It wasn’t the season opener senior kicker Trey Smack hoped for after connecting on just two of five field goal attempts vs Long Island. Smack’s three missed field goals matched his total from the entire 2024 season, where he drilled 18 of 21 (85.7%).
Smack missed field goals from 39, 40, and 57 yards. It wasn’t all bad, however. Smack made kicks from 41 and 56 yards, the latter of which setting a new career long. The Maryland native also made all seven of his extra point attempts.
Head coach Billy Napier immediately showed confidence in Smack during the postgame press conference.
“Trey will bounce back. He’s an elite competitor and some of those were deep and we got to help him. But we’ve got a ton of confidence in Trey. That’s the why we put him out there and we kept putting him out there,” Napier said on Smack.
Week one was Smack’s first live game with a new holder after Jeremy Crawshaw graduated and moved on to the NFL. Former Michigan punter, Tommy Doman, serves as the Gators holder while Rocco Underwood remains the long snapper.
After watching the tape, Napier doubled down on his confidence in Smack on Monday.
“We’re talking about inches in all three. I mean they’re literally combined maybe off a yard. Nobody needs to be jumping off a bridge out there,” Napier said on Smack’s misses. “The guy’s an elite competitor and he is phenomenal at his job. It’s important to him, so he’s going to work extremely hard and he’ll be ready. That’s what makes him great is he can think he’s got the mental makeup and the toughness. Great shooters, when they miss early, they don’t stop shooting. They keep shooting. So we’ll keep letting Trey shoot.”
Smack put together a great Wednesday practice, making all six of his field goals during a special teams segment, according to Napier.
“He’s got an edge about him for sure. He was outstanding today. Right down the middle. All six kicks today were really good.”
Florida does have another scholarship kicker on roster in freshman Evan Noel, but there are no plans to move on from the skilled senior.
“Keep shooting, baby. Keep shooting,” Napier said. “Nobody gets mad at MJ or Steph Curry or LeBron when they miss a couple shots early in the game. He’s got a long road ahead, and we need that guy to keep shooting the shot. So, he’ll be ready.”