Bishop provides UNH with leg up
Tom Bishop is well aware of the stigma, the lack of respect, of being, well, the kicker.
At the University of New Hampshire, his kicking talents, like his off-the-field pursuits, are well-rounded.
He drills long-distance kickoffs, he booms high-rising punts, he delivers clutch field goals, and he converts 100 percent of his point-after attempts. And every once in a while, he'll stick his sturdy 6-foot, 215-pound frame into the fray and force a fumble.
"One of my goals has always been to not just be 'the kicker,' " said the senior from Newfield, N.Y. "During the offseason [workouts], I do everything [the rest of the players do]."
In an era of specialists, he handles all the Wildcats' kicking duties, including the rare kicking/punting combo, just the second player to do so in coach Sean McDonnell's successful 10-year run on the UNH sideline.
"Two very different techniques, that's why you don't see many kickers that do both," said Bishop, pointing out that punting - "catching the snap and kicking" - is harder.
And the 10th-ranked Wildcats (10-2) are gearing up for tonight's Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal against fourth-ranked Northern Iowa (11-2), thanks in large part to Bishop's strong right leg and the exceptional work of special teams in last week's 29-20 first-round win at Southern Illinois.
On a day in which sophomore quarterback R.J. Toman and the New Hampshire offense struggled in the red zone, Bishop provided the finishing touch, booting a career-high five field goals, capping his day with a 32-yarder with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter. Add in John Clements's 26-yard return in the third quarter on a blocked punt and the UNH special teams contributed 21 total points.
"You go one field goal at a time, but it was a great feeling to have a direct impact on the game," said Bishop. "You don't get caught up in the situation. But then you get to the end of the game, and realize that you were 5 for 5."
He also averaged 46 yards on his four punts. And launched seven deep kickoffs.
"Tommy is quite confident, and the team has confidence in him," said McDonnell of Bishop, who has converted 11 of 14 field goal attempts, all 33 of his PATs, and averaged 41.6 yards per punt, the second-best average in the Colonial Athletic Association.
"He got his opportunity and won the job. He's very strong physically and he works real hard. The [players] like him."
So do people across the Durham campus.
A member of an a cappella group (Alabaster Blue) at UNH the last three years, Bishop has sung the national anthem at numerous Wildcat athletic events, including a solo performance in front of a full house earlier this fall for the men's hockey team. A technical theater design major, he has worked on set design and lighting, and has been assistant stage manager on a number of shows, including this fall's production of "Little Women."
Bishop put both feet to use in his youth, following in the footsteps of his father, Paul, a former semipro soccer player in California. As an eighth-grader, Tom Bishop was asked by the high school varsity football coach to try kicking. Bishop responded with a 40-yard boot. He was on the varsity soon after, and was a fixture for five years, earning second-team all-state honors twice. He also saw time at tight end and linebacker.
At UNH, he has become well acquainted with the rigors of kicking and punting in the nasty weather and field conditions of northern New England. He drilled a career-best 46-yard field goal in a driving rainstorm three weeks ago against UMass. And in the regular-season finale at Maine, he coped with snow and 25-mile-per-hour winds.
Today, however, for the second straight year, Bishop and the 'Cats will be back inside the cozy UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, seeking to avenge last year's first-round playoff loss in which Northern Iowa held on for a 38-35 win. And in Bishop's freshman season, UNI knocked off the top-seeded and host Wildcats in the quarterfinals, 24-21.
"We will have to be on all cylinders vs. Northern Iowa. They are better balanced [than Southern Illinois]," said McDonnell of UNI, which ousted Maine, 40-15, last week, its ninth straight win since falling to Southern Illinois, 27-24, in September.
"They have the biggest offensive line we have faced. [Corey Lewis, 1,197 yards] has set rushing records, and their quarterback, [Pat Grace,] is very efficient. We will have to be a little bit better defensively, more stout vs. the run, and create turnovers."
And lean on Bishop and a special teams unit that continues to make game-changing plays.
"We're playing in a dome, and last year I averaged 55 yards per punt there," said Bishop, determined again to make a difference and extend his career at least one more game.
Craig Larson can be reached at clarson@globe.com 