K Aaron Pettrey (Las Vegas Locos - UFL)

[osugrad21]

Link

Neither kicker gets a leg up
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
09/03/2006

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COLUMBUS -- Under the circumstances, those handicapping the kicker race between Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorius would have to call it a draw.


Pettrey boomed three of his four kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, but he pushed a 44-yard attempt wide right. Pretorius was a little shorter on his two kickoffs and he was short on a 51-yard attempt in the second quarter. But the rain and slick field hurt the kickers as much as anyone.

''It wasn't the ideal game for a guy being the first time out there under the gun, because kicking is all about your plant foot and there was a little slippage in your plant foot,'' coach Jim Tressel said. ''You couldn't really attack the ball maybe like you normally do and especially if you're a rookie.''

Ultimately, Pettrey entered with a slight advantage. After one game, it's probably still that way.

Nice debut

Freshman phenom Chris Wells made his debut yesterday, carrying 10 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. But he also fumbled once when he ran into Stan White.

He was also on the field when Justin Zwick fumbled while trying to hand off, but that one wasn't Wells' fault. He never even received the ball from Zwick.

''I thought Chris did a good job running hard,'' offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said. ''But a couple of times we put the ball on the ground. One of the times it wasn't his fault and maybe neither time was. But whether it's his fault or not, we can't put the ball on the ground.''

In the running back distribution, Antonio Pittman carried 19 times, Wells got his 10 and Maurice Wells carried five times for 16 yards.

Tressel was hoping to give the backs a few more carries, but new NCAA rules put into effect this year to shorten the games is working -- Ohio State and Northern Illinois combined to run 126 plays yesterday, down 15 from last year's average college football game.

''It was a shorter game,'' Tressel said, ''so we didn't have as many carries as we would've liked.''

Quarterback shuffle

Tressel picked an odd time to insert Zwick yesterday. While Northern Illinois had possession early in the fourth quarter, Zwick was on the sideline practicing the exchange with center Doug Datish and appearing ready to enter the game.

But the Huskies scored on the drive to make it 35-12 and the Buckeyes took over on their own 20, so Troy Smith came back out with the offense. After completing a 56-yard pass to Ted Ginn that moved the ball into the red zone, Zwick rushed onto the field after one more play to take over at quarterback.

On his first play, Zwick got his feet tangled after taking the snap, tripped and fumbled. Northern Illinois recovered.

''We wanted to get Justin some snaps,'' Bollman said. ''We were backed up a little bit in our own end, so once we moved the ball out of there, we wanted to get Justin in the game.''

Quick start

Redshirt freshman receiver Brian Hartline wound up in the starting lineup yesterday because of Roy Hall's ankle sprain. It didn't take Smith long to work him into the offense.

Ohio State's first offensive play went to Hartline, lined up in the slot, for 32 yards.

''That was great to get it all out of the way on one play,'' Hartline said. ''First start, first catch, all of it. Then I could relax and just play the game.''

It was Hartline's only catch of the game. He and fellow freshman Brian Robiskie were two of the pleasant surprises of camp. Robiskie had three catches for 32 yards.

Extra points

Smith moved into 11th place on Ohio State's total offense list with 4,438 yards. Yesterday he passed former quarterback Rex Kern's total of 4,158 ... Antonio Pittman's 111 yards gives him nine games over 100. He has scored at least one touchdown in six straight games ... Ohio State's defensive line accounted for 3 1/2 sacks ... Safety Brandon Mitchell led the defense with nine tackles.

[email protected]

 

[bucknut11]

Big Ten names players of the week

Second straight week an OSU kicker wins the special teams award. Teddy, it's your turn

Congrats to Aaron!

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State
FR, K, Raceland, Ky./Raceland-Worthington
Pettrey was perfect on a pair of field goals from beyond 40 yards and scored 10 points in Ohio State's win over Cincinnati. The freshman kicker opened the scoring with a career-long 47-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a 3-0 advantage. He then added a 43-yarder in the second quarter to pull OSU within one point (7-6) before the hosts pulled away for a 37-7 victory. Pettrey also put five of his seven kickoffs into the endzone for a touchback. He collects the first special teams honor of his career.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Pettrey earns Big Ten special teams honor
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State kicker Aaron Pettrey is on a three-field-goal streak, and the Big Ten office apparently is impressed, because yesterday he was named the league?s special teams player of the week.
Pettrey made both of his field-goal tries ? from 47 and 43 yards ? in the first half as the No. 1 Buckeyes struggled for a time offensively in the 37-7 win over Cincinnati on Saturday. Going back to his 31-yarder in the 24-7 win at Texas, the redshirt freshman from Raceland, Ky., has made three in a row.
Plus, five of his seven kickoffs against UC went for touchbacks. On one of the two that were returned, he was in on a touchown-saving tackle.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Dispatch

Pettrey earns Big Ten special teams honor
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State kicker Aaron Pettrey is on a three-field-goal streak, and the Big Ten office apparently is impressed, because yesterday he was named the league?s special teams player of the week.
Pettrey made both of his field-goal tries ? from 47 and 43 yards ? in the first half as the No. 1 Buckeyes struggled for a time offensively in the 37-7 win over Cincinnati on Saturday. Going back to his 31-yarder in the 24-7 win at Texas, the redshirt freshman from Raceland, Ky., has made three in a row.
Plus, five of his seven kickoffs against UC went for touchbacks. On one of the two that were returned, he was in on a touchown-saving tackle.

He was actually a little physical on that tackle too!

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

TWO-QUESTION INTERVIEW



Monday, October 23, 2006

The freshman remains the most un tested part of the No. 1 team in the country. He made a ca reer-long 51-yard field goal Saturday and followed it up with the first extra-point miss of his career. He's 6-of-9 on field goals and 35-of-36 on extra points in his first season kicking for the Buckeyes, and he said he's healthy after a strained hip flexor kept him from kicking off for two games.
Q: Are you feeling better, like you're in a groove now?
A: I feel really good. I've been kicking the ball really well in practice. I was trying way too hard; I was overkicking things. And maybe on my extra point, I may have overkicked it. But in practice, I've been kicking the ball real well, real smooth.
Q: If you have to make the game-winning kick against Michigan, how will you feel walking on the field?
A: Hopefully just like an extra point - get out there and make it.
- Doug Lesmerises

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Patient Pettrey now confident starting kicker for Ohio State


By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Thursday, October 26, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Ohio State kicker Aaron Pettrey may be just a redshirt freshman, but he doesn't think he'll become unnerved if he has to attempt a game-winning field goal next month against Michigan with precious few seconds left.
"I'll just try to treat it like an extra point and put it through," he said.
Extras

Photos

Aaron Pettrey has made six of his last seven field-goal attempts for Ohio State, including a 51-yarder last week against Indiana.Click to enlarge




The 20-year-old Pettrey verbally committed to the Buckeyes before graduating from high school in Raceland, Ky., in 2004. But, because of a numbers crunch, he had to wait two years before getting that promised scholarship.
Pettrey admitted the delay was frustrating, but he spent the time honing his craft, and he's begun to carry on the tradition of masterful kicking at OSU established by predecessors Mike Nugent and Josh Huston.
"I thought the wait helped me a lot," Pettrey said. "If I would have been up here, I would have been sitting behind Josh instead of playing. Instead, I was getting stronger and getting better as a kicker."
Excitement at home
Steve Pettrey works in the communications department for CSX Railroad in Raceland, Ky., but most of the communicating he's doing these days is about his son, Aaron.
The tiny town tucked in the northeast corner of the state is abuzz over the exploits of the redshirt freshman kicker for Ohio State. And while the conversation in the community of about 2,500 usually turns to Kentucky Wildcats basketball this time of year, the elder Pettrey has noticed a profound change.
"All the talk is about Aaron ? in stores, Friday nights at the high school games, in church," Steve Pettrey said this week by phone. "All the people are asking about him, and a lot of them are praying, too."
Those heavenly petitions just might be working.
Getting on a roll
After missing his first two field goals this season, including a 28-yarder against Texas, Pettrey has drilled six of his past seven tries, his only miss a 53-yarder against Penn State.
He connected from 51 yards against Indiana last week, although a blown extra point (his first in 36 attempts) detracted somewhat from his day.
"I've been kicking the ball real well in practice," Pettrey said. "I was trying way too hard (early in the year). I was over-kicking, which might have been what I did on that extra point. But in practice, I've been real smooth."
Pettrey was a standout kicker even in PeeWee leagues. While most teams went for 2-point conversions after scoring, Pettrey's coaches trotted him out for PATs.
"He was kicking field goals in the fifth grade," Steve Pettrey said. "Even in little league, he was doing all the extra points. They couldn't wait to get him in high school."
Pettrey set a state record with a 58-yard field goal at Raceland-Worthington High School and also was an all-star quarterback. But his route to OSU became an odyssey.
Long road paying off now
He accepted a scholarship after his senior year in 2003, but he was asked to grayshirt (wait another year before enrolling) because Mike Nugent was wrapping up his All-American career in 2004.
Then, when OSU found out the strong-legged Josh Huston was granted a medical redshirt year for 2005, they told Pettrey he'd have to wait even longer.
"A lot of times, we were second-guessing ourselves and would get down," Steve Pettrey said. "But he wanted to hold on. He knew he'd get that scholarship sooner or later."
After taking classes at a pair of junior colleges for one school year and then paying his own way to OSU for another 18 months, Pettrey finally went on scholarship last winter.
Indiana, Murray State, Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky all tried to lure him away in the meantime, but the 20-year-old Pettrey wasn't willing to abandon his dream of playing on a big stage.
"I had a lot of other offers, but I already told everybody this was where I wanted to go," he said. "This is the best place to do this. I wasn't going to make it seem like I was wrong or let anybody down. I told (the Buckeyes) I'd stick with them."
Asked what he learned about his son through the ordeal, Steve Pettrey said, "He's not a quitter, that's for sure."
And that persistence is not only paying off for him and the Buckeyes, but, in Raceland, it's become a conversation piece.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OSU kicker steps into pressure play


Saturday, November 04, 2006

Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter

Champaign, Ill. -- Little evidence has been gathered so far in the case of Ohio State freshman kicker Aaron Pettrey. At least not much in Columbus.
Pettrey has converted 7 of 10 field-goal attempts this season, which ranks him ninth in the Big Ten. The lack of opportunity might stem from the Buckeyes' offense scoring touchdowns, or maybe from a coaching desire to avoid putting pressure on a kid after years of being spoiled by veteran kickers Josh Huston and Mike Nugent.
What's he done when called on? Pettrey missed his shortest attempt of the season, a 28-yarder in the first quarter against Texas, when even coach Jim Tressel could read Pettrey's nerves. He made a 51-yarder against Indiana. Of course, Pettrey followed up his highlight with his first missed extra point, then last week he had a PAT blocked.
So, should fans have faith in this 20-year-old with the syrupy Kentucky accent and the shaggy bangs? More importantly, does he have faith in himself?
We're off to Raceland, Ky., population about 2,400, 102 miles south of Columbus, for answers. Here, Steve Pettrey lives with his wife Lillian and works for the railroad, their two youngest children still students at Raceland High.
"Aaron's quiet like me," Steve Pettrey said of his son. "He doesn't say much." But that leg sure is loud.
There was the time his senior year when Aaron was lining up for a 58-yard field goal that would have set a state record. The other team jumped offside, and the 5-yard penalty shortened the kick to 53 yards.
At least it would have.
"Aaron declined the penalty," Steve Pettrey said. "I don't think the coach thought much of that."
Not until he made the 58-yarder.
The leg had to walk a long way to reach Ohio State. Pettrey graduated from high school in 2004, but was asked by the Buckeyes to bide his time before winding his way onto a scholarship. As a walk-on, his application as a student was initially rejected, so Pettrey enrolled at two community colleges.
Aaron had offers to kick for some Division I-AA schools and a walk-on offer from Kentucky. Then came a letter inviting Aaron to Ohio State's kicking camp. That started the road to Columbus.
"I always told everybody this is where I wanted to go," Aaron Pettrey said. "I didn't want to make it seem like I was wrong, or I didn't want to let anybody else down. So I just told them I'd stick with them."
He made it to campus last fall, but paid his own way for a quarter until Huston used up his eligibility and Pettrey picked up his scholarship for winter quarter. In preseason camp, the competition to replace Huston was even until Pettrey bested Ryan Pretorius, a 27-year-old sophomore, in the kick scrimmage.
Despite the extra point miscues, Pettrey had converted his past four field-goal tries, his most recent miss a 53-yarder against Penn State six games ago. Frankly, it probably won't matter much what Pettrey does today against Illinois or next week against Northwestern.
But on Nov. 18, he might have to beat Michigan. If that happens, he'll think back to Raceland. Since that camp at Ohio State, Steve and Aaron Pettrey have ended their kicking sessions the same way.
They'd back up to 55, 60, 62 yards and say, "This kick is to beat Michigan."
Would Aaron make them?
"Most of the time he would," Steve Pettrey said.
Thing is, he's not in Raceland anymore.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
Pettrey prepared for pressure kick
Friday, January 05, 2007
Ken Gordon and Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

If the national championship game Monday comes down to a field-goal try, it?s impossible to say how Ohio State kicker Aaron Pettrey will handle it.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Five yards don't bother Ohio State kicker

In an effort to make football games faster, the NCAA moves kickoffs to the 30-yard line.

By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Sunday, April 15, 2007
COLUMBUS ? A year after lowering the kicking tee from 2 inches to 1, college football conformed again to NFL standards by moving kickoffs this season from the 35-yard line to the 30.
Ohio State sophomore kicker Aaron Pettrey isn't bothered by the changes, but he wouldn't mind seeing the NCAA target another position the next time it decides to tweak the game.

Cont...

 

[bkochmc]

DDN

In an effort to make football games faster, the NCAA moves kickoffs to the 30-yard line.

Maybe I'm smoking crack but I thought the kickoffs were moved back 5 yards so there would be more returns? And I thought the NCAA is going back to the 2005 clock rules (which extends the game compared to last year) because of complaints? Silly, misleading article summaries...

 

[MrsB]

Maybe I'm smoking crack but I thought the kickoffs were moved back 5 yards so there would be more returns? And I thought the NCAA is going back to the 2005 clock rules (which extends the game compared to last year) because of complaints? Silly, misleading article summaries...

I did read that the clock changes had been reversed and wherever it was also reminded that the games would be 3 1/2 hours long again. It would make sense that a touchback rather than a runback would speed up the game by about 3 sec per kick :tongue2:

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

OSU kicker feels spring pressure

Pettrey makes a long, game-winning extra point during the annual kicking scrimmage.

​

By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Friday, April 20, 2007
COLUMBUS ? Ohio State's Aaron Pettrey kicks like a jug of moonshine, and he showed last season that his powerful right leg is plenty accurate, too, having drilled nine of his last 10 field-goal attempts.
But while the sophomore from Kentucky may not have to worry about job security anymore, he still felt his pulse quicken Thursday when the outcome of the team's annual spring kicking scrimmage rested on his shoulders.

Cont...

 

[BB73]

From the first day of practice:

ozone

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Rewatched the Northwestern game last night. Pettrey kicked his first four kickoffs completely over the end zone (one or two went through the uprights)...

 

[RoscoeParrish]

Rewatched the Northwestern game last night. Pettrey kicked his first four kickoffs completely over the end zone (one or two went through the uprights)...

Advantage, OSU. Also gives more room for the KR team to make blocks further up the field.