Blocking a field goal when you’re on defense is a great way to show your skills. Blocking a field goal when you’re on offense is … not good.
That was sadly the case for Charlotte against Tulsa on Saturday as what looked to be an easy field goal from 39 yards out for the 49ers went totally awry.
On the play in question, punter Grant Gonya looked to have still been still holding the ball when kicker Kyle Cunanan went in for the attempt. The result was a ball flailing wildly out of range, and three points lost on the field.
This is the kind of brutal mental error that we could all make, but it just so happened to be the Charlotte holder on Saturday who had it happen to them.
https://t.co/pcG9wz2SYp pic.twitter.com/tMMpq1g2Ar
— Sidelines-Charlotte (@SSN_49ers) November 4, 2023
Hey, we’re all human, and Gonya deserves the benefit of the doubt here because holding the ball on field goal attempts is a much harder job than it looks because of how quickly the snap comes in compared to how much time you have to set the ball for the attempt.
It’s a split-second operation that takes a lot of practice, and Gonya surely can do it better than most if he’s doing it at the collegiate level. However, it is pretty funny to accidentally block your own team’s field goal attempt, and the 49ers still pulled off a late-game comeback to win 33-26 in double overtime.
Charlotte has plenty to celebrate after this big victory, and it’s good that we can all get a good laugh about of this moment on a day where it thankfully didn’t matter too much to the 49ers either way at the end.
In the meantime, somebody give Gonya a good pat on the back and tell him that it happens to the best of us. It’s absolutely not the end of the world.
Feature image courtesy of ESPN.
