In the moments leading up to his field-goal attempts, Cole Murphy gently wiggles his arms, rocks his body, lines up his 6-foot-3 frame and takes a breath of air. He tilts his head up to look beyond the goal posts.

There is the target, way up there. He may aim for the third deck. Or he will aim for a young boy or girl with a Syracuse shirt on. Or maybe a sign or camera.

These are the markers of Murphy’s success. The 215-pound senior has attempted a kick in each of SU’s 37 games since his freshman season, and each time he picks a different location at which to aim, depending on the venue.

There is little doubt whether Murphy can kick. He was a semifinalist for the nation’s best kicker award as a freshman. But his numbers have dropped off each year since, largely because he struggles away from the Carrier Dome. He finished last year for SU (1-0) 1-for-7 away from home, compared to a 9-of-11 mark at home.

“It’s about having short-term memory,” he said. “I want to be great.”

Murphy’s biggest takeaway from 2016, when he sent seven kickoffs out of bounds, is that he can’t dwell on past kicks. That mindset powers him in what he wants to be a breakout season. Murphy places fifth on the SU career record lists for most extra points made and attempted, as well as the top 10 in school history for most field goals made. He recognizes that his next step is replicating the success he has had at home when he’s on the road.

“Cole has a fantastic record inside the Dome,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said. “He has some issues when we get outside of the Dome. There’s no doubt about it.”

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High school didn’t prepare him for the kicking environments of the ACC. Growing up in Castaic, California, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, he said he rarely kicked into breezes more than 4 miles per hour. He grew accustomed to calm conditions like those of the Carrier Dome. Now, trying to acclimate, he kicks outside of the Ensley Athletic Center several days per week, especially if it’s breezy or wet.

When he was younger, Murphy practiced on a 300-foot long horse arena beside his house. When he lost footballs in nearby yards because he was kicking the balls too far, Murphy asked friends to shag for him at the high school. He specialized in kicking about ninth grade and made visits to Iowa, Colorado State, Northern Arizona. He received letters from Alabama and Tennessee.

Later, Murphy developed into one of SU’s steadiest contributors. On an average Monday or Tuesday mid-season, he launches 40 to 50 kicks per day. He gradually decreases that number as game day approaches. By Friday, he hits only about 15 or 20.

“You need to be as fresh as possible,” Murphy said.

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His father, Mike, said he thinks Murphy’s struggles last year stemmed from a talent drop-off in long-snapping and holding following the graduation of former SU long-snapper Sam Rodgers. Last year, Matt Keller snapped and backup quarterback Zack Mahoney held for Murphy.

“Cole has always been one of those guys when something goes wrong, he goes onto the next one,” Mike said. “He’s never gotten those things wrapped in his head.”

Murphy said that will be what drives his success rate in 2017. Because for many SU fans, the misses haven’t faded. In 2015, Murphy missed a 31-yarder right before halftime against LSU, sending SU into the break trailing by four instead of one. He missed a 48-yarder in a triple-overtime loss at Virginia later that year. Last October, he shanked a 30-yarder in a 54-0 loss at Clemson, the only time a Babers-led team has ever failed to a score a point.

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On Saturday, Murphy’s former head coach at Syracuse, Scott Shafer, who gave the kicker a scholarship after his freshman season, will return to SU as Middle Tennessee State’s defensive coordinator. The last time Shafer was at SU, Murphy sent him off on a positive note. Before teammates hoisted and carried Shafer around the Dome, they lifted Murphy above their shoulders because the sophomore had just hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to beat Boston College.

Schafer’s return mirrors Murphy’s hopeful return, to the kicker he was that November afternoon two years ago.

Published on September 5, 2017 at 10:25 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21