It was a rough go-around for Michael Tarbutt in his first season as UConn football’s kicker last year. He hit just 12 of 18 field goals (66.7 percent) and missed a pair of extra points.
On top of that, he struggled in big moments. Tarbutt missed a 33-yard field goal against ECU that would’ve sent the same into overtime. Three weeks later, he missed a 36-yarder to give the Huskies a seven-point lead with 55 seconds left against Temple — although the team still pulled out the win.
He recovered towards the end of the season, booming a 50-yarder in the rain at Fenway Park against Boston College and hitting all three field goals in the finale against Cincinnati— including a career-long 53 yarder.