ASU's Dillingham 'serious' about kicking tryouts

After three straight games without a field goal, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was running out of patience.

“Our kicking game is brutal,” Dillingham said after ASU's 24-14 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday. “So, if you can kick and you're at Arizona State, email me. We're going to have a kicking tryout on Monday, so bring it on.”

Asked if he was serious, Dillingham doubled down.

“I'm dying. We're going to put it out on our socials. We're going to have a kicking tryout on Monday,” he said. “We've got to find somebody who can make field goals. It makes it tougher late in the game when it's obviously a kick scenario. That's when it gets really tough.”

Sun Devils kicker Ian Hershey, who began his career at Idaho State, badly missed attempts from 48 and 41 yards on the Sun Devils' final two drives of the game. Hershey is 7-of-12 on field goal attempts and 18-of-19 on extra point attempts this season. Redshirt freshman Kirsten Keefer missed his only field goal attempt of the season against Wyoming.

“[Hersey] Had a good pregame kick. So, I felt good about it, but you know, it is what it is,” Dillingham said. “We've got to do a good job of getting him in a good mental state to kick. But by the same token, I've got a job to do and I've been able to field people who can perform in those conditions as well.”

Dillingham acknowledged that an open tryout wouldn't necessarily lead to change, in which case they'd stay the same.

“If anyone [good enough]So, you know, welcome to the team and we'll rock and roll from there,” Dillingham said.

There is no precedent for looking to the student body for help in the kicking game.

In 2022, Ole Miss added punter Charlie Pollock to the roster, after which coach Lane Kiffin said, “I don't know a whole lot about him. I think he went down to the frat house at a keg party or something where they got him.”

In 2008, the late Mike Leach recruited Texas Tech student Matt Williams to the team after watching him kick a 30-yard field goal during an in-game contest. Williams would remain with the team through the 2010 season.