It was a tough day for Matt Coghlin. The All-Big Ten First Team kicker for Michigan State has always been known as a marksman during his career in East Lansing. In fact, he went 18-for-22 on field goals last season, only missing four field goals the whole season. Yesterday’s loss against Arizona State was a different story, as Coghlin missed three field goals on the day, including a miss to seal the win for the Sun Devils after a made field goal was taken back once officials realized MSU had twelve players on the field. Despite the struggles, Coghlin still has the support of his team.
Brian Lewerke was one of the first to come out in support of his kicker, per Chase Michaelson of the Detroit Free Press:
“I haven’t talked to him yet, but he’s proven himself to be a great kicker here,” Lewerke said. “There’s no doubt about that. Obviously, today wasn’t his day, but I still have a ton of confidence in him.”
Star defensive tackle Raequan Williams also came to Coghlin’s defense:
“Matt’s a great kicker, we all know he’s automatic,” Williams said. “I swear today was the first time I’ve seen him miss a field goal in a very long time … We all know you have a bad day, but I know he’s gonna bounce back.”
Dantonio commented on Coghlin’s performance in his presser:
“He hit all the balls in pregame,” Dantonio said. “It was windy out there in the first half, maybe a little bit more than the second, blowing (west). But you know, you’re gonna miss some… He’s entitled to a miss or so. It’s tough when they all mean so much sometimes, so it’s difficult.”
