ASU football kicking job open between Cristian Zendejas, Jack Luckhurst
Dec 9, 2020, 7:46 AM
Place kicker Jack Luckhurst #14 of the Arizona State Sun Devils kicks a 49-yard field goal against the UCLA Bruins during the first half of the NCAAF game at Sun Devil Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
After changing kickers on Saturday in a loss to UCLA, head coach Herm Edwards and Arizona State are uncertain who their kicker will be Friday against the Arizona Wildcats.
“Well, we have two kickers,” Edwards said. “We will just play it by ear. Practice will have a lot to do with it.”
Before the season began, redshirt junior Cristian Zendejas said his goal was “to be perfect inside 40 [yards] and be comfortable 52 and in.”
On Saturday, he missed a 45-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter, which would have broken a 0-0 tie.
Up until that point, Zendejas made field goals of 38 yards and 41 yards in the season opener against USC, and all three extra point attempts. Dating back to last season, he had made 13 consecutive kicks.
But after his misfire against UCLA, in came Jack Luckhurst. The redshirt freshman debuted by making a 49-yard field goal to end the second quarter.
For the rest of the game, Luckhurst was the Sun Devils’ guy, also kicking an extra point. But according to Edwards, Luckhurst doesn’t always make it through the pipes.
“You can’t argue with his leg strength,” Edwards added.
