Blue White Illustrated

FORGET ABOUT IT Given the elements and an overmatched opponent, this was little With each kick, Ficken is busting his way into PSU record books LORI  SHONTZ | more than a glorified scrimmage. eilion blue white contRibutoR So the weather forecast– yeah, kicker Sam Ficken said, when he saw all of the rain coming, that was a bit of "curveball. But only a bit. " And the monsoon-like rain that pelted the players during warm-ups? That was no big deal. Ficken tried out the field, found it in good condition and that his plant foot was sticking just fine. He reported to Bill O'Brien: "There's no real issue here. " And there wasn't. Ficken continued his run as one of Penn State's most reliable players with a fourth-quarter, 54-yard field goal that capped a 34-0 victory. "I didn't hit it perfectly," Ficken said. "But I hit it well enough where it went in. " No Penn State kicker has ever made a longer field goal in Beaver Stadium, and this was the longest Penn State field goal since 1979, when Herb Menhardt kicked a 54-yarder at North Carolina State on the game's final play. "It's just been fantastic the way he's kicked the ball," O'Brien said. The only longer field goal in Beaver Stadium: a 57-yarder by Ohio's Gary Horner in 1973. Ficken thinks he could kick it that far – 57, maybe 58 yards – if wind and field conditions are perfect. "You try and hit every ball the same, but realistically, that's not always going to happen," he said. "But on those long ones, you've gotta go in with the mindset that it's an extra point – if you hit it well, it's going to go in." That's been the story for Ficken for a while. He ended the 2012 season with 10 consecutive field goals, including a 37yarder in overtime to beat Wisconsin in the final game. He has missed only one field goal this season – a 57-yard attempt a week ago against UCF. About the only thing he hasn't done is kick the longest field goal in Penn State history, and he's close – the record is 55 yards. In 1975, Chris Bahr kicked three 55-yarders, all on the road. S e P t e m b e R Bill Belton reminds me a little of Danny Woodhead. acg116 I guess Bill O'Brien will keep calling that wide receiver fade until it works. Bill's thrid-down calls have been ugly today. PSUPride1 FROM THE WEB online Reaction to PSu'S lateSt Game O'Brien is teaching a young QB and wasn't worried about losing. This may have been his last chance before Big Ten play starts for us in two weeks. He isn't worried about what is working. He's concerned about developing a very young team. He was the offensive coordinator that took a team to the Super Bowl, if I remember correctly. Hotshoe Riddle me this. Why does every punter that we play against turn into Ray Guy? This is driving me Steve Manuel insane. sg out west IN THE ZONE Ficken's 54-yard field goal is the longest by a PSU kicker in Beaver Stadium. The quarterback pulls the ball up to pass and it flies out of his hands. I Despite this success, broadcasts have continued to dwell on his struggles early last season (during the Syracuse game, ABC repeatedly replayed the kicks he missed against Virginia in 2012), and reporters continue to ask him about his confidence level. He has handled it all gracefully, and he did it again after the Kent State game: "A lot of kicking is mental. Your timing, your follow-through, the fundamentals – when you get out there, you just forget about it." 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 12 have never seen that happen so often to one team. What's up with that? Waltwam A freaking 54-yard field goal. Is there ANY kid who's improved more than Sam Ficken? Way to go kid! psubowhunter Sweet Caroline is back! 72camaro b l u e w h i t e o n l i n e . c o m

• Cover