While much of college football frets about kicking, Idaho coach Robb Akey has had no such worries for the past four years.
Trey Farquhar has been one of the bright spots in Moscow, a dependable and consistent option for the Vandals.
“He’s got great confidence. I love that about him. He’s been like that since the day we got him here,” Akey said.
Farquhar has made 47-of-66 career attempts (71.2 percent), including 6-of-7 this season. And he is a long-distance weapon with seven field goals of 50 yards or more, including a 53-yarder in Idaho’s OT loss to Wyoming.
“He’s calm about it,’’ senior cornerback Aaron Grymes said. “He’s always got a smile on his face and he makes the kick. Kicker is a hard position. People are going to love you or people are going to hate you. Trey is that guy that everybody loves.”
A native of Redlands, Calif., Farquhar drew interest from USC and TCU but opted for Idaho because he had an opportunity to play right away. He enrolled mid-year and earned the starting job immediately.
He hasn’t relinquished it, setting several Idaho single-season and career records, while avoiding the curse of kickers that has plagued many in the country.
“Pretty much just doing what I’m supposed to do. Sometimes you get more attempts than others,” the 6-foot-1, 191-pounder Farquhar said. “I really don’t think about anybody else, kickerwise. I don’t pay attention to it.”
Farquhar said he and Akey talk about his range before the game. Though the kicker can make practice kicks from 62 yards, he wants to be completely confident in his spot.
“The number he wants is the number he knows I’m going to be 100 percent at,” Farquhar said. “Even NFL guys don’t hit those (60-yarders). I’ll tell him 35. That’s a 52-yard field goal. I should be able to hit that 100 percent of the time.”
Said Akey: “I’ve got great confidence in him. I like to think people could see that the way I won’t hesitate to send him out there.”
Farquhar’s leg strength could be a major help as he tackles his next goal: reaching the NFL.
“That’s been my goal since coming out of high school,” he said.
Brian Murphy: 377-6444,Twitter: @MurphsTurph
