He’s shouldering some blame for Gamecocks field goal woes, now he’ll help fix it
South Carolina long snapper Ben Asbury was nothing if not blunt.
The Gamecocks’ kicking game was not where anyone involved wanted it to be. There were some missed longer kicks, but coaches repeatedly said blame was shared by several elements of the kicking operation.
Asbury stepped up to shoulder his portion.
“I’ll tell you exactly what I think,” Asbury said. “I think it was my fault 15 or so percent of the time. A snap against A&M, a snap against Arkansas comes to mind.”
The senior who was just awarded a scholarship transferred from Berry College and carved out a role as the top snapper last season.
Holder Danny Gordon took blame for at least one miscue, as he dropped a hold against Tennessee. Overall, the Gamecocks made 15-of-28 field goals, with Parker White, who took most of the kicks, connecting on 14-of-25.
He was 10-for-11 on kicks inside 40 yards, but hit 25 percent outside that range. By one advanced metric, South Carolina ranked 120th nationally in field goal efficiency.
USC added Kent State grad transfer Shane Hynes during the offseason, and he’s been splitting time with White in camp.
But as USC looks forward, Asbury believes the group has figured out a solution.
“We had a hard time gelling as a group, this being our first time, but we’re making a lot of strides,” Asbury said. “Me, Danny and Parker making a lot of strides this offseason. I think you’re going to see a big bounceback.”
This story was originally published August 8, 2018 at 5:02 PM.