North Carolina State University Athletics
Kicking Duties Still up in the Air
8/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
By: Tony Haynes
The sport of football has three phases: offense, defense and the kicking game. It's been said that offense sells tickets and defense wins games. The kicking game falls in the category of "least appreciated part of the game."
But it's a certainty that no one on Chuck Amato's NC State coaching staff is underestimating the important of the kicking game.
With two weeks remaining before the Wolfpack's Sept. 2 opener against Arkansas State, the staff still hasn't made a final determination on who will be handling which kicking chores.
Incumbent place-kicker Kent Passingham is being pushed by highly touted freshman Austin Herbert, who is also handling most of the punting duties in pre-season camp.
"We probably won't know until right before the first game on how things are going to go there," Amato said. "We've got a really young freshman (Herbert) who's had some really good practices. Yesterday (8/17) he kicked off into the end zone about five or six times with good hang time, which is the first time he's done that with consistency. Our extra points and field goals have not been too good lately."
Passingham, a senior from Holly Ridge, N.C., converted on 25-of-27 point after attempts and 9-of-14 field goal tries last year. The highly recruited Herbert set the North Carolina record for career field goals (37) at Cary Senior High. His longest conversion came from 50-yards out. In addition, Herbert sent 80 percent of his kickoffs into the end zone at Cary.
Amato would prefer to split the kicking and punting duties up, but he may not have that luxury. Herbert appears to have the upper hand at all of the positions.
"You hate to throw him into everything, but if he's going to be the best we have then we'll do it," Amato said. "I'm hoping that Kent Passingham can come around and regain what he had started because he was real consistent in the spring. He's gotten himself in a rut and he needs to pull himself out of it."
Other Wolfpack Football Notes:
Right offensive tackle Scott Kooistra, who's
listed as a starter, sustained a knee injury in Friday morning's practice.
"We don't know to what extent," Amato said. "We were doing a goal line drill and they were getting after it. It's infrequent that players get hurt in that drill because people aren't coming from different angles."
Linebackers Edrick Smith (knee) and Levar Fisher (leg), who have been practicing on a limited basis, could see some action in the Wolfpack's next preseason scrimmage. Amato said: "I hope that we will get them some snaps; they want it. We'll just have to see how the trainers feel about it. Edrick's got to get some work because he missed all of spring practice."
Smith tore an ACL and MCL in last year's season opener at Texas. Fisher has been slowed by a stress fracture in his leg.
