Henrique Ribeiro was as automatic a field-goal kicker as one could be to start the 2014 season for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team.
Then things went mental.
After making the first 12 field-goal attempts of his college career, Ribeiro finished the season by making four of his final 10, including one of five in the postseason. He missed all three attempts against Indiana State, and then after making a 37-yarder in the FCS quarterfinal he missed his next attempt.
His four postseason misses all came from within 30 yards.
But the problem for Ribeiro had become mental much earlier than the postseason. It started during the midst of the streak, and as it got closer to former Moc Matt Vick's Southern Conference record of 13 consecutive makes during the 2000 season, the pressure mounted.
And Ribeiro finally cracked.
"I did a good job at the beginning of the year, but I think I got too confident," the former Baylor School standout said after Monday's practice. "Things really changed in the Wofford game. When the streak got to 12 straight, people were talking to me that week leading up to it, and I didn't have a good week of practice. I was focusing too much on that next kick, but it was a sophomore mistake and I can't let that happen again."
He said he felt like he let his teammates down with the poor postseason showing, in which two of his kicks were blocked.
"In the New Hampshire game, I had a chance to make it close," he said. "I felt I could have done a better job."
Despite the shaky finish, the UTC coaching staff has plenty of confidence in Ribeiro's abilities. It wasn't as though he had a bad season -- 16-for-22 on field goals, 60-for-62 on extra points. It's just remembered for the finish as opposed to the totality.
"It got a little rough there for him last year," UTC coach Russ Huesman said, "but we think he's going to have a great year kicking the ball. He's got plenty of leg and he's extremely capable, so we have a lot of confidence in him."
Ribeiro estimates that kicking is about 35 percent mental. He made a number of 50-plus-yard field goals for Baylor and was the Mr. Football Kicker of the Year in Tennessee in 2011, with a long of 57 against Bradley Central. He's capable of making the kicks -- he just now has to believe he can make them.
"When things started to change, I didn't adjust, and then it got mental and I lost focus," he said. "So this offseason I've tried to work on the mental aspect and kick the same ball every time.
"I feel I'm going to be a lot better next season, because I'm not going to let things get in my head."
The Mocs will practice Wednesday at Finley Stadium on their new turf field. Their spring game is Saturday at 2.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.