The kick is up ... and it's good!
That was the ruling from UF coach Jim McElwain, who said Gators' kicker Eddy Pineiro did in fact nail an 81-yard field goal during spring practices.
The strong-legged redshirt junior posted a video of the field goal Tuesday, but given the distance of the kick and the varied reaction of his teammates it was unclear whether Pineiro actually cleared the uprights.
McElwain confirmed the kick's authenticity to reporters at the Polk County Gator Gathering.
"I don't know why it took so long to get out here, but it was real. All right?" McElwain said, according to SEC Country's Ryan Young. "There wasn't any doctoring up the yard marker or whatever."
Pineiro and pretty much everyone at the time thought the kick was good, with one exclaiming, 'Drilled it."
But notice the UF player waving off the kick underneath the crossbar. Clearly he does not have a future in officiating.
Pineiro arrived at UF last season with plenty of buzz after he kicked a 77-yarder and posted it on YouTube.
Pineiro faced no rush or pressure with either booming kick, but clearly is a special talent.
"He's got a strong leg _ there's no doubt about it," McElwain said Wednesday via Young.
Pineiro, who backed out of his commitment to Alabama to sign with UF, proved to be no one-trick pony. He also proved to be a tremendous upgrade in one of the weakest areas of the team during McElwain's first season, in 2015.
A year after Florida missed 10 of 17 field-goal attempts, Pineiro arrived and was 21 of 25, including 3 of 3 from beyond 50 yards. He also led the SEC in kickoffs.
"He works at his craft _ that's what I like," McElwain said. "He's a guy that just enjoys doing it, and you know what, that becomes infectious with the guys around you. Because he's always out there working it."
