Blaming the kicker misses the point

It's fourth down in a football game, there's less than 10 seconds left and the score is neck-and-neck as the kicking unit walks onto the field. The game is on the line. It’s a scene familiar to American football fans, as is the tendency to place the blame for the game’s outcome squarely on the kicker’s shoulders. This anger, while seemingly justified to fans, is ultimately misplaced.

Sports are played by humans, and humans make mistakes. But, this imperfection is part of what makes sports fun and worth watching. These games aren't just about physical skill; it's seeing who can outsmart an opponent without leaving any weaknesses vulnerable — who is able to not crumble under the pressure.

That said, football is a game of countless small battles. Each game has around 140 plays, with all 24 on-field players contributing in ways that can tip the scales in their favor. On any given play, a wide receiver might beat his cornerback to get open, or an offensive lineman might read the defense perfectly to keep the pocket intact for the quarterback. These moments matter, and cumulatively, they determine the outcome of the game.

But here’s the challenge: these micro-battles are hard to quantify, and their individual impact often gets lost in the sea of plays. To address this, I’ve created a crude scale to classify the most notable game actions:

1. Directly Game-Changing Plays: Plays that directly lead to or prevent scoring.
2. Likely Game-Changing Plays: Plays that create scenarios with a high probability of leading to or preventing scoring.
3. Possibly Game-Changing Plays: Plays that lead to scenarios where scoring, or preventing a score, is possible where it wouldn't have been before.

Let’s apply this scale to this year’s Orange Bowl, where No. 7 Notre Dame earned a spot in the National Championship with a dramatic 41-yard field goal in the final seconds to beat No. 6 Penn State. While this field goal was the final turning point, other moments in the game were just as critical.

In this game, I identified four examples of directly game-changing plays:

1. In the first quarter, Notre Dame intercepted a pass at their own 0-yard line, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty. This play would have prevented Penn State from scoring a field goal later in the same drive.
2. In the second quarter, Penn State threw an incomplete pass at the goal line. The pass was on target but dropped by Nicholas Singleton, forcing PSU to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown.
3. In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame intercepted a pass, but the play was nullified by a pass interference penalty. This play would have prevented Penn State from scoring a touchdown two plays later.
4. In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame scored a touchdown off a 54-yard pass to Jaden Greathouse, who was left wide open after cornerback Cam Miller tripped.

Additionally, I identified three likely game-changing plays:

1. In the second quarter, Penn State successfully converted on 4th & 2, leading to their first touchdown of the game. If they had failed, Notre Dame would have taken possession.
2. In the second quarter, Penn State sacked Notre Dame’s quarterback after a high snap on the 15-yard line, pushing them back to the 23. This forced Notre Dame to settle for a field goal instead of a potential touchdown.
3. In the fourth quarter, Drew Allar threw an interception that was returned to the Penn State 42-yard line. This set up Notre Dame’s game-winning field goal. Without this turnover, the game likely would have gone into overtime.

And three possibly game-changing plays:

1. In the first quarter, Notre Dame threw an interception.
2. In the third quarter, Notre Dame completed a 36-yard pass to the Penn State 19 to put them in scoring range. They scored their first touchdown of the game three plays later.
3. In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame threw an interception on the first play of their drive.

Additionally during this game there were 43 first downs and nine punts. Each of these represents multiple opportunities  when either team could have extended or ended a drive, respectively.

This same line of thinking also applies to calls from referees who may not go the way you wanted. Referees are also humans who make mistakes, but again, in a sea of judgement calls — some of which may have ultimately benefited your team, despite being incorrect — these aren’t the sole reason for the game’s outcome.

While this method of thinking can be applied to other sports, it can also be applied to life. Looking only at the last thing to happen is rarely a path to success.

If Notre Dame’s kicker had missed its winning field goal, would that have been a mistake? Certainly. But, to only focus solely on that moment and ignore the many other turning points that contributed to the result isn't just wrong, but actively counter productive. In order to become a team that doesn’t need a clutch field goal to win, you must address the other mistakes — and that starts by giving them the attention and weight they deserve.

Ethan Niser is a UF computer science freshman.