Bar Moved Higher for Razorbacks' Cam Little This Year

Hogs' special teams coach Scott Fountain wants kicker to aim higher this year

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Getting an 83% accuracy percentage over an entire season may sound high to a lot of Arkansas fans, but in the world of kicking the numbers matter. You probably won't get close to winning any awards at that number.

"This year we’d love that number to get up and hit 90," Razorbacks special teams coach Scott Fountain said after Sunday morning's practice. "If you can ever get the number to 90 you can talk about some opportunities for awards at the end of the season. What we’ve talked about from Day 1 is to be at 80% or better. He’s done that the last two years. I think he’s at about 83% in two years."

Nearly every college football player has a dream to reach the NFL. Most kickers have the same dream. Little and long-snapper Eli Stein talked about that. Just to be clear, Stein, a Wisconsin native, is a Green Bay Packers' fan. That drew a smirk from Little. He's a Dallas Cowboys fan. Little has the goals, too.

"I always write notes to myself or goals on the white board in my room, and 90% is on that," Little said. "Obviously, to be an elite guy and to be put up for the Lou Groza Award, you want to be at that 90% because most guys that aren't at it aren't going to be able to achieve that award. That's definitely a goal of mine, mainly staying consistent inside 40 is another big goal of mine. I've had a pretty good outcome with kicks inside of 40. I missed one, and it was my freshman year at Georgia. I want to continue that obviously and continue making kicks from 50+. I was 2-for-3 last year with the one miss being against South Carolina. Just want to keep progressing and getting that percentage higher and higher each year."

It's a delicate balancing act for kickers between mental and technical issues. Finding out which one it actually is keeps their coaches awake at night. Fountain likes the mental aspect with Little maybe more than any possible technical things.

"Last year we missed a field goal at Texas A&M and he came right back and got on a streak of about six or seven field goals in a row," Fountain said. "That's what he brings to the table. He's a very strong-minded young man and I like the way he approaches the game."

Just for the record, Little was perfect on extra points last year and hit 13-of-16 field goals. Do the math and it's a little north of 81%. That percentage was a little lower than the actual net results. Let's face it, just missing three field goals (one of them over 50 yards) is something every coach would probably take in a heartbeat.

The Hogs went for it on fourth down 20 times last season converting nine. A lot of those attempts came in opponent's territory, and Fountain thinks there's a chance the Hogs could lean on Little's reliable leg a little bit more this fall.

"I'm all for it, and I know Cam is too," Fountain said. "But I will say, so much of how your season is going on offense or defense and the flow of the game dictates that. Obviously, that's never my call, but I'd like to see us (kick more), and Coach Pittman has talked a little bit more about trying to do that this year."

We'll start to find out Sept. 2 when the Hogs host Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock at 3 p.m. (yeah, it will likely be hot). There will be no network broadcast of the game and is available only on ESPN+.

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