For a kicker, confidence is a tricky commodity. It often wanes with one or two balls missing the uprights.
But regaining self-belief can be just as simple. Earlier this month at Texas, Cal kicker Matt Anderson started to feel more at ease when he converted a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter. It marked the start of a much-needed hot streak.
“I’m a big excitement player,” Anderson said this week. “So having everyone coming up to me cheering and telling me, ‘Hey, good job,’ it really boosted my confidence. It’s definitely high right now.”
The sophomore used a torrid stretch in preseason practices — for two weeks, he didn’t miss a field goal inside 57 yards — to beat out junior Noah Beito for the starting job.