Football: Special confidence–Hudspeth willing to take risk on onside kick

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, September 23, 2013

Had it failed, the consequences could have been quite costly.

UL Ragin’ Cajuns coach Mark Hudspeth, however, was willing to take the risk.

After taking a 28-24 lead with eight minutes and seven seconds remaining in an eventual 35-30 non-conference win at Akron last Saturday night, Hudspeth brazenly called for kicker Hunter Stover to try on onside kick.

Ex-UL kicker Brett Baer had done it with success time and time again over the last two seasons, and Hudspeth figured Stover could make it work too.

So did Stover, who considered the call gutsy nonetheless.

“I got to watch Brett do it for two years, and he was the master at it,” said Stover, a Notre Dame High product. “So it’s kind hard to not screw it up, when you see him do it so well.”

But nothing was guaranteed.

Hudspeth knew that.

But he took the chance anyway, and explained afterward why he did.

“I wanted to put the dagger in right there,” Hudspeth said.

“I almost did it earlier,” he added. “But it got to the point in the game where both teams were moving it pretty good, and I just didn’t want to put our defense back on the field at that time. I said, ‘Let’s go win it. Let’s put the nail in the coffin right here.’ And, boy, it worked just like we practice it every day.”

Two of Hudspeth’s former assistant coaches at North Alabama are on the coaching staff at Akron – both on offense – and he figured at least one of them would see it coming, especially knowing his penchant for trickery.

But neither did.

Making matters worse for Akron is that UL was able to capitalize on the onside recovery, not only running clock but also getting a 14-yard touchdown pass from Terrance Broadway to Darryl Surgent to take a 35-24 lead with just more than six minutes to go.

“Going into this game I didn’t think we’d be able to do it, because I figured my other coaches that I coached with so many years knew I loved to do it – and I didn’t think they would let us have it,” Hudspeth said. “But as the game wore along, their front line kept backing out a little quicker, a little quicker.

“And I said, ‘It’s there.’ I said, ‘We’re gonna go win the game right here. Let’s go ahead and win it.’ And we did. And I’m glad we (were) able to do that.”

So were Cajuns players, many of whom were stunned by the decision.

“I was real shocked,” senior safety Rodney Gillis said. “But, hey … if you want to win the game, you’ve got to take those chances.”

FIELD-GOAL CONFIDENCE:

Hudspeth also tried a fake field goal late in last Saturday’s first half.

It failed, and that’s one he wishes he had back.

“Probably should have kicked the field goal,” he said. “That’s on me.”

Sophomore kicker Stephen Brauchle missed a 40-yard field-goal try wide left earlier in the half, making him 2-for-4 with misses from 27 and 40 yards and makes from 24 and 26 in his first season as a Cajun.

The Mississippi junior-college transfer also is 20-of-20 on PATs in four games this year.

Rather than let Brauchle try a 32-yarder with 28 left before halftime of a 14-14 game at the time, though, Hudspeth had holder Jake Guidry flip a pass to running back Alonzo Harris, who was stopped for a 1-yard loss.

“I’ve just got to get a little bit more confidence in our field-goal game right now,” Hudspeth said. “We’re gonna get there. We’ve just got to be more confident, to where we know we’re gonna make it every time.

“(But) from the right hash, from right there, I just didn’t feel good about it,” he added. “I thought the fake was there. So I’ll take that one. I had to make up for it with the onside kick.”

OFF WEEK:

With UL not playing again until an Oct. 5 home game against Texas State, Hudspeth gave his team Sunday and Monday off.

The Cajuns will practice today, Wednesday and Thursday, then return to their usual game-week schedule next Sunday.