Special teams observations from FSU football’s win over Samford

Perhaps one of the more surprising aspects about Florida State’s win over Samford was the continued struggles from kicker Ricky Aguayo.

He missed field goals from 40 and 42-yards, which is surprising given how reliable the junior kicker has been throughout his career. Aguayo hit 18 of 21 field goal attempts last year, but has missed three field goals on four attempts so far this year.

As such, it begs the question of whether or not a change needs to be made. Logan Tyler, who also handled kickoff duties in addition to his punting responsibilities, hit a 53-yard field goal for FSU back in 2016. He has a very strong leg, but is probably not as accurate as Aguayo.

If the offense continues to struggle, especially in the red zone, Florida State will need to find consistency in the kicking game. Missed field goals nearly cost the Seminoles this game and could be a major problem as the season wears on.

Speaking of Tyler, the junior punter had a solid performance. He averaged 46.4 yards per punt with a long of 59. Although he doesn’t seem to get major hang time on his punts, Tyler did hit three punts of 50+ yards and downed three inside the 20-yard line.

With Khalan Laborn going down with an injury early in the game, freshman Anthony Grant replaced him on kickoff duties. Should Laborn miss time, it will be Grant and Amir Rasul back deep on kickoff duties. D.J. Matthews continues to be a solid option at punt returner as well.

In the end, the kicking game is a major concern moving forward. Whether it’s Aguayo or Tyler or someone else, Florida State needs to find a reliable option at placekicker and fast.