Brock Travelstead Kicks Program-Record, Go-Ahead Field Goal vs. NC State
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has seen their fair share of high level kickers come through over the last 20 years.
Art Carmody won the Lou Groza Award in 2006, and at one point was the NCAA's all-time leading scorer by a kicker. Three of the four kickers that followed him since then - John Wallace, Blanton Creque and James Turner - are in the top four in career field goals made at Louisville with Carmody.
Even with the talent each player possessed during their time at Louisville, none of them hold the record for longest field goal in program history. As of Friday night, that record now belongs to Brock Travelstead.
Louisville found themselves in a defensive slugfest on the road at NC State, with the score knotted up at 10 a piece in the closing minutes. with just 5:32 left in the game, Travelstead booted a 53-yard field goal that went right down the middle, and could have been good for an extra few yards out.
His second of two made field goals against the Wolfpack wound up being the deciding factor in the final outcome, with the Cardinals pulling out a 13-10 win to remain undefeated.
"I wanted to be there for my team," Travelstead said. "No matter what, I praise the Lord in anything. So I came into halftime and prayed to him, asked him for guidance and lead me to where my mind needed to be. I came back for my team. I have a great long snapper and holder that are perfect every time, so nothing that I do is ever on them."
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound placekicker/punter broke the program record by a single yard. The previous record of 52 yards was a five-way tie shared by Wilbur Summers, Ron Bell, Klaus Wilmsmeyer, Nate Smith, and Chris Philpott.
What made his record-setting make even more impressive was that it came on the heels of a bad miss from a similar distance earlier in the game. In the second quarter, Travelstead attempted a 52-yarder that would have tied the record. It had the distance needed, but it sailed wide to the left. Two of his three punts in the first half also went just 26 yards.
"That first one I don't really remember what happened," Travelstead said when asked about his 52-yard attempt." I probably won't even watch it on film, to be honest with you. Like I said, I just came into halftime, just forgot about it and came out as a new player. I did not have a great first half, but I wanted to be there for my team. I was not there that first half, so I wanted to come back and be there for them."
Travelstead certainly booted the football with more authority and precision after halftime. In the third quarter, his first punt of the second half sailed 45 yards through the air, then he connected on a game-tying 33-yard field goal.
When the moment came for Travelstead to potentially put Louisville on top, there was not a shred of doubt in him that he would drill the long kick and atone for his earlier miss.
"That I'm the guy to do it," he said when asked what was going through his mind as he lined up for the go-ahead 53-yard attempt. "Just having that extreme confidence in myself, and knowing that I'm gonna make it is the biggest thing for me. If you out there with any doubt, it's not gonna go in."
His savviness as a punter also played a role late in the game. On their final drive of the game, Louisville was facing a three-and-out. Travelstead booted a 47-yard punt 2:44 left in the game, but NC State's Jakolbe Baldwin grazed him on the kicking leg.
Instead of simply taking the contact, Travelstead instinctively rolled to the ground and drew a roughing the kicker penalty to continue the drive. The kicker from Acworth, Ga. then exploded with emotion after the call was made.
"It was either: one, I was gonna go crazy because I drew the flag, or two, I hit a really good punt. So either way, I was gonna go crazy," he said. "For me, I was terrible at school. I tried to be Mr. Tough Guy, and never fall down when somebody hit me. For some reason, I don't know what triggered my brain there, but it was just to fall."
Louisville able to kill an additional minute off the clock as a result, then after a 38-yard punt to put NC State on their own 34-yard line, quarterback Brennan Armstrong immediately threw a game-clinching interception.
The win pushed Louisville to 5-0 for the first time since 2013, and 3-0 in the ACC for the first time since joining the conference in 2014. It also sets up what should be a massive showdown with No. 11 Notre Dame next weekend.
Travelstead said he will enjoy the moment for a day, then get right back to work.
"We talk about this every week," he said. "We even have a timeline in our in our weight room of what's going on. Whoever we play that week, there's always a timer, and it always says now. That's all we're focused on is one week at a time, going 1-0 every week. Whatever was done this week, I'll celebrate it tonight and tomorrow. Once we hit Sunday, I'll be done thinking about it. I'll move on.
(Photo of Brock Travelstead: Rob Kinnan - USA TODAY Sports)
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