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[Blog] USC trying to kick the habit
Posted on 03.18.10
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There were plenty of reasons USCs kickoff coverage struggled last season, but the problem started with the kicks.
The Gamecocks had 59 kickoffs in 2009; exactly one went for a touchback.
Adam Yates handled most of those kicks, but the walk-on faces competition this spring from transfers Jay Wooten (North Carolina) and Joey Scribner-Howard (Carson-Newman).
Spencer Lanning is the fallback option, but coaches would rather not tax Lannings leg any more beyond his punting and place-kicking responsibilities.
Scribner-Howard played soccer and football at Dutch Fork and showed off a big leg during the fall while sitting out under NCAA transfer rules.
Scribner-Howard had a solid night Tuesday. On Thursday, not so much.
In fact, all of the kickers struggled during Thursdays kickoff drills, leading to a funny scene on the practice field involving special teams coach Shane Beamer (although Beamer likely failed to find the humor in it).
After Yates hit an ugly squib, Beamer yelled: Well just onsides kick all year!
He then reminded the kickers that they did nothing all practice with the exception of this particular drill.
With that, Wooten stepped up and promptly sent a short kick out of bounds.
If this keeps up, any USC student who played soccer as a kid might want to look up Beamers phone number.
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