In the past two weeks, Colorado State kicker Jordan Noyes has proven he can kick under pressure, and he can kick for distance.
Those two qualities not only make head coach Jay Norvell’s job easier when the situation calls for three points, but also prove Noyes is everything the Rams could have asked or hoped for when they signed the 31-year-old transfer from Utah.
So far this season, Noyes is a perfect 21-for-21 on PATs and 7-of-9 on field goals, including six of his last seven. He had a season-high three against UNLV on Saturday, including his season-long of 55 yards.
But before the Rams traveled to Las Vegas last weekend, Noyes provided one of the most exciting moments of the season when his penalty-lengthened extra point gave CSU its first-ever win over Boise State on Oct. 14.
It came after Dallin Holker’s improbable Hail Mary catch in the end zone as time expired that tied the game against the Broncos.
“That was something we work on every week in practice,” Noyes said. “In that situation, I can just thank coach (Tommy) Perry for that. He puts us through those one-to-win situations every week, so without that, I probably would have been a nervous wreck. I felt confident and it came off my foot great.”
Fast forward a week and Noyes found himself in a big moment again. Having already kicked two field goals against the Rebels, Noyes’ lined up from 55 yards with 44 seconds left to give the Rams the lead.
Prior to the play, CSU head coach Norvell called a timeout to assess the situation. Noyes hadn’t made one from that distance yet this year. But the coach was confident and sent his British kicker out there.
Noyes’ kick had plenty of length and when it went through, it gave the Rams a 23-22 lead. However, the Rebels were able to drive the field and kick the game-winner with three seconds left on the clock.
“He probably had another 7, 8 yards in the kick, and you could really hear it when he hit it,” Norvell said. “He really thumped it. It’s really, really a good feeling knowing we have Jordan and he’s a mature guy who’s been in those situations. Two weeks in a row he hit really huge kicks for us.”
Noyes hails from Dartford, Kent, England and played American football, soccer, rugby, and competed in gymnastics in his home country.
It was at his wedding where he was introduced to current Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay, who at the time was kicking for Utah. Gay was impressed with how Noyes could strike a soccer ball and encouraged him to try it with an American football.
By way of sending film of himself to Utah, Noyes was able to attend a minicamp in the summer of 2019 and eventually earned a preferred walk-on spot. He spent three years kicking for Utah, appearing in 30 games during that span.
He helped the Utes to two Pac-12 championships and a Rose Bowl appearance, all while beginning a family of his own. Already with one daughter, his wife had twin girls in November of 2020.
Having a special teams coach dedicated to that unit helped in his decision to finish his collegiate football career at CSU. Noyes gives a lot of credit to Perry for not only helping him land in Fort Collins, but also to hone his craft even more in Fort Collins — and give him the confidence to make the big kicks he has the past two weeks.
From his last two years at Utah and this season at CSU, Noyes is a perfect 76-for-76 on PAT attempts. He also doesn’t miss field goals very often. Even though he hasn’t been doing it long, his attitude and approach make him almost automatic when he lines up a kick.
“It’s always the next kick that’s the most important,” Noyes said. “You can’t care about the last, whether it is good or bad. There’s always the next kick.”
With five more games to go this season and a possible bowl game, Noyes will likely have many more big kicks over the next couple of months.
If the last two weeks are any indication, he can come through in the clutch in just about any situation.