AI (LONG): AL FG kickers have horrendous rep under Saban…but do numbers support this?

tl; dr: 3 good kickers in 17 years and only 1 truly great one among the 3. All other Saban kickers should’ve been junior college kickers solely based on the numbers. And yes, the numbers do support this. They were horrendous on paper. Jeremy Shelley is a surprise to be honest.



This sounds like a stupid thread to make because there were so many high profile misses that led to many of what other fanbases and ESPN consider some of the greatest moments in college sports. However, given that Alabama was only really threatened once or twice in the regular season most years, I wanted to know if at least the CONSISTENCY was there. A kicker is viewed by how they perform when the game is on the line, sure, but do they deliver under minimal pressure at least?

I asked an AI to give me a mildly digestible overview of Alabama kickers under Saban relative to their perception and the actual numbers that accompany their performance. I’m not gonna cut the response so it does come off a bit cringe at times in the way it explains it. Anyway, here it goes:

Yes, the numbers largely support the perception that Alabama kickers under Nick Saban (2007–2023) were inconsistent and often below expectations—except for Leigh Tiffin (especially his later years), Jeremy Shelley (solid but sometimes overlooked due to split duties), and Will Reichard (elite). It wasn’t just crunch-time failures; overall field goal accuracy, volume of misses, and inconsistency were real issues across regular-season games too.

Overall FG% and Miss Volume (Key Data)
Alabama kickers had the most missed field goals in FBS from 2007 through at least 2019 (101 misses across 11 kickers, per ESPN Stats & Info—more than any other program). They missed at least 5 (and up to 13) FGs every season under Saban.747
Here’s a breakdown of main kickers’ career or notable FG% (from Alabama records, Sports-Reference data, and contemporary reports; national college FG% avg was typically ~72–75% in this era):
• Leigh Tiffin (2007–09): Career ~74.8% (83/111 FGs). Strongest year: 2009 30/35 (85.7%, All-American, top-20 nationally). Earlier years: 2007 25/34 (73.5%), 2008 20/29 (69%). Reliable anchor early in Saban era.

• Jeremy Shelley (2009–12): Career 80.0% (44/55 FGs)—2nd all-time in Bama FG% leaders. 2012: perfect 11/11 (plus 5 FGs in BCS title game vs. LSU). 2011: 21/27 (~78%). Often handled shorter/medium FGs while others did long ones/kickoffs. Very good, though lower volume in some seasons

• Will Reichard (2019–23): Career ~84% (84 FGs made, all-time Bama leader). Multiple 80%+ seasons, including 100% (14/14) in 2020 and 88% in 2023. Flipped the script—consistent, clutch, and the first truly dominant Saban-era kicker in years.

• Others (the “notoriously horrendous” group):
? Cade Foster (2010–13): Career 56.8% (25/44). Brutal 2011 (2/9, 22%), including multiple misses vs. LSU in the “Game of the Century.” 2013 Iron Bowl misses contributed to the setup for Kick Six.

? Adam Griffith (2013–16): ~69.5% career. 2014: 12/19 (63%); 2015: 23/32 (~72%). Solid leg (55-yarders), but inconsistent and infamous for the 57-yard miss in 2013 Iron Bowl (returned for TD).

? Andy Pappanastos (2016–17 transfer): ~73.1% (19 FGs). 2017: 18/25 (72%). Missed two FGs (incl. potential game-winner) in 2018 title game vs. Georgia.

? Joseph Bulovas (2018–19): ~75.9% (22 FGs). 2018 shared duties with others (~60% team FG% early); had key misses (e.g., Iron Bowl).

Yearly team FG% often ranked poorly or near the bottom (e.g., 64% in 2011/2014, 65% in 2013; national rank as low as 98th in some years). Post-Tiffin/pre-Reichard stretches were especially rough.

Extra points (PATs) were usually excellent (near 100% for most), so the main knock was on FGs—especially 40+ yards.
Crunch-Time/Clutch Performance
High-profile misses in big moments absolutely fueled the “horrendous” reputation, because Alabama was so dominant—many games were close, and one kick could swing championships or rivalries:

• 2011 vs. LSU (“Game of the Century”): 2/6 FGs total (Foster/Shelley split); multiple misses in a 9-6 OT loss.

• 2013 Iron Bowl: Foster misses set up the “Kick Six” (Griffith’s 57-yard attempt returned 109 yards for Auburn’s win).

• 2014 Ole Miss, 2018 title game (Pappanastos), various Iron Bowls/BCS games: game-winners or ties missed.
But it wasn’t only crunch time. There were plenty of routine/regular-season misses (short ones, wide left/right, blocks). Compilations (e.g., 2013–2018 misses) show a pattern of inconsistency everywhere, not just late-game heroics. Alabama’s talent edge meant they reached “crunch time” more often, magnifying the failures.


Again, (and this is me talking, not the AI) based on the stats, Saban’s talent evaluation at the kicking spot may be some of the worst of all time, even considering Florida State in the 90s, which only had embarrassing blemishes vs. Miami and not outright abysmal play against all competition, regular season or not.