STARKVILLE — Like many kickers, Kyle Ferrie was introduced to his craft through the other kind of football.
Ferrie’s father, Colin, grew up in Scotland, so his family would always watch professional soccer on Saturdays rather than college football. Now in his second year as Mississippi State’s starting kicker, Ferrie was an all-state soccer player as a high school freshman at Harding Academy in Searcy, Arkansas, and had never kicked a football until his sophomore year.
“My (football) coach brought me in and I kicked my first field goal in June of 2020,” Ferrie said. “Now we’re here four years later, so it’s pretty cool.”
Ferrie was Harding’s kicker for three years, making 202 of 207 extra points and 37 of 50 field goals with a long of 56 as a senior. Despite growing up in a town full of Arkansas fans, Ferrie became drawn to MSU thanks to his stepfather, who grew up in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and introduced him to the Bulldogs.
After attending a pair of camps in Starkville, Ferrie received a preferred walk-on offer from MSU ahead of his senior year in high school, then won the starting job as the Bulldogs’ kicker ahead of his freshman season. He was perfect on PATs, but somewhat erratic on field goals — he was consistent from the 45-49 yard range but sustained an injury against Western Michigan and missed a 29-yarder in his home state two weeks later.
“The thing I appreciate the most about Kyle is when he’s on, he’s on,” special teams coordinator Cliff Odom said before the season. “He has the mentality that you want in a specialist. He wants 100,000 people at an away game, to kick the game-winner. That’s who he is. It’s been really cool as I’ve gotten to know him to realize that is absolutely in his core. He wants to be in that moment, wants that weight on his shoulders.”
Veteran Nick Barr-Mira, a UCLA transfer, made his lone field goal attempt of the season last year from 49 yards in relief of Ferrie against Western Michigan, but with Barr-Mira moving over to punting duties this season, Ferrie’s job as the placekicker was safe.
Ferrie missed a short field goal in this year’s season opener against Eastern Kentucky, then missed the first extra point of his college career the following week at Arizona State. Since then, he has been perfect, connecting on a season-long 47-yarder at Georgia.
“I want to kick extra points. Every Saturday, if I kick seven extra points, that’s better than two field goals and an extra point, because that means we’re going to win the ball game,” Ferrie said. “Whatever I can to help the team, but extra points over field goals for sure. If it comes down to it, yeah, send me out there and let’s go get it.”
Winds blowing out of the north, Ferrie said, affect him less at Davis Wade Stadium because the open south end zone allows air to flow in from that direction. If the wind is blowing from the south, Ferrie will have increased range kicking toward the student section in the north end zone. Although his career long as a Bulldog is 49 yards, Ferrie said he feels comfortable from up to 60 yards out in calm conditions.
The University of Arkansas may be tucked away in the northwest corner of the state, but the Razorbacks are the biggest game around for fans all over Arkansas. Saturday’s game carries extra meaning for Ferrie, who missed his only field goal attempt in Fayetteville last season.
“Big, meaningful game for me,” Ferrie said. “My entire hometown is all Arkansas (fans), and it’s been fun for my stepdad. He’s a big Mississippi State (fan) and he shows it in Arkansas, so he’s been getting most of it. I kind of stay away from it now, but I do get some messages and it makes me laugh. This is a huge game for me personally.”
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