IOWA CITY − Late within the second quarter of final yr’s regular-season finale for Iowa soccer, Drew Stevens’ physique was chilly. Then a sophomore, he was within the midst of the worst day of his school kicking profession. With Iowa main Nebraska, 10-7, Stevens lined up a chip-shot, 24-yard subject aim from the left hash at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
Stevens’ day was about to go from unhealthy to worse. The kicked soccer took a low trajectory off Stevens’ foot, and a Nebraska rusher blocked it. The batted ball nearly cruelly bounced again into Stevens’ arms. So, he tried to make one thing out of nothing. Stevens’ desperation spin was smacked by a trio of Cornhuskers, and the unhealthy play was full.
Issues bought even worse after halftime, when Stevens’ second-half-opening kickoff flew out of bounds. A day that included two out-of-bounds kickoffs, two blocked subject objectives and a heated sideline spat with offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz ended with Stevens being benched for the remainder of the second half.
Round that very same time, 18-year-old Rhys Dakin was sitting at residence in Melbourne, Australia. He had gotten conversant in countryman Tory Taylor, who had turn out to be a punting legend at Iowa. Dakin had turn out to be an American soccer punting prospect and was three weeks away from verbally committing to the Hawkeyes as their punter of the long run.
That backdrop is to say that Iowa’s kicking recreation has come a good distance, each actually (in miles) and figuratively, within the final 9 months. Stevens and Dakin have been two of the celebs of Iowa’s latest “Youngsters Day at Kinnick” open apply and have the expertise and potential to be a dominant special-teams pairing for the Twenty fifth-ranked Hawkeyes’ season forward.
Drew Stevens’ modified mindset takes maintain
Loopy to consider: Stevens hasn’t tried a PAT or subject aim because the debacle in Lincoln. Iowa was shut out by Michigan (26-0) within the Huge Ten Championship Sport and by Tennessee (35-0) within the Citrus Bowl. He nonetheless hasn’t had an on-field shot at redemption. However he believes he has turned issues round since November. His apply efficiency has given him that reassurance.
“I used to be raised in a household the place you don’t stop. Whenever you’re down, you don’t stop,” Stevens stated. “Greater than something, (the Nebraska recreation) fueled me to coach even more durable this offseason.”
Regardless of a 53-yard subject aim to basically stroll off a 10-7 Hawkeye victory over Northwestern at Wrigley Area in early November, Stevens skilled what he termed “a sophomore droop.” He had been second-team all-Huge Ten as a real freshman, when he transformed 16-of-18 subject objectives (89%) and 24-of-24 additional factors. In Yr 2, the North Augusta, S.C., native regressed to an 18-of-26 mark on subject objectives – solely 69%, together with 5 misses in November – and even endured his first (and solely) profession missed PAT.
Stevens’ leg power is elite. He has no downside getting the gap of field-goal tries within the 60-yard vary. His offseason focus has been on the psychological aspect of kicking, one thing profitable former kickers at Iowa (like fellow Carolinian Keith Duncan) have embraced.
“I by no means even appeared there earlier than. I used to be all the time targeted on different issues,” Stevens stated. “Final yr, I felt like I lacked a routine within the psychological aspect. I had a bodily routine.”
He now has an entire psychological guidelines earlier than he swings his proper leg right into a soccer. And as soon as he’s completed a kicking session in apply, he’ll set a timer for precisely 20 minutes – understanding that’s concerning the time his physique must get heat once more – and hop on an train bike. He realized that lesson from the sport at Nebraska, when he was bodily chilly and realizes now he wasn’t absolutely able to kick a soccer by means of the uprights or into the top zone.
“I’ve a set psychological routine now. I’ve bought this, this and this,” Stevens stated, referring to his guidelines. “And that’s the way it’s going to be. I simply wish to put myself able that I don’t miss due to how I’m pondering. And in the end, that builds you extra confidence.”
On Youngsters Day, Stevens was an ideal 6-for-6 on subject objectives throughout the 11-on-11 scrimmage portion, when there’s a stay cross rush. His holder has been backup punter Ty Nissen. Longtime lengthy snapper Luke Elkin helps get the operation off to a clean begin. Stevens completed the apply with a 52-yard subject aim to cap a drive that stalled.
That has been indicative of his fall-camp efficiency.
With an offense that can undoubtedly be inconsistent underneath first-year coordinator Tim Lester, Stevens might be an necessary think about profitable low-scoring video games. As a junior in 2019, Duncan related on a Huge Ten-record 29 subject objectives, serving to Iowa to a 10-3 file. Now a junior himself, Stevens has that kind of potential.
“He’s bought a large leg. He’s actually gifted,” special-teams coordinator LeVar Woods stated throughout a windy media day Aug. 9. “You’ve bought a wind like this, he can hit from wherever he needs. Now comes the consistency within the ball-striking, the ball flight, the accuracy.”
Rhys Dakin already getting confused with Tory Taylor
And that’s most likely an indication that issues are off to a very good begin in Iowa for Dakin, who like Taylor – the Ray Man Award winner because the nation’s prime punter and a fourth-round NFL Draft decide of the Chicago Bears – will put on No. 9 for the Hawkeyes.
“I’ve gotten a pair questions like, ‘Are you Tory Taylor?’ Due to the accent, I suppose,” Dakin, now 19, stated at media day. “He’s undoubtedly left a very good impression out right here, and I hope I can stay as much as it.”
That the majority lately occurred whereas selecting up meals at Bruegger’s Bagels, Dakin stated.
Dakin additionally might’ve been confused with Taylor primarily based on his efficiency on the Youngsters Day apply. Dakin’s first punt of the 11-on-11 portion boomed over the return man’s head for a web of 60 or so yards. His accuracy in early special-teams drills was spectacular when it got here to cornering punts contained in the 10-yard line. His first punt from the opponent’s 46 flew out of bounds on the 1; his subsequent one checked up on the 4 and rolled useless on the 7. His subsequent one solely bought to the 18. Consistency is Dakin’s greatest impediment for the time being, however the ability is there.
Media day, per Woods, was Dakin’s greatest day of fall camp in gusty winds. Dakin’s efficiency has been reassuring, contemplating Woods and Iowa dipped again into the Prokick Australia program for what they hoped would turn out to be the following Taylor.
Dakin’s energy is simple. However his dangle time on punts would possibly turn out to be his calling card. A median dangle time on NFL punts is round 4½ seconds. Dakin stated he’s hit 5.7 seconds on some kicks.
“When he bought right here, there wasn’t a ton of technical issues to work on,” Woods stated. “It’s extra about understanding the sport, understanding the conditions, understanding when to hit what shot.”
Dakin, like Taylor in 2020, hasn’t performed a recreation of American soccer. There might be an adjustment interval as soon as there are 69,250 followers within the stands on Aug. 31 and a screaming punt rush coming towards him. That was one thing Taylor perfected over time.
“I’m fairly proud of the place I’m at,” Dakin stated. “Positively improved since getting right here.”
Backside line: Only a few weeks earlier than Iowa’s 2024 season kickoff, the Hawkeyes’ kicking recreation is in an excellent place. And contemplating the unknowns that confronted this program 9 months in the past, that is fairly reassuring.
Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 29 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports activities Community. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports activities Columnist of the Yr and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Yr in Iowa. Be part of Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Observe @ChadLeistikow on Twitter.
