Sinkwich’s field goal in Georgia-Florida rivalry shows kicking has come a long way

Georgia’s kicking game finally found its footing against Vanderbilt. Rodrigo Blankenship hit three field goals, his first being from 45 yards out, which gave the fans something to cheer about.

After all, the kicking game had its share of struggles to open the season.

These days, it’s a major talking point if a major Power 5 program is unable to field a consistent place-kicker, which is one who can hit just about any attempt up to 45 yards.

Prior to the modern era, kicking wasn’t so simple. Extra points were even hard to come by and perhaps that was the design when initially created to follow touchdowns. The point-after attempt was often an adventure itself, which caused field-goal attempts to not occur too often.

There’s no better example why than the 1941 Georgia-Florida game.

Georgia head coach Wally Butts was in his third season and hadn’t even attempted a field goal before the Nov. 8, 1941 between the two teams. Georgia did have an extra-point kicker by the name of Leo Costa, who went by the nickname “Never Miss” because he made a significant number of his point-after attempts.

But in the 1941 Georgia-Florida game, the Bulldogs were leading 9-3 and threatening from the Florida 10-yard line in the third quarter. Yes, Florida place-kicker Paul Eller made a 17-yard field goal early on but actually missed two extra points two weeks prior against Maryland that cost the Gators the game.

Georgia’s drive ended up stalling and the Bulldogs faced a fourth down. All-everything Frank Sinkwich had been unstoppable throughout the game and had already scored a touchdown. So facing a fourth-and-goal, Butts decided against Costa and called Sinkwich’s number for the field-goal try.

And lo and behold, Sinkwich, who finished as Heisman Trophy runner-up that season and won it the following year, split the uprights to increase Georgia’s lead to nine. The Bulldogs, thanks to another Sinkwich touchdown in the fourth quarter, would beat Florida 19-3.

“As it’s described, he hit it right down the middle,” said Patrick Garbin, who has authored seven Georgia football books on the history of the program.

It was a strange occurrence for Georgia to kick a field goal. The previous time Georgia made a field goal against Florida came in 1919 by David A. Collings Jr.

While Butts gave Sinkwich the chance to make that field goal, he rarely did so for anyone else. Garbin said he once talked to former Georgia running back Charley Trippi, who played for Butts in 1942, 1945 and 1946 (he missed time during his college tenure to serve in World War II).

Trippi told Garbin that he once suggested to Butts that Georgia should kick a field goal during a game. Butts’ response was apparently something to the effect of, “A field goal? What are you talking about?”

The one who made that field goal against the Gators in 1941, Sinkwich, had quite a day against the Gators, and did so while recovering from a broken jaw sustained earlier in the season. After one contraption failed, Sinkwich, according to a story written by the Florida Times-Union, had a piece of metal melted down to fit his chin to the point where he could absorb hits on the football field.

If Blankenship has a great game against the Gators Saturday, Georgia fans will be happy. If he misses an early kick, message boards and social media will light up with negative, and perhaps hateful, comments.

But 75 years ago, one can imagine the excitement that could come from seeing a made field goal since it was rather rare event to see.

This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Sinkwich’s field goal in Georgia-Florida rivalry shows kicking has come a long way."