Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding had a performance to forget in Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, but according to head coach Ryan Day, the junior will have a chance to redeem himself against Miami (Fla.) on New Year’s Eve.
“Yeah, he kicked in practice during this time,” Day said of backup kicker Jackson Courville. “We’re going to go with Jayden, but (Courville) has had an opportunity every day in practice to kick, and we’ll keep a close eye on it. But we’re going to go with Jayden to start the game.”
Against Indiana, Fielding made a 30-yard field goal and an extra point, but missed a pivotal 27-yard field goal that could have tied the game in the final few minutes.
It isn’t the first time that Fielding has struggled in a big game. In Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan last season, Fielding went just 1 for 3 kicking field goals, and his two misses came from inside 40 yards.
Fielding had been effective heading into the Big Ten championship game this year. Fielding made 16-18 field goals this year and made all 54 extra point attempts. However, his latest short miss against the Hoosiers has some fans hoping for him to be replaced by Courville.
“Toe came up and just swung across a little bit,” Fielding told Eleven Warriors on Monday about his miss against Indiana. “Those angles are a little tough for me. It’s pretty sharp from that close, so I think I just overcompensated.”
Despite the miss, Fielding said he still believes in himself because of his consistency as a kicker for the Buckeyes.
“I have a lot of confidence,” Fielding said. “I’ve played for four years, and I have really good stats over four years. I’ve always had confidence in myself, and that’s not stopping me.”
Courville remains a quality option for the Buckeyes if Fielding struggles. As a kicker for Ball State in 2024, Courville went 11-13, kicking field goals with two makes coming from beyond 50 yards.
