JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA- In a 52-13 loss to Texas A&M in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl there was little for NC State fans to cheer about, especially on the offensive side. However, two long field goals by freshman kicker Christopher Dunn should shine a bright light on the future.
“It’s super disappointing,” Dunn said. “Especially for the seniors having to go out this way, but I each year the new classes that come in have continued to take the bar up just a little bit and the recruiting class that’s coming in for next year has been great from what I’ve heard of.”
Dunn was 2-2 on field goals and 1-1 in extra points during the Pack’s (9-4) season finale against the Aggies (9-4). The first field goal, from 43 yards out, put NC State on the board in its second drive of the game.
The second was a 49-yard field goal to extend a brief NC State lead to 13-7. It marked a career-long field goal that will almost certainly be broken at some point in the next three years in Raleigh.
“It felt great coming off my foot, especially being in an NFL stadium. That’s awesome,” Dunn said. “That’s a dream of mine to play at any team here one day in the NFL so being able to come into this stadium and hit that and contribute to the game was awesome.”
The freshman kicker brought stability to the Pack kicking game that has been atrocious in years past. Dunn went 23-26 (88.5 percent) this season in field goals and a perfect 51-51 in extra points.
Last season, NC State was 10-20 (50 percent) during field goals and missed three extra points (49-52). The year before, the Pack was 9-17 (52.3 percent).
While kicker is a normally underrated and overlooked position, there is no denying the value a solid kicker brings to a good football team and Dunn certainly showed that this season hitting kicks that NC State hasn’t made in years.
“Anytime we get to go in there and put three on the board is awesome for me,” Dunn said. “I’m pretty confident wherever we are at on the field and being able to hit it. I know coach [Doug] Shearer and coach [Dave] Doeren are confident as well, so hopefully I’ll be able to break a few more records next year.”
NC State fans should be excited for the future and direction of the entire football team, but one certainty will be Dunn kicking the ball going through the uprights day after day.
“Chris Dunn has got an incredible future,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “We have complete confidence in him, and it was great to see him kick the ball like that. He’s a weapon, and so it’s great to have a freshman kicker like that knowing you’re going to have him for a couple more years.”
Although some things didn’t go the Pack’s way this season, there was always confidence in Dunn to come in and make a kick. A confidence that NC State fans should get used to for as long as Dunn hits the field.
