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It’s Good! – The History of MSU’s Longest Field Goals
6/5/2020 5:35:00 PM | Football
Field goals are an essential part of football, then can either make or break game. Any field goal can be exciting, especially those at the end of the game. However, today GoRacers.com takes a look at the longest field goals in Racer football history and the stories and people behind them.
Honorable Mention - Shane Andrus – 52 Yards – Eastern Illinois (11/23/02)
There have been 11 52-yard field goals in Racer history, but probably none as memorable as the one Andrus kicked as time expire to beat EIU and claim the 2002 OVC Championship. A back-and-forth game from the get-go, Andrus chipped in a 25-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the Racers on top 34-23 with 6:20 to play. It was Andrus' second field goal of the day, after having made a 46-yarder in the first quarter.
However, following Andrus' field goal in the fourth, EIU's Tony Romo, in his final regular season game, led the Panthers on an 11 play 72 yard drive to bring the score to 34-29 Racers, after a failed rush on the two-point conversion by Romo. In the ensuing Murray State drive, the Racers only burned 1:15 off the clock on a three-and-out that lost yards, forcing Brian Bivens into a 55-yard punt that is downed at the Eastern Illinois 27-yard line.
With just 2:08 to play, Romo drives the field again this time going 73-yards in 1:48 to give his team a 35-34 lead. The Panthers then have the opportunity to push the lead out to three points, but the two-point conversion fails again and leaves the lead at one.
After returning the ball six yards on the kickoff, Murray State takes over at their own 33-yard line with 20 seconds to play. Stewart Childress completed two passes on the drive, to Marcus Christon and Jimmy St. Louis, to get the Racers to the EIU 35. After a time out by the Panthers in an attempt to ice Andrus, he put the ball through the uprights from 52-yards out as time expired for the win.
No. 3 (Tie) – Zaden Webber – 53-yards – Jacksonville State (10/26/19)
The newest entry to the list came last season when the true freshman took over kicking duties for injured All-OVC kicker Gabriel Vicente. The Racers did not score in the game until the final minute of the third quarter on a two-yard run from quarterback Preston Rice, cutting their deficit in half at 14-7.
Midway through the fourth, Murray State added two more points on a safety by TJ Warren to make it 14-9, as the rain had finally set in and began to pour. After getting the ball back after the safety, MSU converted on a fourth-and-two at the JSU 30 to keep the drive alive, but a penalty and a tackle-for-loss would eventually stall the drive at the JSU 34.
Missing his first two attempts of the day from 41 and 23, did little to quell the confidence of Webber as sent one up that hooked inside the uprights to cut the score to 14-12. After getting the ball back with 1:42 to play, Webber attempted another field goal, this time from 52 yards out, but the rain got the better of this one, as JSU held on for the win.
No. 3 (Tie) – Jeff Lancaster – 53 yards – Southeast Missouri (9/3/83)
In the season opener of the 1983 season, Jeff Lancaster booted a 53-yarder in the second quarter, as the Racers went to win 25-11. The field goal was the third of what would be four 50-plus yarders in his career, with other three being 52 yards. The Hopkinsville native appears on multiple career list for the records including being tied for the most 50-plus yarders and is currently fourth on the all-time field goals list with 35 and 10th on the all-time scoring list with 153 points.
No. 2 – Stan Watts – 58 yards – Western Kentucky (11/20/71)
A record that stood for 15 years, Watts' big kick came in a 24-10 loss to the rival Hilltoppers, but did go down as an OVC record at the time. Watts would go on to have tryouts with NFL teams and is still 10th on the Racers' all-time field goal list with 21. Keeping his Racer legacy alive, his daughter, Jane, would go onto play golf for the Racers from 2015-19.
No. 1 – Paul Hickert – 63 yards – Eastern Kentucky (10/11/86)
Hickert's is a record that has been unchallenged for nearly 40 years, with Webber the only one to come close, and still 10 yards off at that, in that time. Hickert put up the record-breaking kick as time expired right before the half against Eastern Kentucky. The kick would prove to be the difference in the game, as the Racers won, 17-15. Hickert's names is still all over the MSU record book as he is tied with Lancaster, along with Greg Duncan, for most 50-plus yard field goals with four and is second all-time in scoring with 263 points, field goals with 49 and extra points with 116.
ALL-TIME 50-PLUS YARD FIELD GOALS
PLAYER DIST. OPPONENT
1. Paul Hickert 62 Eastern Ky. (10/11/86)
2. Stan Watts 58 Western Ky. (11/20/71)
3. Zaden Webber 53 Jacksonville St. (10/26/19)
Jeff Lancaster 53 Southeast Mo. (9/3/83)
5. Gabriel Vicente 52 Southeast Mo. (11/18/17)
Shane Andrus 52 Eastern Ill. (11/23/02)
Shane Andrus 52 Illinois St. (9/21/02)
Rob Hart 52 Eastern Ill. (10/19/96)
Greg Duncan 52 Morehead St. (10/7/89)
Greg Duncan 52 Tennessee St. (10/15/18)
Jeff Lancaster 52 Eastern Ky. (10/29/83)
Jeff Lancaster 52 Austin Peay (11/7/81)
Jeff Lancaster 52 Akron (10/25/80)
Paul Hickert 52 Tenn. Tech (10/24/87)
Paul Hickert 52 Western Ky. (11/23/85)
16. Greg Duncan 51 Nevada (9/24/89)
17. Gabriel Vicente 50 Austin Peay (11/17/18)
Connor Mitchell 50 Eastern Ill. (10/15/16)
Greg Duncan 50 Nevada (9/24/89)
Paul Hickert 50 Youngstown St. (11/7/87)
Honorable Mention - Shane Andrus – 52 Yards – Eastern Illinois (11/23/02)
There have been 11 52-yard field goals in Racer history, but probably none as memorable as the one Andrus kicked as time expire to beat EIU and claim the 2002 OVC Championship. A back-and-forth game from the get-go, Andrus chipped in a 25-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the Racers on top 34-23 with 6:20 to play. It was Andrus' second field goal of the day, after having made a 46-yarder in the first quarter.
However, following Andrus' field goal in the fourth, EIU's Tony Romo, in his final regular season game, led the Panthers on an 11 play 72 yard drive to bring the score to 34-29 Racers, after a failed rush on the two-point conversion by Romo. In the ensuing Murray State drive, the Racers only burned 1:15 off the clock on a three-and-out that lost yards, forcing Brian Bivens into a 55-yard punt that is downed at the Eastern Illinois 27-yard line.
With just 2:08 to play, Romo drives the field again this time going 73-yards in 1:48 to give his team a 35-34 lead. The Panthers then have the opportunity to push the lead out to three points, but the two-point conversion fails again and leaves the lead at one.
After returning the ball six yards on the kickoff, Murray State takes over at their own 33-yard line with 20 seconds to play. Stewart Childress completed two passes on the drive, to Marcus Christon and Jimmy St. Louis, to get the Racers to the EIU 35. After a time out by the Panthers in an attempt to ice Andrus, he put the ball through the uprights from 52-yards out as time expired for the win.
No. 3 (Tie) – Zaden Webber – 53-yards – Jacksonville State (10/26/19)
The newest entry to the list came last season when the true freshman took over kicking duties for injured All-OVC kicker Gabriel Vicente. The Racers did not score in the game until the final minute of the third quarter on a two-yard run from quarterback Preston Rice, cutting their deficit in half at 14-7.
Midway through the fourth, Murray State added two more points on a safety by TJ Warren to make it 14-9, as the rain had finally set in and began to pour. After getting the ball back after the safety, MSU converted on a fourth-and-two at the JSU 30 to keep the drive alive, but a penalty and a tackle-for-loss would eventually stall the drive at the JSU 34.
Missing his first two attempts of the day from 41 and 23, did little to quell the confidence of Webber as sent one up that hooked inside the uprights to cut the score to 14-12. After getting the ball back with 1:42 to play, Webber attempted another field goal, this time from 52 yards out, but the rain got the better of this one, as JSU held on for the win.
No. 3 (Tie) – Jeff Lancaster – 53 yards – Southeast Missouri (9/3/83)
In the season opener of the 1983 season, Jeff Lancaster booted a 53-yarder in the second quarter, as the Racers went to win 25-11. The field goal was the third of what would be four 50-plus yarders in his career, with other three being 52 yards. The Hopkinsville native appears on multiple career list for the records including being tied for the most 50-plus yarders and is currently fourth on the all-time field goals list with 35 and 10th on the all-time scoring list with 153 points.
No. 2 – Stan Watts – 58 yards – Western Kentucky (11/20/71)
A record that stood for 15 years, Watts' big kick came in a 24-10 loss to the rival Hilltoppers, but did go down as an OVC record at the time. Watts would go on to have tryouts with NFL teams and is still 10th on the Racers' all-time field goal list with 21. Keeping his Racer legacy alive, his daughter, Jane, would go onto play golf for the Racers from 2015-19.
No. 1 – Paul Hickert – 63 yards – Eastern Kentucky (10/11/86)
Hickert's is a record that has been unchallenged for nearly 40 years, with Webber the only one to come close, and still 10 yards off at that, in that time. Hickert put up the record-breaking kick as time expired right before the half against Eastern Kentucky. The kick would prove to be the difference in the game, as the Racers won, 17-15. Hickert's names is still all over the MSU record book as he is tied with Lancaster, along with Greg Duncan, for most 50-plus yard field goals with four and is second all-time in scoring with 263 points, field goals with 49 and extra points with 116.
ALL-TIME 50-PLUS YARD FIELD GOALS
PLAYER DIST. OPPONENT
1. Paul Hickert 62 Eastern Ky. (10/11/86)
2. Stan Watts 58 Western Ky. (11/20/71)
3. Zaden Webber 53 Jacksonville St. (10/26/19)
Jeff Lancaster 53 Southeast Mo. (9/3/83)
5. Gabriel Vicente 52 Southeast Mo. (11/18/17)
Shane Andrus 52 Eastern Ill. (11/23/02)
Shane Andrus 52 Illinois St. (9/21/02)
Rob Hart 52 Eastern Ill. (10/19/96)
Greg Duncan 52 Morehead St. (10/7/89)
Greg Duncan 52 Tennessee St. (10/15/18)
Jeff Lancaster 52 Eastern Ky. (10/29/83)
Jeff Lancaster 52 Austin Peay (11/7/81)
Jeff Lancaster 52 Akron (10/25/80)
Paul Hickert 52 Tenn. Tech (10/24/87)
Paul Hickert 52 Western Ky. (11/23/85)
16. Greg Duncan 51 Nevada (9/24/89)
17. Gabriel Vicente 50 Austin Peay (11/17/18)
Connor Mitchell 50 Eastern Ill. (10/15/16)
Greg Duncan 50 Nevada (9/24/89)
Paul Hickert 50 Youngstown St. (11/7/87)
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