In a 47-40 double-overtime victory against No. 1 Clemson on Nov. 7, Notre Dame kicker Jonathan Doerer represented the only Fighting Irish offensive weapon to put points on the board for a 59-minute stretch of the game.
This occurred after running back Kyren Williams broke through the Tigers defense and into the end zone 33 seconds into the game, but then the Irish offense didn’t score another offensive touchdown until there were 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
During that span of game time, Notre Dame scored via a fumble recovery linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah returned for a touchdown and four field goals from Doerer, two of which were booted from distances of 44 and 45 yards.
With the game tied 33-33 at the end of regulation, the Irish needed all 12 of the points Doerer scored off of field goals in order to send the game into overtime and eventually prove victorious.
“If you think back to the Clemson game, we don't win that game without Jon Doerer,” said Brian Polian, Notre Dame’s associate head coach and special teams coordinator.
At that point in the season, Doerer was 11-14 on field goals, with one of his misses coming on a 57-yard prayer that fell short at the end of the first half against Clemson. His 78.6 field goal percentage wasn’t otherworldly, but he had made everything inside of 38 yards and converted all of his extra-point tries.
Plus, he was on par with former Irish kicker Justin Yoon’s efficiency during his sophomore (76.5 percent) and junior (77.8) campaigns.
But after making 17 of 20 field goal attempts (85 percent) in 2019, there was still room for improvement.
Instead, over the course of Notre Dame’s final five games, Doerer lost his touch. He botched five of his final nine field goal attempts, which included two short-yardage shanks.
He missed a 24-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter in a rematch against Clemson in the ACC Championship game that particularly hurt. He had already converted a 51-yard field goal in the contest but a miss from close range depleted Notre Dame’s early-game momentum.
Eight minutes later, Clemson had a two-score lead at 14-3 and the Tigers never looked back, eventually winning 34-10.
“Those kicks need to be made,” Polian said. “Jon knows that, and he'd be the first one to tell you. Personally, I think there were some mechanical issues, something that he couldn't quite get comfortable with.”
Thus his confidence declined and his issues became self-fulfilling. His mentality and approach changed as he became too cautious.
“Instead of stepping up there and swinging at the ball, he’s going to try and ease it through the uprights,” Polian said. “It's frustrating to him and it's frustrating to me that I couldn't help him more at the end of the year.”
In ordinary times, Doerer would have used up all four years of his college football eligibility. But the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NCAA to grant all players an extra year, providing Doerer with a chance to redeem his disappointing finish in 2020.
Having a full 15 spring practice should be beneficial to the veteran kicker and help him find his groove once again. Notre Dame had a single spring practice in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“Jon really was affected by the loss of the spring and part of the summer last year,” Polian said. “There's no doubt. He’s said as much. Physically, he didn't feel like he did the year before. But look, we all dealt with it across the country, and we've got to battle through.”
According to Polian, Doerer has had a productive spring, and thus it would be a shock if he were unseated by walk-on kicker Harrison Leonard or incoming scholarship freshman Joshua Bryan.
The Notre Dame coaching staff knows Doerer can deliver in big games — they’ve seen it. Now, it’s about Doerer making the necessary mechanical corrections and then finding his confidence.
“I expect great things from Jon,” Polian said. “I'm glad he's back. He will have a terrific bonus year here, exercising the COVID option and coming back. I really expect big things from Jon.”
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_,and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.
