UNLV backup punter Ethan Schwartz kicked a 60-yard field goal at Air Force on Saturday, shattering the program record of 54 yards. The sophomore actually made the kick twice after the Falcons called timeout before the first attempt. "I was pretty happy to have (the second attempt)," Schwartz said. "To see the first one go through, it gave me the confidence that I could do it again." The Rebels lost the game 41-31.
Watching from afar was Nick Garritano, UNLV's head baseball coach and the former placekicker known as "Nick The Kick" who held a share of the old record. Garritano, a 1991-94 Rebel and Hall of Famer who ranks fifth all-time in scoring with 240 points, learned of the feat during an intra-squad baseball scrimmage. "I was so fricken excited because I root for UNLV football so hard," Garritano said. "I'm a die-hard. It's who I am. I was fired up for the kid."
Garritano, who was named the school's eighth head baseball coach in May after 16 seasons at College of Southern Nevada, dismissed any disappointment about losing the record. "One of our players asked if I was upset. I said, 'Absolutely not. Records are meant to be broken.' This one was shattered," he said. Garritano noted the difficulty of a 60-yard attempt in game conditions with a live rush, comparing it to NFL-level kicks.
Football coach Dan Mullen praised Schwartz for seizing his opportunity. Schwartz, who also hit a 60-yard punt earlier this season at Akron, said his mindset is simple: "Always go in with the mindset that excellence is doing your best." Garritano, who once made a 68-yarder in practice with older leather balls, acknowledged the modern evolution of athlete strength and technology that made Schwartz's kick possible.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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