bennett was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.

Bennett's block came with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. At the time, the Gophers led the RedHawks 23-16. As Bennett grabbed the blocked punt and ran it four yards into the end zone, he gave Minnesota a slightly more comfortable 29-16 lead with 10:23 to play.

"We told them we'd probably have to make a special teams play," said Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said. "We're going to have to block a punt, we're going to have to get a kickoff return. We're going to have to do something special to win. I'll be darned if we don't block a punt."

Bennett became the first Gopher to win the award since kick returner Troy Stoudermire earned it last year after he had a 90-yard kickoff return against Illinois on Nov. 13.

On Saturday, Bennett broke free to get a hand on Zac Murphy's punt. The ball flew in the air, and Bennett grabbed the loose ball and scampered in for the score.

"It went pretty high, so I thought one of my other teammates got it before I looked up," Bennett said. "But then I looked up and it was still hanging in the air."

The play was Minnesota's first blocked punt — and first blocked punt returned for a touchdown — since linebacker Keanon Cooper blocked a punt against Illinois in 2009. Ben Kuznia returned it for the touchdown.

By Tom Mulhern / Post Crescent

Senior Brad Nortman might be one of the most under-utilized weapons in college football.

The University of Wisconsin football team would love to keep it that way.

Nortman could have been in a witness protection program the past year-plus and not maintained a lower profile than he does as team’s punter.

“Somehow, we’ve been able to churn out these awesome offensive (games),” Nortman said with a big smile. “My workload has decreased big time.”

As much as Nortman longs to contribute, he also understands the dichotomy of his job. He only gets to work when the offense fails — which is becoming increasingly infrequent.

In the past 15 games, since the start of the 2009 season, Nortman has punted 44 times — an average of 2.9 times per game. Punters must average 3.6 punts per game to qualify for the NCAA statistics, which is why Nortman’s name is nowhere to be found.

But even if he’s the best punter nobody knows, Nortman is fine with that.

“I enjoy this team’s success much more than my own,” he said. “It’s so much bigger than what I am. Honestly, I’m the last person people want to see out on the field anyway — including myself. If I can take the day off, I’ll go along for the ride.”

Nortman’s average of 45.5 yards on six punts would rank 14th nationally if he had enough punts to qualify. But that only begins to tell the story of his effectiveness.

“If there’s a better punter in the country, I’d like to see him,” UW coach Bret Bielema said.

None of Nortman’s six punts have been returned (five fair catches and one that was downed at the 1-yard line). He has two punts of 50-plus yards and three inside the 20.

Nortman went to an Australian style of pooch punting last season, holding the nose of the football down. The results have been impressive, with only two touchbacks and 14 punts inside the 20 last season.

“My freshman and sophomore years, it was an area of concern,” Nortman said. “This pooch (style) makes it so no matter how hard you kick it, it goes between 35 and 45 yards.”

Still, the biggest change in Nortman is the consistency of his punts.

“It’s truly the culmination of all the things I’ve learned these last four years,” he said. “It’s really starting to click.”

One thing the lack of action has helped Nortman do is focus on every punt.

“I’m more focused than just, ‘OK, here’s my fourth punt,’’’ he said. “Maybe more locked in, which is better for everybody.”

Nortman has tried to help in other ways, too. He’s the holder for place-kicks and Bielema has credited him with keeping redshirt freshman kicker Kyle French calm. French has filled in for injured senior Philip Welch.

“I can be more a part of our success now,” Nortman said. “Any way I can be more a part of it, other than giving the ball to the opponent, I’m down for.”

Nortman has taken a leadership role as a senior, while acknowledging it can be difficult at his position.

“I’m not going through the same grind a lot of guys are, so I can definitely understand that perspective,” Nortman said. “That doesn’t mean I still can’t be very positive, still be a guy that does things right, in the classroom and on the field.”

Nortman, from Brookfield Central, is on pace to earn his degree in accounting. He finishes classes this semester, then has an internship at a public accounting firm in Chicago next semester.

He belongs to an accounting club, where professionals in the field come and speak to members. That has caused Nortman to occasionally don a suit after Thursday practices.

Bielema recently chided Nortman about belonging to an accounting club and former offensive lineman John Moffitt was a frequent tormentor.

“Trust me, ‘Moff’ used to have some good comments for me,” Nortman said. “It has gotten me a good internship. ... It’s worth the flak I get from everybody.”

Nortman has had two notable moments in the spotlight in the past year, running for first downs on fakes to keep alive a fourth-quarter winning drive against Iowa and also in the loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl.

Each of those brought him more recognition than all of his punts combined.

“I was a celebrity for a week, certainly, which I couldn’t ever imagine I would be,” he said. “It truly redefined my image.”

By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com

GOOCHLAND, Va. – Combo kicker Thomas Meadows, a Prokicker.com camp alum, verbally committed to Purdue on Wednesday night.

He credits his camp experience with making him a highly sought college prospect.

"I definitely give all my credit to the Prokicker.com camps," Meadows said. "I feel like they gave me a good idea of what I needed to work on."

Meadows, who is 6-foot and 170 pounds, is headed to the Big Ten school after weighing several viable options. He had a scholarship offer from the University of Richmond (Va.) and several other schools taking long looks. The combo kicker-punter is also an outstanding student with a 4.36 GPA. Purdue had what he wanted academically as well, a major in the Movement of Sports in Science.

"It kind of fits into what I do as a kicker," he said.

Meadows will be given the opportunity to earn a starting spot as either the punter, kickoff specialist or field goal kicker, he said.

Thomas Meadows has one more year of high school at Goochland County in Virginia. The school won a state championship in 2006 and has had winning records from 2007-2010 but hasn’t made it back to the semifinals.

Meadows, an all-around good athlete, has been a punter for Goochland County with incredible hang time. Despite punting two-thirds of last season with a pulled hamstring, he averaged 38 yards per kick and only had six return yards in 19 punts as a junior. He kicked off half a dozen times and three of those were in the end zone.

Meadows He attended his first Prokicker.com camp in 2009 in Huntington, W.Va., where his father, Rusty Meadows, has family ties. They immediately were attracted to the camp’s professional staff and instruction.

“He went to his first camp and they got him hook, line and sinker,” said Rusty Meadows. “That’s where he picked up most of his instruction.”

Meadows said Thomas learned under Taylor Long, a Prokicker.com staffer, and camp director Rick Sang. He took something away from every camp he attended. Sang has been impressed with Meadows, especially from a fundamental standpoint.

“He’s just really a technically sound kid, a good athlete who is going to be very successful,” Sang said.

Meadows attended other camps but Prokicker.com offered the best quality instruction.

"They taught me a lot," he said. "I wouldn't be where I am without them."

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue football program had eight of its members listed among the preseason All-Big Ten Teams according to Phil Steele's College Football Preview, according to Purduesports.com.

Guard Ken Plue, who has appeared in 35 career games and made 28 starts, and tackle Dennis Kelly, 29 appearances with 24 starts, were both named second team all-conference by the publication. The senior pair anchors an offensive line that returns four of five starters from a 2010 unit that saw the Boilermakers tie a school record with five consecutive games over 200 yards rushing.

Second team members on the defensive side of the ball include tackle Kawann Short and cornerback Ricardo Allen. Short finished the 2010 campaign fourth in the Big Ten with 6.0 sacks and tied for sixth in the league with 12.5 tackles for loss. Allen, a 2010 freshman All-American, recorded three interceptions as a true frosh, returning a pair of them for touchdowns against Michigan and No. 11 Michigan State.

kicker Carson Wiggs, who has kicked the four longest field goals in Purdue history and booted a 67-yarder in an exhibition during the Boilermakers' spring game, was also cited on the second team.

Marconews.com

Made with 10-karat gold and at least a dozen small diamonds, the ring Brandon Kornblue won as a kicker on the University of Michigan’s 1997 national championship football team is a bit too gaudy for every day wear.

He still brings the ring out for special occasions, which is why Kornblue had his prized jewelry with him over the weekend for his sister’s wedding in Boca Raton. When he returned to his Bonita Springs home late Sunday, he was too tired to unpack and left his travel bag in the car.

When Kornblue returned to his 2003 Honda Accord on Monday morning, the ring was gone. According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, Kornblue told deputies someone entered his unlocked car between 1 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. Monday and stole the ring, valued at $2,000, and his wallet which contained about $200.

“I usually don’t leave that bag in my car,” Kornblue, 34, said. “It was late, and I didn’t take everything out of the car because I was going right back early in the morning, and I was just exhausted from the weekend.”

Kornblue, of the 28000 block of Herring Way in the Villa Walk edition, earned the ring as a backup kicker on the Wolverines team that went 14-0 and beat Washington State in the Rose Bowl in 1997. He is now a coach, running Kornblue kicking that puts on camps and trains kickers locally, while also traveling the country to teach at college camps.

Though angry when he first discovered his ring was taken, Kornblue said he didn’t have much time to dwell on it. He had a private coaching session Monday morning he had to get to after calling deputies.

If the ring is not recovered, and Kornblue isn’t optimistic that it will be, it can be replaced by the manufacturing company. Kornblue said he hasn’t looked into a replacement ring yet. He has spent the past two days dealing with his stolen wallet – canceling credit cards and renewing his driver license.

“As much as I value (the ring), at the same time it’s not what I value most,” Kornblue said. “I value the experiences I had (at Michigan). The actual ring is great to have, but I didn’t lose any sleep over not having it either.”

As a redshirt sophomore in 1997, Kornblue was behind current NFL kicker Jay Feely on the depth chart. When Kornblue did get to kick, three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady was his holder on field goals.

Brady was a backup to former NFL quarterback Brian Griese in 1997. Kornblue estimated that 30 to 35 players from the national championship team went on to play professional football.

A native of Boca Raton, Kornblue was named an Academic All-Big Ten in 1999. Kornblue played with the Arena Football League, Spring Football League and for six seasons was the kicker for the Florida Firecats.

He was the af2’s all-time career leader in field goals and extra points made and total points by a kicker. The Firecats won the league’s Arena Cup in 2004 with Kornblue as their kicker. In 2009 he was voted as one of the top 10 kickers in af2 history.

Kornblue described his neighborhood, located on Bonita Beach Road two miles west of Interstate 75, as quiet. He said he never would have imagined a burglary in the area.

“You never see anything suspicious,” Kornblue said. “It’s not a community that you have to worry too much about burglaries. … I guess I was kind of naïve.”

Marc Morehouse / Gazette.com

IOWA CITY — Special teams factored directly into two losses last season for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Yes, it was near the top of Kirk Ferentz’s list of things to do this spring.

As much as a team can do on special teams during spring practice, when those injured players definitely don’t see that duty and without a class of 23 incoming freshmen who could fortify those squads.

Still, Ferentz hasn’t erased the 2010 special teams performance, which was as uneven as a midnight hike in the Grand Canyon.

“We haven’t worried about or return guys, kick or punt, but we’ve put a little extra time in our kickoff coverage team, knowing that the guys out there practicing [might not be the same players who end up there in August," Ferentz said. "We wanted to emphasize it and went back and showed them some clips. We reviewed and tried to learn and we'll continue that through August.

"I'll just say this: We can't play special teams next year like we did last year and expect to be playing in a bowl game or having a good year. It just won't work."

Saturday's scrimmage was no gauge for coverage or return units. There were no live punts or kickoffs. Ferentz said there would be opportunities for incoming freshmen.

"We'll do whatever we have to do," Ferentz said of using as many as six, seven or eight true frosh. "I know this, we have to cover kicks better than we did last year, consistently."

Kickers were close, with junior Trent Mossbrucker edging sophomore Mike Meyer hitting 5 of 6 (one miss from 36 yards left hash) to Meyer’s 4 of 6 (misses from 36 yards left hash and 42 right hash).

“Mike Meyer has done a good job all spring and Trent is right behind him,” Ferentz said. “Mike right now is the starter.”

Iowa didn’t try a lot of punts with Saturday’s gusting wind twisting almost everything that went up in the air (including garbage from the bleachers, which went straight up into the air even with the press box).

Senior Eric Guthrie booted one with the wind to his back from the offense’s 42 and had it fair caught by safety Micah Hyde (Ferentz said, BTW, there’s no definitive answer on if he’s staying at free safety) at the 9-yard line.

Redshirt freshman Jonny Mullings had to punt into the wind and put out a respectable 38-yarder that was fielded by wide receiver Keenan Davis.

“Eric Guthrie, from where he was three years ago [to now], it’s unbelievable,” Ferentz said. “He’ll probably be like James [quarterback James Vandenberg] with some ups and downs early, but he’s shown us he can be a good punter, so we’re excited about him.”

Marc Morehouse of Gazette.com looks at Iowa's special teams before Saturday's final spring practice.

FOURTH DOWN
Concerns: punter is the easiest, most logical place to start. Ryan Donahue is among the greatest punters ever. Now it’s Eric Guthrie’s job to lose, maybe. He’s punted once going into his senior year, a 32-yarder against Iowa State last season. He’s a giant at 6-6, 245. This is his one chance.

Alongside Guthrie is red-shirt freshman Jonny Mullings, the punter from Down Under.

That’s where punter is.

THIRD DOWN
Additions/subtractions: Of course, Iowa is going to miss the kick return skills of Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, who led the Big Ten last season with 29.3 yards on 17 returns including an 88-yard TD at Minnesota.

Freshmen Torrey Campbell, Jordan Lomax and Jordan Canzeri could potentially help. As for other additions, expect these units to employ at least a handful of freshmen, maybe more than six.

There are 55 spots on special teams squads and Iowa will have to replace about half, including punter, punt returner, kick returner and signal caller on punt team.

Replace about half the squads. That’s a considerable pool of players.

SECOND DOWN
Battles brewing: punter certainly has a battle. At kicker, seemingly as always, there is a battle.

Sophomore Mike Meyer will carry the mantle into spring 2011. He is the sitting starter, hitting 14 of 17 attempts as a freshman walk-on last fall (he’s on scholarship now).

After a solid freshman year that essentially ended when Daniel Murray was picked for the game-winner against Penn State in ’08, Trent Mossbrucker red-shirted and returned last season with designs on the job. He was next kicker in until he had a PAT blocked at Arizona. Mossbrucker didn’t kick again in 2010 and finished with no field goal attempts and 13 of 14 PATs. His last field goal attempt was Nov. 1, 2008, against Illinois.

Sophomore Casey Kreiter is the only long snapper on Iowa’s spring roster. As for the return spots, as of now senior wide receiver Marvin McNutt is listed as the No. 1 punt returner. Could happen, but is what he can possibly bring in punt returns worth the risk of injury? Wide receiver Keenan Davis most likely will be one kick returner.

FIRST DOWN
Prediction for 2011: This probably isn’t much of a prediction, but Meyer should hang on to the placekicking and kickoff duties. Meyer has the stronger leg and has a year of experience. He’ll have competition, but he’s set up for a long reign as Iowa’s kicker. Guthrie will get first crack at punter.