The kicker plays a valuable role in college football, and at BYU and Utah, the value of the special teams in 2008 has been immeasurable. While BYU’s Mitch Payne and Utah’s Louie Sakoda have proven valuable to their re-spective teams, each possesses different characteristics that set him apart.

For Payne, a sophomore and brother of former BYU kicker Matt Payne, heritage plays an important role in his talent. The BYU kicker is following in his older brother’s footsteps, but also differs in a few key ways.

“I’m not as big as him and I’m a little bit more talkative than him,” Payne said.

Lucky for Payne, neither size nor speech have nothing to do with his ability to kick the football.

Payne has totaled 18 field goals and 86 PATs on the year after two years of being BYU’s starting kicker. He has accumulated 67 points in the battle for the Cougars’ third Mountain West Conference title in as many years.

Utah senior Louie Sakoda is known throughout the MWC and nation as the No. 1 kicker thanks to his powerful leg.

“It feels great just because I’ve kicked with some of the top guys in the country,” Sakoda said. “It’s quite the honor. Just being able to help my team win is huge and that is what comes first.”

Sakoda has been leading his team in kicking for four years and will soon leave to pursue a higher goal, a career in the NFL.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to take a shot at the next level,” Sakoda said.

Sakoda has tallied 54 field goals and 118 PATs in his career. But don’t expect his Provo counterpart to go lay down without a fight. Payne is ready for the rivalry game and the chance to kick against Sakoda.

“I just practice hard every day and if I do that I’ll be ready for the game,” Payne said.

The pressure of the rivalry game is handled differently by Payne and Sakoda.

“I prepare myself for those last-second situations so I’ll be ready,” Payne said. “You just have to realize that it’s just a game, you do your best and hopefully you make it.”

Sakoda’s pre-game routine is as constant as the pressure when kicking from 50 yards out.

“A lot of the way I handle the pressure is determined during the week,” Sakoda said. “I put all that pressure on myself and make it as nerve-racking as possible so that when I get into the game it’s just another kick.

I have my pre-game mix that is pump-up music. It is counterintuitive because it lowers my heart rate, but helps me get pumped up to help the other guys.”

Payne, on the other hand, prepares differently during his pre-game warm-ups.

“I just try to relax,” Payne said. “When I go out there, it’s automatic. It’s just very natural because I’ve done it so many times.”

He focuses on what he needs to do and relies on his experience and practice to help him score points for the Cougars. And if experience is a judge of character, BYU should fare well in Saturday's kicking battle.

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Copyright Brigham Young University 20 Nov 2008