Clemson kicker confident about season

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Mark Buchholz has kicked aside one sport at Clemson, and gained a higher profile in the other.

Buchholz spent countless days without a break last summer and fall, working as a key midfielder for Tiger soccer before sprinting over to football practice as that team's new placekicker.

It was a grueling regimen that at times had Buchholz wondering if he was doing any good at either. Those questions ended last November when Buchholz sent the campus into a celebration with his 35-yard, last-second, game-winning kick in a 23-21 victory over rival South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Soon after, the Tigers were headed to the high-profile Chick-fil-A Bowl and coach Tommy Bowden agreed to a new, longterm deal that included a raise of about $600,000.

"Maybe I ought to chat with coach about that," Buchholz joked.

These days, Buchholz jogs with his teammates and walks back to the lockers with the other special teammers. There's no quick ditching of pads and hurriedly popping on soccer cleats. "It's nice," the laidback Buchholz said. "I can hang with the guys and be around my teammates."

That wasn't the case last fall.

Buchholz was one of Clemson's more talented soccer players for three seasons before he accepted the invitation to try out as placekicker. How hard could it be playing two sports during one semester?

As it turns out, very hard.

It took until almost midseason to straighten out Buchholz's schedule: He received different days off for each sport, meaning that when he was off from football, there were hours of soccer practice. The mix-up was an NCAA secondary violation, although Buchholz did not lose any time on the pitch or the gridiron.

He'd travel on some Friday nights with the soccer team, then have to leave after the game or early the next morning.

The low point was a 13-3 loss at Georgia Tech where Buchholz missed four field goals.

"I really couldn't put a finger on" why he slumped, Buchholz said. "Maybe it took a toll on me. People say it did."

Bowden put the kicker on notice that he would look to make a change if Buchholz couldn't deliver. The kicker finally found his stride down the stretch, making 13 of his final 19 kicks, including the one against the Gamecocks that lifted Clemson to only its second nine-win season since 2000.

Buchholz says life has changed a bit. He's recognized more around the state, people introducing themselves and letting him know whether they were giddy or angry about the South Carolina kick.

Not too long ago, Buchholz was involved in a minor accident in Columbia and needed some repair work from a local mechanic. When Buchholz called the shop and gave his name, there was a long pause and the kicker braced for what he thought was coming.

"Wait, do you kick for Clemson?" he was asked.

"Man, I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," Buchholz replied worried he was talking to a vengeful Gamecock fan.

Instead, Buchholz was instantly relieved when he was excitedly told how he was speaking with a rabid Clemson fan.

"Thank you, I didn't think I was ever going to get my car back for a second," he said.

Bowden is glad to have Buchholz's full focus on football. The coaches had looked to have someone else on kickoffs, but Buchholz's boots were longer and higher. "We are in pretty good shape at kicker," the coach said.

Buchholz feels the same way.

He misses soccer — one of several sports he stood out in as a high-schooler in Alpharetta, Ga. — and plans to attend the ones he can this fall. "I miss it, definitely," he said.

If both sports wore him out last fall, Buchholz won't use it an excuse. He understands how important making the South Carolina kick was to his comfort and confidence this summer.

"If I'd have missed that, there'd definitely be a lot more skepticism about my future as a kicker here. All the coaches would've had a lot more stress on them," Buchholz said. "It was a good kick for everyone at Clemson."