Where to line up those laces

When Ace Ventura’s world clashed with the Miami Dolphins in a search for their mascot, he stumbled into cracking the case when an ex-kicker kidnapped Dan Marino with the intent to kill, screaming repeatedly, “Laces out!”

And you thought kickers weren’t tough.

During this season, the Hoosiers hope to avoid a similar situation despite turnover in both the placeholder and kicker position.

Heading into his third season, IU football coach Bill Lynch and his staff are stressing one simple motto: Play the next play.

The universal slogan preaches to the players that no matter how good or bad the last play was, the next one is where their focus should shift.

It works for everyone – except the kicker and holder.

How can players who touch the field only a handful of times move on from their previous performance, especially when their one play affects the game in such a do-or-die way?

Placeholder Teddy Schell, taking over the full-time holder responsibilities with the graduation of Dustin Hass, knows exposure on the field goal unit comes with a price.

“If you screw up, that’s the only way you are going to get noticed,” Schell said.

While the kicking game is important to every team, history has proven that the Hoosiers count on every point their field goal team can produce.

Of their 39 victories during the past 10 years, 13 of them have been decided by three or fewer points. Half of the team’s top 10 on the school’s all-time scoring list are kickers.

Last year alone, kicker Austin Starr accounted for 23 percent of the team’s points, leading the squad with 57 total points.

In fact, Starr led the team in scoring in each season since 2006.

In order for the kicker to produce all these points, the holder and the long snapper have to do their jobs correctly.

For co-special teams coordinator Dennis Springer, a good field goal starts and ends with the holder.

Through this year’s camp, Springer has had to coach a new No. 1 holder in Schell.

“He’s as important as anyone on that team,” Springer said. “I tell him all the time that he’s the leader of that extra point and field goal team. His energy and his ability to get that snap down, no matter where it is, is extremely important.”

Not only does the team have a new holder, but also a battle for a Starr replacement.

No one questions Starr’s performance on the field, as his numbers are good for sixth all-time on the IU scoring list, but Schell is happy to have more easygoing kickers in his first year as a full-time holder.

“Austin was a lot more meticulous about where he wanted the ball,” Schell said. “I always say that I have it much easier than Dustin Hass. These kickers are a little bit more forgiving.”

Long snapper Jeff Sanders, the man responsible for getting the ball to Schell, feels confident in his ability to make a seamless transition between Haas and Schell.

“I’m there to make his job easy,” Sanders said. “As long as I put it right there in the bread basket there shouldn’t be any problems.”

With a team that is expected by everybody to fight for every point, the growth and development of Sanders, Schell and whoever wins the kicking battle is arguably going to have the most impact.

Just pay attention to where you line up those laces.