Defense bails out Succop

LEXINGTON, Ky. —- Elsewhere, handshakes and shoulder-pats were being delivered. Amid all that on the field, USC special teams coach Ray Rychleski grabbed his kicker, Ryan Succop.

“These guys,” Rychleski said, pointing at Succop’s teammates, “won the game for you, because you’re a great kid.”

Succop had just missed four field goals. That wasn’t just a season-high, or a career-high, but a life-high, the South Carolina senior said later. He only missed four field goals all last season.

Yet the Gamecocks still earned a 24-17 victory at Kentucky. That, admitted Succop, would make it a lot easier for him to recover.

“That certainly makes things a lot easier for me,” Succop said. “I would’ve been miserable if we hadn’t won that game.”

Still, it left Rychleski and coach Steve Spurrier wondering what happened to their kicker, who until Saturday was an All-American candidate.

While the first two misses were from 50 and 51 yards, neither was close. After missing a 40-yarder, Succop finally connected on one from 42 yards, tying the score at 17 early in the fourth quarter.

But when Succop had a chance to put the game away, he missed a 39-yarder with 2:13 left.

Entering the game, Succop was 11-for-14 on the season, with only one miss in the 30s and two in the 40s.

“I just had a bad day,” he said.

Succop suffered an abdominal strain last week, and played through it, going 1-for-2 on field goals. He didn’t practice this week until Thursday, and Rychleski considered having punter Spencer Lanning handle place-kicks.

So when Succop struggled, Rychleski blamed himself, saying he should have gone with Lanning.

“Once he started the game I couldn’t switch over,” Rychleski said. “That wouldn’t have been right for the kid.”

But Spurrier pointed out that Succop’s kickoffs were “super,” and Succop said the injury didn’t matter.

“That’s no excuse,” Succop said. “It was a little bit sore, but nothing that should cause me to miss four field goals.”

Spurrier had another theory. He felt the kicker was spending too much time lining up, comparing it to golfers who stand too long over a putt.

“I told him, you’re taking too long, get out there and kick the dang ball,” Spurrier said. “Sometimes it looks like me over a 4-footer that you know you can’t make. You’ve got to get out there and hit the thing. Even the last one, I said you’re taking too long. And sure enough he missed it.”

But a defensive stop prevented it from mattering.

“The team certainly bailed me out,” Succop said.

Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.