Some Love for Jake Moody
We don't talk about him because he hasn't really been necessary the last few weeks, but the man is so freaking consistent that we take him for granted.
It felt like Quinn Nordine couldn't ever make two in a row -- he often couldn't make one in a row. By contrast, how nice it is to have Jake Moody in our back pocket! In the game against Iowa, their kicker chokes on a chip shot that would have opened the scoring. When Moody came in for his chance, it's easy money.
Ironically, my favorite moment of the season -- at least up to that point -- was the very end of the first half against MSU. People forget that Mel Tucker tried to ice him with three timeouts in a row! I don't think I've ever seen that before. But Moody, the ice-in-his-veins-muther-ucker, just nailed four straight through the goal posts, without blinking.
That's unconscious.
I'm not saying he's the team MVP or anything, but let's not overlook how money he is, either. We may need him in the next two games.
December 7th, 2021 at 2:59 AM ^
My thoughts exactly when they missed the first. Moment too big, set the tone for the entire game. Go Jake!!! Go Blue!!!
** And still F**k Ohio State!
December 7th, 2021 at 3:21 AM ^
“Mel vs Moody” should have its own film. Or meme or t-shirt
December 7th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
30 for 30 should do a mini-episode: "Ice in the Veins: The Story of 4 Field Goals"
December 7th, 2021 at 3:23 AM ^
We may need him in the next two games.
I like the way you're thinking. This statement, of course, simply assumes we are winning the NEXT game, so that we actually have two more games.
December 7th, 2021 at 3:29 AM ^
Maybe the best kicker I've seen in 40 years of watching Michigan football.
December 7th, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
Maybe just the last 39 years...
Ali Haji-Sheikh was pretty dang good in 1982. I remember the whole student section bowing to him when ever he kicked. Had a decent NFL run as well. Maybe I'm just mis-remembering!
Jake's 88 for 88 on PAT at Michigan (career) and 22 of 24 on FG this year (91.7%). Hope he has a long NFL career!
December 7th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Haji-Sheikh
His Wikipedia page would suggest you are definitely misremembering. Not exactly amazing numbers at UM or in the NFL.
Edit: he did set some records and had a good years in 82 and then 83 in NFL. It would appear a hamstring injury derailed the rest of his NFL career.
December 7th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
Some perspective here too on Ali - prior to his time at UM under Bo, we had some pretty average (for the times) to below average kicker in the 1970s. Dana Coin was OK, Mike Lantry was actually pretty good except at the end of the OSU games. Bob Wood had a booming leg but not that great at FGs. Greg Willner was meh. Rock Bottom was dual punter/kicker Bryan Virgil in 1979 (I think he later got kicked off the team for off the field stuff).
Bo didn't believe in giving punters and kickers full rides so our kicking game was average and sometime worse throughout the 70s. Finally after the 1979 kicking game debacles (blocked FG at end of 12-10 ND loss, blocked punt returned for TD to lose to OSU 18-15) Bo relented and started recruiting punters and kickers (Don Bracken was the first punter in 1980 to get a full ride and later played for GB)
Ali was the kicker during my early years. Not sure if he had a full ride when he got there in 1979 but he was born in UM hospital even though later raised in Arlington, TX. Compared to the list of kickers from earlier, he was a god-send. I quit closing my eyes when he kicked FGs - even though by today's standards for FG% he was mostly meh sans 82 and 83.
Since his time, we had pretty solid kicking except for Lloyds 2002 season (that's when he got Rivas as a kicker for 03-06). Richrod must have been a dolt with special teams as he had poor kicking games for the most part.
Nordin had such a great leg that how he could shank kicks like at MSU from 35 or so was mind-boggling.
I definitely put Moody as #1. With Ali, Mike Gillette (late 80s), Remy Hamilton (mid 90s), Garrett Rivas, and Kenny Allen (2015-27) as all suitable 2nd teamers behind Jake.
December 7th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
Yeah, I was thinking of Ali Haji-Sheikh as well. I think, as several have suggested, he stands out in our memory because he was the first somewhat reliable kicker we had had in some years. Also because of his frankly bad-ass name, which -- especially back then -- was almost incredibly exotic.
Also, while we're remembering kickers, let's not forget Bob Bergeron and his game-winning kick against Iowa in 1983. I was at that game, and went bonkers.
December 7th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
He reminds me of watching Robbie Gould just take care of business for years with the Bears. A bit more range, but similar level of consistency.
December 7th, 2021 at 3:53 AM ^
Jake Moody… is that you??
December 7th, 2021 at 4:52 AM ^
On a list of players for next year, the possibility was mentioned that Moody could come back for another season.
If so - YES PLEASE!
December 7th, 2021 at 5:41 AM ^
Michigan down 31-30, 2 seconds left. The national championship on the line. The kick is up ...
December 7th, 2021 at 6:33 AM ^
...IT'S A FAKE!!! the holder Michael Barrett throws a pass to Donovan Edward's who hits Eric All in the back of the endzone for a TD!
December 7th, 2021 at 8:21 AM ^
PENALTY. illegal forward pass.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:52 AM ^
The flag was picked up after the review confirmed Barrett's "pass" was a legal lateral thrown behind the line of scrimmage. Edwards is now 2 for 2 on passes with both going for touchdowns.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:07 AM ^
WTF, man????
December 7th, 2021 at 9:28 AM ^
Michael Barret is lined up as the kicker.
The other teams quits.
December 7th, 2021 at 10:38 AM ^
It will not be a pass to Edwards if he passes it again. It would be a lateral. So yes, it would be an illegal forward pass. HOWEVER, everyone knew exactly what the original post meant!
December 7th, 2021 at 10:40 AM ^
Saban argues, “intent to deceive” until nothing but demons shoot out of his mouth and eyes. The officials just back away.
December 7th, 2021 at 10:49 AM ^
I'm hoping it's Luke FickeLLL that gets beat by Michigan (again).
December 7th, 2021 at 6:32 AM ^
I definitely have had the same thought the last few weeks. He was clutch and was the reason we won many of our earlier season games. I also was amazed at that moment during the MSU game and how he knocked four through in a row. Definitely was the most “MSU” thing to do and made me start my hate Mel Tucker
December 7th, 2021 at 9:40 AM ^
To me the best part was after nailing his fourth one in a row, he turned to Tucker and gave a "WFT....Take that A**hat. Is that all you got...." gesture to Tucker and the MSU bench....
December 7th, 2021 at 9:52 AM ^
Although I of course prefer having an icewater-in-veins consistent kicker overall, in the moment it would have been even funnier if he missed the first three, then made the one that counted
December 7th, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
He should have done that purposely
December 7th, 2021 at 11:07 AM ^
I would say Nebraska no doubt, and then he was a reason we didn't escape the Rutgers game with only a one point win. Very very good kicker and I greatly appreciate that without his work at Nebraska we are not where we are today.
December 7th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
That was definitely peak pettiness and spite. If Dantinoo had a heart, it would have warmed it.
December 7th, 2021 at 6:58 AM ^
Moody's great year has been kind of lost in the shuffle of all the other player performances and team achievements this season. He may be the most consistent kicker I've seen at Michigan over the last 40 years. I don't know what his top end distance is, because we've seldom used him for long kicks. But I wouldn't bet against him making it. He'll certainly be kicking on Sundays. Whether it's next season or the one after, we'll see.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:10 AM ^
He's good. And I think he can hit it from the mid-50's... Believe he has a 52-yarder, with ease, this season, but I can't think of the game.
As for longtime consistency, the only kicker I can think of that we never worried about was Ali Haji Sheik, back in the 80's. That dude was money.
There've been some good kickers between Ali and Jake, but I don't recall them being considered 'automatic' like those two.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:41 AM ^
Ali Haji Sheik became money. Bo was forced to use Ali his freshman year and it was awful. His nickname was Ali Haji Shank. He went on to become one of the best ever even in the NFL. He was on track to set the NFL consecutive successful field goal attempts record when he was asked to kick one that would have been a personal best and that was one of the few times I saw a kicker glare at his coach. He missed. I suspect the length was rather iffy in practice.
MSU story (iirc), Michigan scores and Ali to kickoff to MSU. (Rules were different then.) First kick goes out of bounds so back up 5 yards and try again. Ali kicks off, ball goes out of bounds. Back up 5 and try again. Ali is embarrassed. Kickoff again and ball goes out of bounds a third time. Ali hangs his head and looks at his toes. MSU kickoff return specialists are positioning 15 yards upfield perhaps licking their chops at a memorable return. Ali quits trying to aim the ball and blasts it straight downfield over the the MSU receiver's head. MSU receiver runs back in sheer panic, barely catches the ball over his shoulder and falls down at the 10(?) yard line. Play over. Excellent special teams play. Great defensive field position just like the coach drew it up.
December 7th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
Garret Rivas was automatic, within limited range. His reliability was a big contrast to UM's kicking adventures of the year before he arrived.
December 7th, 2021 at 7:09 AM ^
Statistically Kenny Allen (2013-2016) was slightly better than Moody, but both are up there.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan/kicking.html
December 7th, 2021 at 8:18 AM ^
only really disapointing Kenny Allen moment was his last kick off vs FSU in the orange bowl game.
didn't kick it out of the end zone and their guy fumbled it and ran it back to beat us
December 7th, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
One whiffed tackle on the 10 yard line...
December 7th, 2021 at 9:30 AM ^
Not only did the FSU guy bumble the kickoff, but when he picked it up he stood there trying to decide what to do, for what seemed like 10 minutes.
Then he was all "Fuck it. I don't see Michael Barret out there, Ima run!"
The rest is typical Michigan bowl game history.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:49 AM ^
Don't want to dwell on the negative, and we won this game anyway, but my memory is telling me that Allen missed three FGs against Wisconsin in 2016 to keep the game close until J. Lewis sealed the deal with his sweet pick. Otherwise, Allen was money.
December 7th, 2021 at 7:26 AM ^
He’s been a cornerstone of our special teams. Love the kid, he stuck to his guns when having to compete with Quinn, emerged triumphant, and even if we didn’t try a field goal in either of the last two (and most important) games of the season, nobody was returning any of his kickoffs. Of which, there were plenty. Kid is a stud on a team full of them.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:07 AM ^
I was under the impression that one of the kicker drills is to practice multiple icing attempts and that kickers are often chanting to themselves "Block that kick. Block that kick." while they split the uprights. The image for block that kick is solidly in their mind as a good kick splitting the uprights. Ice water is in their veins.
I don't watch football as much as some but I have never seen a kicker miss a kick after a timeout. (I wonder if I blocked a Michigan horror memory from my mind.)
December 7th, 2021 at 10:33 AM ^
A few years ago I attended a banquet here in Cleveland where the guest speaker was Phil Dawson. At the time Dawson was about the only thing the Browns had that was halfway decent and he talked about the whole concept of "icing" a kicker.
He said what do you think a kicker would rather do. Run out and have to set up immediately without a walk through and have to make a pressure kick while worrying about time potentially running out OR have a chance to gather your thoughts, set up your kick location, talk to your long snapper and your holder, check for wind, check for possible loose footing and get yourself mentially ready to do the one job you're trained to do.
He said in the kicking community the concept of "icing a kicker" is one of the most hillariously wrong things coaches continue to do without fail. He said it's like the prevent defense coaches used to employ that NEVER worked. They do it becasuse other coaches do it and know they wont get second guessed when they do. But it's 100% the wrong thing if your desired outcome is to negatively influence a kick.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:16 AM ^
agree, plus his kickoffs have been a great weapon all year long.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:31 AM ^
So if Moody moves on next year, who is our kicker?
December 7th, 2021 at 9:32 AM ^
Kickers rarely get drafted, so maybe he just decides to stay.
He's a kicker, he's probably majoring in something that will make him rich anyway.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:33 AM ^
Remember Bobby Bowden's FSU teams that were always on the verge of a national championship, but their kickers kept missing extra points and field goals? Then they got Sebastian Janikowski and they won the national championship? Kickers are anonymous and unnoticeable until you need them to win the big game.
Fun fact: Janikowski played 19 years in the NFL. Looks like his last year was 2018. His wikipedia page said his longest FG was 63, when I first saw the number I thought it was his age...
December 7th, 2021 at 9:16 AM ^
Janikowski made his name a national thing at FSU when he obliterated a kick returner burning down the sideline. SportsCenter was like... 'maybe the kicker can push him out of bounds? BOOOOMMMMM!!!!' LMAO! That kid flew about 7 yards through the air...
December 7th, 2021 at 9:57 AM ^
They got a high-profile kicker in '93, Scott Bentley, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and proceeded to miss 7 extra points in his first 5 games. He did kick the (short) FG that beat Nebraska for the national championship that year though, and Nebraska's kicker badly missed a (longer) FG at the gun.
December 7th, 2021 at 8:44 AM ^
Totally agree. We will miss Brad Robbins and Moody next season. Hopefully both will be playing on Sundays
December 7th, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
Special teams is so important, and it seems to grow in importance every year.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:02 AM ^
Oh hell yes. He could be the difference in one of these upcoming games. Oh hell yes.
December 7th, 2021 at 9:24 AM ^
B1G foot, B1G life, B1G Ten
December 7th, 2021 at 9:48 AM ^
He's so good that I quit watching his kicks halfway through the year because I already knew it was good & I needed a beer