Jeff Potrykus

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison — Wisconsin senior kicker Andrew Endicott made three mistakes Saturday night.

He missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt late in regulation, compounded that by missing an extra-point attempt in overtime and then checked his Twitter timeline after he got home.

“Saturday night was awful,” he said. “I had a lot of people saying some pretty nasty things on Twitter. I tried to not see it, but they tag you and tell you to kill yourself and to drink bleach.

“It’s the first time I ever had someone tell me to kill myself."

Those suggestions came after Wisconsin defeated Nebraska in overtime, 23-17.

Can you imagine if the Badgers had lost?

"I tried to enjoy the win,” Endicott said, “but I wasn’t there mentally.”

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Endicott’s next chance could come when No. 8 UW (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) faces Northwestern (4-4, 3-2) at 11 a.m. Saturday in Evanston, Ill.

Endicott, who has made 6 of 9 field-goal attempts since taking over for injured Rafael

The miss from 45 yards with 1 minute, 43 seconds left in regulation was the result of Endicott taking a slightly bad line, like a golfer who misses a putt to the left because the ball doesn’t break back to the cup.

“It felt great off my foot,” Endicott said. "I pounded it. I looked up and saw it was left and I was (surprised). I saw it start to tail right, which was what I thought was going to happen. It came back in but it was a couple yards too late.”

Endicott hit a 44-yard attempt from near the right hash in the second quarter. He felt the ball stayed a bit to the right on that kick and recalled his two misses at Iowa were both to the right.

“So the second one I took into account,” he said, referring to the 45-yard attempt Saturday. “I played it left-third of the uprights, thinking my ball flight naturally wants to go right and it just didn’t."

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When Endicott trotted onto the field for the extra-point attempt in overtime he was still thinking about the missed field-goal attempt and wasn't confident. As a result, he hooked the ball to the left.

“It was just a crap kick,” he said. “I had no excuses."

He walked to the sideline and had to watch UW’s defense take the field.

During Nebraska’s possession, long snapper Connor Udelhoven and Gaglianone tried to console him.

“I had complete faith in the defense," Endicott said, "but I just hated feeling that I put them in that position. I put their backs up against the wall.

“I’ve never felt lower in a football game."

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D’Cota Dixon, who offered words of encouragement before both misses, secured the victory by breaking up a fourth-down pass.

Wary of how his teammates might treat him once practice resumed, Endicott was relieved that it was business as usual.

"It epitomizes why you come here," he said. "It is a team, a group of guys that has your back no matter what. … It meant the world to me. I can’t thank those guys enough."

During the field goal period at practice, injured linebacker Jack Cichy playfully got in Endicott's ear: “Put it through those white things. Overtime. PAT."

Endicott needed to hear that.

“I gave them some ammo for crap-talking and Cichy is good at that," he said, smiling. “I feel like a new man."

Vitaly Pisetsky, who kicked for UW from 1997-2000 and made 29 of 42 field-goal attempts, has watched Endicott. He loves his form and the strength of his leg.

"I hate to sound cliché but this is exactly what it is going to sound like," Pisetsky said. "You just have to put it behind you. And I think this is where being a senior should really help him out.

"He has got all the ability. He just needs to relax and trust his ability. The bottom line is you’re going to have to go out there when the lights are on. You’ve just got to own the moment."