The life of a kicker isn’t one of great intrigue. Oliver Hautanen and Jack Howes spend most of their time wandering the sideline during practice. They exchange comments with one another and do the sole thing more interesting than kicking the ball – pretending to kick it.

But then, everything changes. As coach Pete Lembo blows his whistle and a siren wails, the two stumble into the limelight, each getting a shot or two to knock down a field goal. While lighthearted for the skill position players who get to rest, those moments shoot a current of intensity through Hautanen and Howes. Rightfully, for that matter. Each kick could be the difference as the University at Buffalo’s quest to determine its newest starting kicker is heating up.

“Both have live legs, and both have hit some really goo

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