The previous edition of Seminole Stand-off was a special three-player match-up that included the three greatest quarterbacks in Florida State history. Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke, and Jameis Winston were all put under the microscope to see which one had the best case for a selection. While we concluded that Charlie Ward was the most deserving, Noled Out readers had a different idea and chose Jameis Winston with 52 percent of the vote. This week, we focus on a position that gets the most love and the most hate simultaneously — the placekicker.
With a football team partly known for its Wide Right and Wide Left losses, it’s jarring to see how many All-American kickers Florida State has had. Maybe it’s some sort of karmic retribution for all those misses…more likely, it’s the result of coaches realizing just how valuable a good kicker can be. Seminole fans certainly won’t disagree with that.
Two kickers in recent history have proven to be the redemption for at least some of those failures. Graham Gano (2005-2008) and Dustin Hopkins (2009-2012) both would leave Florida State after four years with their names on top of FSU record books. Both have iconic moments associated with them and each one has something in his favor. Today, we will look at each one’s career and try to decide who gets chosen for the FSU all-time team.
The same rules will apply: A player’s NFL career will not be factored into our analysis — we are strictly looking at college performance/legacy. We will attempt to compare players from similar eras as well, meaning you probably won’t see a Fred Biletnikoff vs. Rashad Greene breakdown. Finally, team accomplishments will certainly have a role but we will try to isolate a single player’s impact in order to make it fair.
(Photo courtesy of Florida State athletics)
Graham Gano
Even though he came in 2005, Gano would have to wait until 2008 to become the placekicker for the Seminoles. In 2006 and 2007, he was strictly the punter. He adopted both roles during his senior season on his way to winning the Lou Groza award.
His two punting seasons prior to his senior year were not bad by any means. He was able to average around 42 yards-per-punt and maintain his job as the starter. It was Gano’s 2008 season that is regarded as one of the greatest in Florida State history, hitting field goals at a 92.3 percent mark and finishing as the highest scoring kicker in the country. Gano was named an All-American by eight different publications and was first team All-ACC, in addition to being named the Lou Groza Award winner as the nation’s best college kicker.
Since he only kicked for one year, Gano’s name won’t show up too much on career achievements for FSU. However, he is still top 5 in single-season field goals made, career field goal percentage, and single season field goal percentage. He also set the FSU single-season record for 50-yard field goals after making five straight attempts from 50-yards or further, and his record of 18 consecutive makes is yet another testament to just how automatic he was during the 2008 season. Hopkins also finished his career as the all-time leading scorer among placekickers in college football history.
From 2005 to 2008, the Seminoles went 31-21 with one ACC title and four bowl appearances including the Orange Bowl following the 2005 season. It’s unfortunate that Gano got caught in the middle of the “Lost Decade” but that’s just how it goes sometimes.
Fun fact: Graham Gano is also the only known punter to ever be named the MVP of a bowl game. In the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin, Gano had three punts that landed inside the Badgers’ 3-yard line and averaged 48.2 yards per attempt.
Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins points in celebration after kicking a field goal against Boston College at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Saturday, October 13, 2012. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)
Dustin Hopkins
Known by many for his Golden Shoes and absurd leg power, Hopkins was a 4-year starter who became a fan favorite due to his early career heroics and fantastic kicking range.
It was as a sophomore in 2010 that Hopkins first came into the spotlight after hitting a 55-yard game-winning field goal against Clemson at home. It was considered redemption for his earlier miss against North Carolina, and Hopkins was on his way to a good career. His field goal percentage rose from 70 percent his freshman year to 78.6 percent his sophomore year to 81.5 percent his junior year, and finally to 83.3 percent during his senior year of 2012. By the end of 2012, he was named a first team All-American and a 2-time first team All-ACC selection. While he wasn’t as accurate as other kickers before him, he was just as trustworthy.
Since he started all four years, Hopkins holds the FSU records for most career field goals made, most points kicking, most PATs made, and most field goals attempted. He is also tied with Gano for 50-yard field goals in one season, but pulls ahead in career 50-yard field goals with nine. To have a kicker that can consistently deliver from 50 or more yards is a blessing that any offense would love to have. Without Hopkins and his range, there’s no doubt that the Seminoles lose a few more games during his career.
Those FSU teams went 38-16 with one ACC title and four bowl appearances including the Orange Bowl at the end of Hopkins’ senior year. Unlike Gano and his teams, Hopkins and the ‘Noles won all four of their bowl match-ups.
Who’s The Choice?
Picking between Gano and Hopkins is like picking between versatility and potential. On one hand, Gano was a good punter in addition to being a great placekicker but there are no big games associated with Gano aside from the Champs Sports Bowl. He never made a game-winning kick or had an iconic moment like Hopkins did. Hopkins had more of a wow factor that was due in part to his amazing ability to kick the ball straight through the uprights from near midfield. Look at the Clemson field goal posted above — that kick would have been good from almost 60.
Yet, it is hard to deny that Gano’s 2008 season was the best out of any listed in this article so far. His absurd 92.3 percentage of field goals made is still the highest in school history and he has the Lou Groza to show for it. A good punting year combined with an amazing kicking year makes Gano stand out from the others.
The records are a wash because they both find themselves listed under a lot of categories. It’s back to the first sentence: Do you want the guy who can amaze you with his ability, or do you want the guy who can impress at different positions? With that in mind, Graham Gano is the selection for his extraordinary 2008 year and his combined prowess at both punting and kicking. Though have no doubt: If you need a 55-yard field goal or longer, Dustin Hopkins is where you want to look. Perhaps the craziest part of this whole comparison is the guy kicking right now (Roberto Aguayo) has a serious chance of passing them both.
Do you agree with the pick? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook or the comments below. If there’s any match-up you want to see dissected, make sure to mention it as well!
