A few weeks ago, I had a chance to go to a fundraiser for the Angel Tree project over at the St. Louis Rams' indoor practice facility. The main activity was a trivia night, which is always great fun. One of the side activities, though, was a field  goal kicking contest. For $10, you could kick field goals until you missed three of them. You started at the goal line and moved back 5 yards at a time with each made FG.

I won the contest by kicking a 40 yard field goal. I even kicked it barefooted.

Yes, I know it was indoors. Yes, I know I had all the time in the world. Yes, I know I got a perfect hold every time and there was no chance of a missed snap. But you know what? I put it over the crossbar and between the uprights from 40 yards. I barely missed from 45. However, I am a woefully out-of-shape 31 year old guy who never kicked a football with any coaching and last played soccer about 8 years ago. I'd say the advantages and the disadvantages pretty much balance themselves out.

So why, dear readers, can UofL not find and recruit a kicker who can make a FG with anything approaching regularity? Do we not even look at tape? Are we recruiting guys who kick the ball well in practice but fall apart in games? What is the problem here?

I wish I knew what our problem was. I'd offer to help, but I am devoid of suggestions. Maybe we can get Rob Bironas to run a summer camp and then funnel his best kids towards UofL. Maybe we can recruit a kid with all the mental toughness and leg strength and skill of Art Carmody every four years and we won't have to worry about it. I  hope thecoaching staff can figure something out, because our lack of kicking game hampers our ability to move the ball inside the red zone an undermines my faith in their ability to manage the roster effectively. All I know is that we should make more field goals because of one simple fact:

Really, truly, it's not that hard to  kick a field goal.