Nico Radicic hasn’t been asked to do much this year.
But the redshirt freshman kicker from Texas has done everything that’s been asked of him.
And in Indiana’s first tight game of the season, Radicic’s two field goals provided the difference in a 20-15 win over Michigan.
His second make against the Wolverines, a 41-yarder with just 2:34 left in the game, forced Michigan to have to score a touchdown to win. With that kick Radicic moved his way into a tie for No. 8 on the program’s consecutive field goals made list, at nine-straight tries to open his career.
He’s a perfect 8-for-8 this season on field goals, and he also made his lone attempt in 2023.
In fact, Radicic has stepped on the field for a kick 70 times over the last two years at Indiana, and each time the ball has sailed through the uprights.
Radicic sits atop the IU record books with his 59 extra points this season. He made two last season against Indiana State, making him 61-of-61 for his career.
Anytime a kicker is perfect, of course you have to give a hat tip to the complete operation, including long-snapper Mark Langston, and holder James Evans.
Overall Radicic is IU’s leading scorer this season by a margin of 29 points.
“He’s calm and cool and accurate and has a good disposition, which is great for a kicker,” IU coach Curt Cignetti said. “We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of good kickers the last five, six years that have been pretty good. We have a certain way we manage that, that I manage them, but at the end of the day they’ve got to put it between the uprights.”
The late kick against Michigan provided some insight into Radicic’s ability to perform under pressure. Although the Wolverines eventually turned the ball over on downs, it felt at the time like the Hoosiers desperately needed those points.
The main question that remains is Radicic’s range.
Indiana has gone for it often on fourth down when they are opposing territory, as Cignetti has proven to be a risk taker. The IU head coach said he thought about having Radicic kick a 51-yard attempt against Michigan, which suggests what’s possible. But to this point his career long is the 41-yarder against the Wolverines.
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