Meyer knows view from the top can be temporary

IOWA CITY -- Mike Meyer measures his success as a kicker on a lot of levels.

With field goals, the sophomore had a fairly successful freshman season, nailing 14 of 17, including 8 of 10 from 30 to 49 yards. He also averaged 65.1 yards on 69 kickoffs. His 15 touchbacks were 10 more than Iowa had in all of 2009. Meyer went from walk-on to scholarship because of his '10 performance.

Still, look around at Iowa kicker. Junior Trent Mossbrucker is still around and still on scholarship. Iowa also picked up a walk-on in Solon's Marshall Koehn, who hit 13 of 18 field goals with a long of 48 at Solon.

Meyer started No. 3 last season, behind Daniel Murray and Mossbrucker. The page flipped when Mossbrucker had a critical PAT blocked at Arizona, allowing the Wildcats to remain tied in the fourth quarter.

So, Meyer knows that the page can turn quickly at kicker.

"I'm not sure I could answer that right now," Meyer said when asked if he'd be the kicker if the Hawkeyes had a game this week. "No, I definitely have to win it back in the fall. No one has a big head or anything. It's always about getting better. You can't be complacent."

From Tuesday's interview, it sounds as though the kickers are easing into their summer schedule. They have three practice sessions a week and boot 15 balls. "It's more about quality and not quantity," Meyer said.

The competition heats up in camp, which for the Hawkeyes begins around the first week of August.

"The competition between Trent and I isn't just if you miss [kicks], but overall how you kick in your performances," Meyer said.

One point of emphasis for Meyer this offseason is kickoff. This is a team-wide point of emphasis after finishing 50th in the nation and allowing a kickoff return for a TD at Arizona.

"Last year, I had the tendency to loft the ball up and let it get caught up in the wind more," Meyer said. "I'm trying to drive it more, so hopefully. It'll cut through the wind."

Last season, coaches asked Meyer to try to boom it. This year, he's looking for better placement, kicking to a spot to limit return options.

"Yeah, it helps the team out a lot more when you can put it on one side of the field. It eliminates how far they can carry the ball," he said.

Even though his longest field goal last season was only 42 yards, Meyer believes in his leg strength. He missed only one from 40 yards. Perhaps his worst miss was a 22-yarder at Indiana. It almost came back to bite the Hawkeyes, who won only after IU receiver Demarlo Belcher dropped a TD pass with 22 seconds left.

"I'm more concerned with accuracy right now," Meyer said. "I think the power is there, so accuracy is something I'm working on."