When Syracuse hosted Wake Forest on Sept. 12, Syracuse had seven kickoffs. Five of them were too deep in the end zone for the Demon Deacons to attempt a return. Of the first 33 kickoffs Norton had this season, 17 — more than half — went for touchbacks.

“It’s kind of more natural for me to do kickoffs,” Norton said. “Since I started kicking when I was younger, (kickoffs) came more easily for me.”

Norton, a senior who is 17-of-38 on touchbacks this season, has traded spots as a kickoff specialist and a field goal specialist during his time at Syracuse. When incumbent kicker Ross Krautman missed most of the 2013 season, Norton made 10 of his 15 field goal attempts at a position he didn’t expect to compete in. He came in as the field goal starter in 2014 before being unseated by freshman kicker Cole Murphy four games in.

Now, Norton is back focusing solely on the position he feels most comfortable with. His leg is the strongest on the team but far from the most accurate. It’s what’s kept him from holding the field goal job down, but what’s also allowed him to thrive this season as a reliable kickoff specialist.

“Ryan came in here with a strong leg, and he knew that there was a good chance that that could be his role coming into the season,” special teams coordinator Tim Daoust said. “That’s what he had done for us in the past and he’s back to his form from a couple years ago.”

Daoust said Norton and Murphy came into training camp in competition for both facets of the kicking game, and the two separated from each other at each position. Still, they both work on the other’s craft at every practice.

Murphy said the two critique each other at the other’s position. While the primary focus, Murphy said, is improving his own game, the two also make an effort to give each other pointers.

“There’s a lot of the same things over and over,” Murphy said. “A lot of it’s mainly just keep your eyes back, swing straight through the ball, swing your target. Attack your plant foot. Don’t swing around, things like that. It’s little things.”

In the training room, Norton said sometimes there are things he wants to fix or areas he wants to get stronger in. While others might be lifting weights, Norton will be doing one-legged squats, jumping, or working on other explosive leg movements. It’s important to have a strong core and lower body if you’re a kicker, Murphy said.

Norton visualizes his kicks before they come. He tells himself that he knows he can do it. It’s what he works on all week for.

When Syracuse played Pittsburgh on Saturday, Norton was instructed to kick it short with 25 seconds left in the first half. He didn’t place the ball where he wanted, and was eventually called for a late hit on a tackle to end the play.

“You kick yourself,” Norton said of the mistake that eventually cost SU three points in a 23-20 loss.

In his job, there’s only so many chances to execute. And in his job, there’s only so many definitions of success. For almost all of 2015, Norton has done the job that’s been asked of him.

“At this level, everybody’s got a guy back there that can be a game changer,” Daoust said. “He’s at a much higher percentage than he’s had in the past … I know he’s doing a nice job with that.”

Published on October 30, 2015 at 1:49 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3