From OnlineAthens.com
September 19th, 2016 03:15 PM
Neither Georgia’s kicking jobs seem secure as the fourth game week of the season began Monday.
William Ham could need a good week of practice in the lead-up to Saturday’s Ole Miss game to handle field goals again after missing both his attempts at Missouri.
Rodrigo Blankenship’s kickoff job also could be on the line after Ham replaced him following three on Saturday and booted on the final two kickoffs.
Ham is 10 of 10 on extra points but 3 of 7 on field goals this season with a long of 29. He missed wide from 23 and 38 yards against Missouri.
“They’ve got competition between each other and that will continue,” coach Kirby Smart said Monday. “We kick field goals almost every day now. It’s a matter of putting them in situations to get them to kick better. I can’t simulate the people in the stands that they have to deal with. That’s something that each one of them has got to work on individually and we’re trying to help them with. To be honest with you, we’ve got to practice it and we’re going to continue to do that.”
Blankenship was replaced by Ham on kickoffs after a high kick to the 8-yard line that was returned 36 yards giving Missouri the ball at the Tigers’ 44-yard line.
Smart said kick coverage issues in the game were about ball placement and hang time with Blankenship.
“He knows,” Smart said. “We’ve been very honest with Rodrigo. He’s got to improve in that area and to be honest he did show improvement against Nicholls and then it went down and he didn’t kick it as good. If he’s not kicking as good, I can’t continue to do the same thing. We’ve got competition going on at that.”
Georgia signed punter Marshall Long in February and he is averaging 39.7 yards so far this season.
Smart said at the time that he has found “you can find more quality kickers through the walk-on route than you can quality punters.”
He said on Monday that there weren’t any kickers available worthy of a scholarship after he was hired.
“We’re going to always go and recruit kickers, it’s a matter of whether we’re going to commit a scholarship to it or not,” he said. “If there’s a guy that’s a difference maker, certainly, certainly we’re going to be able to scholarship a guy and we’ll continue to look in that mode.”
...READ MORE HERE...
September 19th, 2016 03:15 PM
Neither Georgia’s kicking jobs seem secure as the fourth game week of the season began Monday.
William Ham could need a good week of practice in the lead-up to Saturday’s Ole Miss game to handle field goals again after missing both his attempts at Missouri.
Rodrigo Blankenship’s kickoff job also could be on the line after Ham replaced him following three on Saturday and booted on the final two kickoffs.
Ham is 10 of 10 on extra points but 3 of 7 on field goals this season with a long of 29. He missed wide from 23 and 38 yards against Missouri.
“They’ve got competition between each other and that will continue,” coach Kirby Smart said Monday. “We kick field goals almost every day now. It’s a matter of putting them in situations to get them to kick better. I can’t simulate the people in the stands that they have to deal with. That’s something that each one of them has got to work on individually and we’re trying to help them with. To be honest with you, we’ve got to practice it and we’re going to continue to do that.”
Blankenship was replaced by Ham on kickoffs after a high kick to the 8-yard line that was returned 36 yards giving Missouri the ball at the Tigers’ 44-yard line.
Smart said kick coverage issues in the game were about ball placement and hang time with Blankenship.
“He knows,” Smart said. “We’ve been very honest with Rodrigo. He’s got to improve in that area and to be honest he did show improvement against Nicholls and then it went down and he didn’t kick it as good. If he’s not kicking as good, I can’t continue to do the same thing. We’ve got competition going on at that.”
Georgia signed punter Marshall Long in February and he is averaging 39.7 yards so far this season.
Smart said at the time that he has found “you can find more quality kickers through the walk-on route than you can quality punters.”
He said on Monday that there weren’t any kickers available worthy of a scholarship after he was hired.
“We’re going to always go and recruit kickers, it’s a matter of whether we’re going to commit a scholarship to it or not,” he said. “If there’s a guy that’s a difference maker, certainly, certainly we’re going to be able to scholarship a guy and we’ll continue to look in that mode.”
...READ MORE HERE...
