Though placekickers can be a crucial part of a football game, they don’t often mix it up with the other players on the field unless it’s to celebrate or if there’s a pile-up after a block attempt.
But as broadcaster John Schriffen said during ESPN2's Wednesday night telecast of UTEP at FIU, "Kickers are athletes too." More specifically, kickers are football players as Miners kicker Buzz Flabiano demonstrated when drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty late in the second quarter for taunting an opposing player.
Yes, that's correct. Flabiano converted a 37-yard field goal attempt to give UTEP a 24–7 lead just before halftime. FIU defensive back Brian Blades tried to block the kick, diving toward Flabiano's legs. The collision made the kicker stumble, which apparently inspired him to get in Blades's face and yell in retaliation.
That’s not behavior typically seen from a kicker, Sticking up for his fellow special-teamer, ESPN’s Pat McAfee, a former All-Pro punter, believed that’s why the official threw a flag.
“Flabiano is a dawg,” McAfee posted to X (formerly Twitter). “Some refs just can’t handle that.”
Flabiano is a dawg… some refs just can’t handle that #ForTheBrand pic.twitter.com/eboIAormGl
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 12, 2023
Joke or not, McAfee's assertion has some merit. Perhaps the official was trying to put Flabiano in his place.
But he may have also intended to protect the young man. (Flabiano is a redshirt freshman. How's that for chutzpah?) Because his behavior drew a penalty and cost UTEP 15 yards, maybe Blades or one of his FIU teammates wouldn’t have looked to lay the kicker out on a later field goal try or kickoff.
UTEP won the Conference USA matchup, 27–14, and Flabiano kicked one more field goal, nailing a 20-yarder late in the fourth quarter. That kick apparently went without incident.
