There appears to be a very open kicking competition at Arizona State ahead of Week 9.
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham was so frustrated with his team’s kicking woes after Saturday’s loss at Cincinnati that he said any student who can kick a football should email him.
Seriously. When he was asked about in-game strategy in his post-game news conference, Dillingham made it clear how unhappy he was with his team’s situation at kicker.
“You can be aggressive, but just because you convert doesn’t guarantee you can make it one possession. So you would hope you can make a kick — one of those, but our kicking game is atrocious. So if you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me. We’re going to have kicking tryouts on Monday. So bring it on. Kicking tryouts on Monday. Let’s go.”
When asked if he was serious, Dillingham made it clear that he was very serious.
“Dead serious,” he said. “We’re going to put it out on our social, we’re going to have a kicking tryout on Monday. We’ve got to find someone who can make a field goal.
Kenny Dillingham said that ASU will be hosting kicking tryouts on Monday:
“Our kicking game is atrocious. If you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me. We’re going to have kicking tryouts on Monday … I’m dead serious.”@DevilsDigest pic.twitter.com/tUsrZDP4Wi
— Justin LaCertosa (@LaCertosaSports) October 19, 2024
ASU kicker Ian Hershey was 0-for-2 on field goal attempts in the 24-14 loss. Both of those kicks came on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter. After Cincinnati turned over on downs at the ASU 3 yard-line, Hershey missed a 48-yard field goal with 6:01 to go.
The Sun Devils got the ball back after forcing a Cincinnati punt, and needed to score twice with less than two minutes left. After driving into field goal range with 36 seconds to go, Hershey missed a 41-yard field goal.
His kicking woes are not the reason ASU lost. If he makes the first field goal, Arizona State still needs a TD and an extra point to tie. But Hershey hasn’t made a field goal in any of ASU’s last four games, either. He didn’t attempt a kick in ASU’s Week 7 win over Utah, missed a field goal in the team’s 35-31 win over Kansas and missed his only field goal attempt in the team’s 30-22 loss to Texas Tech in Week 4.
Hershey is now 7-of-12 on the season and 2-of-4 from 40-49 yards as ASU is 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.