Mahoney awaits shot at big kick

Grant Mahoney figures he'll get his chance eventually.

One of these days, the Iowa State sophomore will be sent out to kick a game-winning field goal. To loosen up while the offense drives late in the game, kick a few balls into the net and then trot onto the field with only seconds to play - that's a kicker's dream for Mahoney.

“I'd love to have a chance to knock through a game-winner,” he said.

If that chance would come in Saturday's home game with Iowa, it would be all the more satisfying. Mahoney won the Cyclones' placekicking job as a freshman last season and has said the pressure got to him only once.

That happened in Iowa City, when he missed three of his four field goal tries in a 17-5 loss to the Hawkeyes. Two of those misses came from inside 40 yards.

“Last year is behind me,” Mahoney said. “It's in the past.”

But not entirely forgotten. Mahoney admitted that some of his friends and former teammates at Linn-Mar contributed to his jitters in that game.

“Even in pre-game, I could hear my friends yelling out inside jokes at me,” he said. “I just lost focus.”

That game at Iowa showed the Cyclones more than any other the consequences of breakdowns in special teams play.

Along with the missed field goals, Andy Brodell weaved through Iowa State's punt coverage team on an 81-yard return for a touchdown. ISU trailed only 10-3 before Brodell got loose with 6:19 left in the game, pretty much ending the Cyclones' hopes of winning.

“We missed some tackles, some guys got out of their lanes,” said safety Michael O'Connell, who was on that coverage team. “Anytime you do that on punt coverage, that allows the returner a seam and Brodell did a good job capitalizing on the opportunity.”

The Cyclones also gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown in a 38-10 loss at Baylor last year.

Coverage teams want no more of that this season, and they got off to a good start in Iowa State's 34-17 season-opening victory over North Dakota State.

Punter Michael Brandtner averaged 49.2 yards on four kicks and only one was returned. The Cyclones tackled the returner for a 3-yard loss. Mahoney's kickoffs gave the coverage team enough time to hustle under them and hold the returns to an average of 15 yards.

“We had a number of people step up and make plays and that's the way it's got to be on those units,” Coach Paul Rhoads said.

Two elements have to mix properly to prevent long kick returns, said O'Connell, a junior who played at Iowa City Regina. “Guys have got to stay in their gaps and defeat blocks and maintain their gaps. If everybody can do that, we'll be able to get stops on those coverage teams. But the second guys get out of their gaps and give them a seam, that's when big returns happen.”

And the second thing?

“You've got to make tackles when you have the opportunity in kick coverage,” he said. “Anytime you miss tackles, that's going to give them a chance to get one out.”