BYU football: Scouting the Portland State Vikings
By Adam Gibby
Portland State Special Teams
Returning Starters: 2
Key returning players: K Jonathan Gonzales, P Marcus Kinsella
Key losses: None
What to expect: Jonathan Gonzales is a good kicker. He has hit 74 percent of his field goal attempts in his career and has a long of 53 yards. If Portland State is out of the game by halftime, don’t be surprised to see Gonzales attempting 55+ yard kicks to break the school record. Punter Marcus Kinsella is the kind of kicker that can completely change field position advantage. He can boom kicks 60+ yards and has an average of 40.1 yards in his career.
How BYU can be successful: Get a blocked kick. Last season, Jonathan Gonzales had two field goal attempts blocked. If BYU can get a block early, it could affect Gonzales the rest of the game. On punts, having good coverage can be huge. FBS schools love it when FCS schools have a great punter. It allows for big returns as the returning team is normally much bigger and faster than the coverage team.
Projection: Jonathan Gonzales will make some really long field goals. Most fans will be shocked that a FCS kicker can make a 50 yard kick, (but you will be prepared to see it). BYU will also get two-three really good punt returns. With long 50+ yard punts, the returners will have the chance to make some really long returns with great blocking and greater strength than the Vikings coverage team.