Freshman walk-on place kicker Aidan Schneider has garnered more experience in his first season with Oregon than he ever expected.

Schneider, a centerback on the soccer pitch turned kicker during his junior year at Grant High School in Portland, Oregon, made six-of-seven PATs against South Dakota in week one. At Levi’s Stadium against California last Friday, Schneider replaced injured starter Matt Wogan and converted every field goal and PAT he attempted.

With the timetable for Wogan’s absence unknown, Schneider is preparing like he normally does. He knows how he can improve — specifically on getting more distance on kickoffs — and he knows that getting consistency is a must for success moving forward.

Schneider talked with the Emerald earlier this week.

What was going through your head when you found out you were going to start against Cal?

I was pretty much just trusting all my preparation and knowing that I played earlier in the season, that kind of gave me a lot confidence because even though I hadn’t played on the road yet, I knew kind of what to expect going in to the game. I wasn’t starry-eyed.

What feedback did you get from your coaches after Cal?

Well, basically I didn’t miss any PATs or field goals, which is good. On kickoffs I didn’t get a ton of direct feedback, but pretty much what I noticed is that I need to be more consistent. I know I’m capable of putting a really big ball on a kickoff, like the last kick of the game. That one felt like it was a long time coming. I just hadn’t been hitting the ball right and I finally got a hold of that one.

Did the fact you were kicking in a professional stadium go through your head at all?

It did a little bit. It’s definitely a different feel to it, but when I’m out there playing, it’s not something I think about. I just focus on the kick.

Do you remember your first kick ever?

I do. I actually missed my first kick. It was a PAT right off the crossbar.

Off the crossbar, was that your soccer mentality playing out?

(Laughs) A little bit of that, maybe. Just the whole thing hadn’t really hit me until I was out there. I was like, ‘This feels so wrong to me.’ It was different than what I had done my whole life in soccer and I wasn’t ready when the snap came.

Are kickoffs something like golf where you try to use muscle memory and replicate a good kick?

Yes. Staying consistent, it’s almost exactly like golf where one little thing you miss up in your swing can completely change the result of the kick.

Did you ever think you’d be a college kicker when you hit the crossbar on your first kick in high school?

I was not even vaguely considering it.

Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt