One of the biggest criticisms of the ISU football team this season is that it can’t convert on extra points and field goals.

Mike McKnight has been inconsistent at best. This year McKnight is 7 for 13 and 16 of 19 on extra points. Against UNLV he didn’t miss a kick, but against Baylor and Iowa, he missed two field goals in each game.

Many of the field goals McKnight has missed would have given the Cyclones a cushion in close games.

After having an extra point blocked and missing a 34-yard field goal against Oklahoma State, Cyclone Head Coach Dan McCarney pulled the string and put punter Carl Gomez in the game to take over kicking duties.

“[McKnight]’s first kick was low. It had nothing to do with the pressure from Oklahoma State. It was a low kick. He missed a field goal, and we just felt like it was time to give [Gomez] a shot,” McCarney said.

All of Gomez’s kicks were good against Oklahoma Saturday. He tied the game with a 20-yarder, put the Cyclones up with a 34-yard kick and also made a 35-yard extra point following a celebration penalty after the game-winning touchdown.

“Once I got that first one out of the way, there was nothing really stopping me ’cause I knew I could do it,” Gomez said.

Gomez, who hadn’t kicked field goals in a game since high school, said there was less pressure because his first kick was only an extra point.

“I was a little nervous during that [extra point], but after that I just went out there and said ‘if you make, you make it, and if you miss it, you miss it.'”

Gomez will be place-kicking in Saturday’s Homecoming game against Texas A&M. McKnight’s original backup, freshman Tony Yelk, has been bothered by a groin injury and hasn’t kicked since the first game against Ohio.

McCarney added that McKnight needs to stay ready if Gomez begins to struggle.

“[McKnight] has got to stay ready. He’ll still be our kickoff guy, and he’s got to be ready if he has to come in for [Gomez],” McCarney said.

Gomez said that McKnight had no hard feelings about the switch, and that McKnight just wants to win games.

“[McKnight] said ‘good kicks,’ ‘way to pull through the pressure, and get it done,'” Gomez said.

“We’re just trying to win. It doesn’t matter who goes out there and does it, as long as we get the victory,” Gomez said.

Gomez who is has the sixth highest yards per punt average in ISU history at 39.8, has struggled this year, averaging 37.5.

Gomez had his best punting game of the year against the Cowboys to add to the field goals. He averaged 40.8 yards per punt on four punts. He has been named special teams captain for this Saturday’s game.

“[McCarney] said ‘Are you ready?’ I said ‘Coach, I’ve been waiting three years to do this,’ and I was ready to go. He knew that I was a senior, and that I was gonna go out and come through for him,” Gomez said.