From the opening kickoff last Saturday morning, Badger fans were able to breathe a breath of fresh air, and I'm not talking about the fresh look to the newly renovated Camp Randall. I'm talking about a kicking game capable of planting the football in opposing end zones.
There was a time not too long ago when UW kickers were expected to force touchbacks. That time seems to be upon us again in the form of freshman kicker Taylor Mehlhaff.
Between 1993 and 1996, John Hall made a name for himself by constantly booting the ball through the uprights. He also had the greatest Badger kick that I can remember when he booted a school-record 60-yard field goal for the win at Minnesota in 1995.
Hall graduated in '96, paving the way for Matt Davenport. Davenport had two game-winning field goals-both longer than 40 yards-in the '97 season on his way to the Badger record books.
Davenport set the Badger record by hitting 82 percent of his field goals in '97 but topped that record the next year when he hit over 90 percent. Thus, he owns the school's top career field goal percentage by more 10 percent. He is also third all-time with 33 career field goals at UW.
As if that was not enough, next the Badgers brought in Vitaly Pisetsky. Pisetsky also had a great leg and is ranked third in career field goal percentage and fourth with 16 field goals in 1999.
Since then Barry Alvarez has used a variety of kickers, including senior Mike Allen and former Badger Scott Campbell, but the kicking just has not been the same.
Now Alvarez and the Badgers have found yet another strong leg. Mehlhaff forced three touchbacks in the game against Central Florida, his first game as a Badger. On the three kicks which were returned, Mehlhaff got the ball into the air enough that the coverage team was able to pin the Golden Knights deep in their own territory as they allowed just 14 yards per return.
Even Alvarez enjoyed his kicker's performance.
\It's nice after you score a touchdown not having to roll the dice on how you want to kick it, whether you want to squib it or kick it off or place it someplace and just let him whale it down there,"" Alvarez said. ""That's a relief.""
Mehlhaff has already proven that his name can be mentioned with the likes of Hall and Davenport on kickoffs, and hopefully by next year, or perhaps even this year, Mehlhaff will be comfortable trying field goals.
While Allen has shown success at hitting mid-range kicks, Mehlhaff could prove to be the next kicker to hit one from 50 yards.
