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The Daily Utah Chronicle

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The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Andy Phillips shutting the haters out, looking to break record and make tackles

Kicker+Andy+Phillips+%2839%29+throws+up+a+U+infront+of+the+MUSS+after+making+a+field+goal.
Ari Davis
Kicker Andy Phillips (39) throws up a “U” infront of the MUSS after making a field goal.

People on Twitter seem to get on athletes’ cases whenever they do something wrong, especially when it comes to something like missing a field goal.

Utah kicker Andy Phillips knows this all too well, but through his career at Utah he has found it easier and easier to block out the people who only call him out over a screen rather than to his face. Also, being a captain, he needs to make sure he is just as focused as everyone else on the team.

“I’m harder on myself than I think anybody could be, especially on Twitter,” Phillips said. “It’s definitely gotten to me in the past, but I’ve learned to overcome that and look at things a little differently.”

Phillips missed his first field goal attempt against Washington from 45 yards out, and people were quick to render judgement. Phillips, however, will not let one miss affect the rest of his game.

He corrected his mistake and realized what he did wrong. Later he made two field goals, one from 43 yards and the other from 36 yards. Considering the rain and the wind, Phillips knew not to let anyone bother him, because at the end of the day he knows he will be able to rely on the support of his teammates, no matter what.

“There’s not a lot of focus on the kicking game until you miss one — then everyone kind of thinks they know what you did and how you can get better,” Phillips said. “It’s a matter of being realistic and knowing the team’s got my back.”

Head coach Kyle Whittingham appreciates his all-conference kicker, but although Phillips was able to put up six points in field goals on the board in Seattle, Whittingham would rather see his team score six points in one score.

“Field goals are great — no offense Andy; we love field goals — but touchdowns is what you want in the redzone,” Whittingham said.

Because of those two field goals, Phillips is inching closer and closer to the all-time field goal record at Utah that Louie Sakoda set at 57. Phillips currently has 55 field goals, but since the pace of the game is always speeding up, he somewhat expects to beat Sakoda’s.

Sakoda was actually in attendance for the Homecoming game against Cal and nailed a field goal during a timeout. Phillips also expects whoever replaces him to beat whatever number he leaves it at.

For now, being close to breaking it is more than he could ever ask for.

“Definitely an accomplishment personally for me because I didn’t necessarily have that goal when I started playing football,” Phillips said. “It’s an honor because it’s Louie. He can still put it through the uprights, in jeans, no warmup.”

One thing Phillips has been working on is his tackling game, just like punter Tom Hackett has been this year. It’s not every day you have a kicking duo that make tackles after their kicks.

More and more, fans will continue to see Phillips getting after a kick returner following a kickoff. Not that he hasn’t done so in the past — he’s just learning the skill more now and realizes when he should step up and when he should sit back.

“I figure, I’m big enough and physical enough to use myself in other ways besides just getting the ball down the field,” Phillips said. “We have different schemes where I get up in coverage and try to beat those other guys down and make a play. Other times they’re doing their job and there happens to be a crease. I just find that crease and do what I can do.”

In regards to Hackett, the two have a competitive relationship and Phillips has no doubt that he will be able to beat Hackett in a foot race if it ever comes to it.

“I’ll kill Tommy either way,” Phillips said. “He’s not going to like that, but he knows, deep down inside.”

[email protected]

@kbrenneisen

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