The Cardinal Countdown: 36 Days Until Kickoff

Quick detour on the countdown today to wish my beautiful, intelligent, and very understanding wife a Happy Anniversary. She puts up with my nonsnense everyday and only occasionally threatens me with physical violence…she’s a keeper.

#36 Evan O’Hara

Class: Junior

Ht/Wt: 6-0/209

Position: Kicker

Hometown: Florence, KY

Twitter: N/A

Thoughts: O’Hara and Blanton Creque were in a full blown position battle this time last year and I correctly pegged Creque as the one I thought would emerge victorious (you guys should really listen to me on occasion). With that being said, O’Hara is certainly no slouch at that spot. Even though O’Hara struggled some last year missing a few field goals while the Cards were trying to decide which man would take the lead role, he eventually settled in and went 29 for 29 on extra points in 2016 and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him split some time with Creque in that same role in 2017.

Blanton has been getting some preseason nods on the award watch lists out there, deservingly so, as he was a solid kicker down the stretch for the Cards, but, if that were to change I feel comfortable with O’Hara being our #2 in that spot and offering his assistance in the kicking game when called on.

Sweet Tweet: No twitter for O’Hara so this gives us a chance to revisit our season expectations from a couple months ago. Back on Day 90 I threw out a poll asking Cards fans where they thought the team would finish the regular season and a 10-2 record was the overwhelming favorite, grabbing 42% of the vote, followed by 9-3 (24%) and then 11-1 (20%). If you throw in the 9% of fans predicting a 12-0 season we are sitting at 70% of Card Chronicle readers anticipating at least 10 wins in 2017. I enjoy the optimism.

With fall camp starting on Monday it means we’re only one weekend away from officially being “back to football season”. I plan on taking this poll once again a week or two out from kickoff to see if minds have been swayed one way or the other due to the news we’re getting out of the fall camp.

You smell that? It’s Cardinal football, just on the other side of the weekend.