Former Seminoles K Weinberg Could Kick Miami to Postseason
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In a sign
of the college football times, former Florida State kicker Jake Weinberg decided
that the grass was greener in South Florida and moved to Coral Gables to kick
for the Miami Hurricanes (5-0, 3-0 in the ACC).
With his leg strength and
accuracy, Weinberg could be a factor in Miami securing their spot in the postseason.
The way
the Hurricanes are playing this season, destroying opponents on both sides of
the ball, it does not appear that the Hurricanes will dissipate over the
college football landscape any time soon.
They have
scored 49.6 points per game on offense, and held opponents to just 9.8 points
per game defensively. They have left scorched earth in their wake as they look
to steamroll their way to an ACC title and a spot in the College Football
Playoff.
With that
kind of early-season success, Weinberg has gotten a ton of live game practice
to hone his craft. On kickoffs this season, Weinberg has averaged 88.24 percent
on touchbacks. He has converted 5-of-6 on field goals, and is a perfect
26-of-26 on field goals for the Hurricanes.
Weinberg’s
long of this season came on Saturday against Clemson, when he converted from
50-yards out. He also hit one from 24 yards against the Tigers in a 41-13 win. Weinberg
also has one in the books from 46 yards against Stanford to open the season.
Last
season with the Seminoles, Weinberg converted 12-of-19 field goals (63 percent)
and was 46 of 46 on extra points. When Weinberg kicked off, the result was a
touchback 91 percent of the time.
Against
Virginia on the road in the first overtime period, Weinberg gave Florida State
the lead, but the Seminoles defense faltered as the Cavaliers pulled out the 46-38
win in a second overtime period.
Weinberg
posted three games last season with Florida State in which he converted multiple
field goals, two each against Miami, Stanford, and Virginia Tech. However,
Florida State limped to a 5-7 finish.
Kicker
Gabe Panikowski has taken over for Weinberg in the kicking game for Florida State
this season, and has been perfect. Panikowski has converted 6-of-6 field goals
and is 20-of-20 on extra points. Four of his six field goals have been from 40
yards or further.
Panikowski
converted from 44 yards out in the 38-7 win over Virginia on Saturday. It was
Florida State’s first conference win of the season.
Weinberg
will face off against his former team in two weeks when Florida State travels
to Miami to take on the Hurricanes on Oct. 17.
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