Before Friday, Eddy Pineiro had never kicked a field goal in front of a crowd.
That changed with 3:45 to play in the first quarter of the Orange and Blue Debut.
Kicking for the Orange team, he lined up from the left hash of the Blue team’s 42 yard line — a 52-yard attempt. He took four steps back before pausing to spread his arms and align his kick.
Two steps to the side, and it was time.
His foot met the ball, the ball met the center of the net in a hurry and the crowd — about half a stadium strong — erupted as loud as it would all game long.
“It was a little bit of a relief, even for us as a staff,” coach Jim McElwain said. “We wanted to see how he would do in the stadium and that kind of thing and I thought he answered the bell pretty darn good.”
But while his first field goal established his leg strength, it was a miss from 54 yards later in the game that would reveal his true potential.
“I didn't let it get to my head,” Pineiro said. “... I keep it positive all the time. Whether I make it or I miss it, I'm positive 100 percent.”
He came out and knocked through his next attempt — a 56-yarder. McElwain said he was planning on punting in that instance, but Pineiro convinced him otherwise.
“He's a guy, even after he misses one, he says 'Hey, I'm OK. I can get the next one,’” McElwain said. “It wasn't the end or gloom there. And sure enough, he came back and knocked one through and that was good to see."
On the evening, Pineiro went 3-for-5 on field goals, with all three coming from a longer range than UF’s 2015 season best of 43 yards.
But his field-goal kicking wasn’t the only thing he did to get the spectators excited.
Pineiro was also 5-for-5 on extra points and had nine of his 10 kickoffs go for touchbacks.
“The PAT, field goal were getting up quickly on good times,” McElwain said. “I don’t think we’ll have any of that issue where guys are coming up the middle. He gets the ball up quick.”
Pineiro’s first extra point sailed into the second deck of the south endzone bleachers to more thunderous applause from fans.
That level of fan enthusiasm for a kicker is rare — especially for one who was playing in his first college scrimmage.
“We really got excited when he put his helmet on correctly,” McElwain said of Pineiro’s lack of experience. “That was pretty cool and then he got it buckled. That was even better.”
But despite the pressures that playing in a major college environment presented and his lack of familiarity with the sport, Pineiro remained focused on the task at hand: putting the ball between the uprights.
“I know what kind of impact I'm making,” Pineiro said. “I'm making field goals."
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org and you can follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
Florida kicker Eddy Pineiro looks on during the Orange and Blue Debut on April 8, 2016, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
