Booted: Fowler to replace Carona as placekicker
In the late stages of Texas Tech’s victory Saturday against Nebraska, Donnie Carona added two shaky extra-point attempts to what had already been a shaky start to the season. Apparently, it shook up Tech coach Mike Leach enough to make a change.
After a shaky start to his college career, Donnie Carona (49) has been replaced by Cory Fowler, who will now handle placekicking for the Red Raiders.
Carona, a true freshman, will be replaced by senior walk-on Cory Fowler, Leach said Monday.
“We’re going to play Fowler for the extra points and things like that,” Leach said.
He said Fowler also will handle at least short field goals. Carona will continue to kick off.
“Donnie just needs some consistency, and some of that just takes time,” Leach said. “And that’s kind of how we used to do it anyway – we’d split that up. I’d rather not split it up, but we used to have the kickoff guy and have the extra point/field goal guy. I’d rather not do it that way, but it looks like that’s what we need to do.”
Carona, a scholarship signee in February, has made only 3 of 7 field goals this season and has missed four of 37 extra points. Five of the combined eight misses have been blocked.
His inconsistency became more critical during Saturday’s 37-31 overtime victory against Nebraska. Late in the fourth quarter, after Tech took a 30-24 lead, Carona knocked the conversion kick off the left upright but it went through. Then when Tech went up 37-31 on the first series in overtime, Carona’s point-after attempt was partially blocked, making it vital that the defense keep Nebraska out of the end zone.
Fowler
It subsequently did, with an interception by cornerback Jamar Wall sealing the victory.
Carona’s struggle just to make extra points routine might be wearing on his teammates.
“I think sometimes people take that for granted,” senior inside receiver Eric Morris said Monday. “Especially at the college level, I think that should be pretty automatic most of the time. But he’s a young guy. We need to work really hard right now about keeping him up and not letting him get down on himself, and know that we’re there for him and supporting him, but he also needs to start making some field goals.”
Quarterback Graham Harrell expressed similar thoughts after the game.
“Those are big points and could have cost us the game,” Harrell said, “but luckily for us, we got out with a win.”
Fowler transferred to Tech from San Jacinto College, where he spent one season as a pitcher in the baseball program. The last 21/2 seasons, when the Red Raiders have needed an onside kickoff, Fowler has been the kicker in that role.
Fowler is from The Woodlands, where he was a high school teammate of current and former Tech players Daniel Charbonnet and Danny Amendola. As a high-school senior, he made 13 of 17 field goals and was named Class 5A third-team all-state by The Associated Press. He was 4 for 5 his junior year.
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Well im not an expert on kicking but i have some experience and would like to suggest to Donnie, something he has probably already tried, and that is to go back maybe a foot or two further than his normal position . A few inches or a foot could mean alot for him as far as depth perception and angle to the goal. Just a thought.
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How we miss Alex Trilica!!! This Corona guy almost blew it for us Saturday not once but twice. Give him the boot and give someone else a shot.
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Yea, we almost lost it twice. One PAT was deflected off an upright, and the one in OT was blocked….. why does he have a scholarship? We need alex trilica
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It is a whole lot more than Carona! Our special teams in general suck. Whoever offered Carona a scholarship should also be replaced. Our kicking game will cost us a win………..Soon!!
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mtech…Leach had the final say on Corona’s scholarship I’m sure…so you want the coach who has his team ranked #7 in the nation, fired!…come on NOW, did you not read the article above?…Carona has been sat down for now…let these coaches coach…and why do you not have faith in Fowler?…Ultimately it’s a team sport and we are not going to have an All American at every spot…As a fan you need to enjoy times like this and not be so critical…I’ve been a fan since 1989 and this is the most potential I’ve ever seen…I think Mike Leach is by far the best thing to ever happen to Tech, he is far from perfect, but I am very thankful we have him!
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A kicker being blocked can be him kicking too low, or that the line in not holding the defensive players, or that they are letting them get their hands in the air too much, which can be stopped with proper coaching. There are some gaps that need to be filled quickly even on defense, if this team is going to come out of Big 12 play with 3 losses or less.
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We should have hired a good special team’s coach instead of promoting the grad assistant Clay Mcguire.
I am not balming him for everything, but you can’t just hand the big keys over to a 25-year old WITHOUT ANY coaching experience and expect anything better than this.
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I had Tech penciled in for 3 losses this year, but with this move I can’t see Tech loosing.
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sleepless- they had 3-4 yrs to figure out that Trilicka wasn’t going to be here this season. you can’t tell me that they couldn’t find someone in the lower 48 that can kick on scholarship better than Carona! POOR SPECIAL TEAMS!
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MTECH—So you want to fire Leach!?…he IS the same guy that put Trilica on the field…sometimes potential doesn’t pan out, that’s life…but I still say Carona could turn out to be a fine kicker, he probably just needs more time…but MTECH, we’re 6-0 BABY!!…LIGHTEN UP, STOP THROWING PEOPLE UNDER THE BUS…Leach will take care of it!…just chill man
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MTECH>>>>I feel that Mike is doing a great job>>>>Kicking in front of 50,000 people is not as easy as you might think>>>>and how do you know if somebody is ready for that, I’m sure Carona did great in practice but it may take time to adjust
Should we have signed a kicker instead of Crabtree 3 years ago…I think not!!
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might as well quit….we do anything any …can’t bob went to jump
…….kick mtech loser
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Sleepless, go back and read my posts. I never brought up Leach. McGuire coaches all the special teams. He doesn’t have the experience. He coaches the kick-off and return teams. The field goal kicks, the onside kicks, punt squad, etc. ……..you side tracked the discussion awhile back and missed the entire point.
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He’s a true freshman, on one of the highest profile teams in the country, give him a break. I don’t see any of you supercoaches out kicking for a D1 college team. He’ll be fine, just needs to get his head straight, and mature.
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Clay is an outstanding young coach who played for Tech, was a GA for Tech, and because of his hard work and dedication was promoted to a full time assistant for Tech. It is nice to see Tech provide opprotunities for its own like other top level programs do. Best of luck to all of the Red Raider coaches and players the rest of the way.
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Хех.. какой-то оффтопик начался :)
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