Pressure On the Kicking Team, Davis

David Davis boomed a pair of field goals from 32 yards, then another from 42 yards in practice Thursday. His coach noticed.

“He’s hitting the ball a mile,” Pete Carroll said.

The problem is, the junior college transfer has not performed as well in the Coliseum. Not in scrimmages this summer, not against Kansas State last weekend when he left a 42-yard attempt well short.

“I’ve never kicked the ball in front of 60,000 people before,” he said. “That was on my mind.”

Davis also had an extra-point attempt blocked when Kansas State players poured through the middle of the line. Thursday, Carroll had 14 defenders rushing the kick, trying to get the line to improve its zone blocking. One kick was deflected..

If the linemen set their feet correctly, “it doesn’t matter how many guys are coming,” special-teams coach Kennedy Pola said.

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While the kicking team got extra work, a number of players were limited in practice. Linebacker Matt Grootegoed and fullback Charlie Landrigan were suffering from stingers. Center Lenny Vandermade and tailback Sultan McCullough also wore yellow vests that kept them out of full contact.

With the team doing only conditioning work today, and taking a day of rest Saturday, Carroll said he wasn’t concerned and that he just wanted to make sure none of the players aggravated injuries.

Linebacker Frank Strong, who missed the Kansas State game because of a knee sprain, said he feels good but must get used to moving laterally with a leg brace.

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Strong said he was not concerned about ill feelings between him and suspended receiver Marcell Allmond. Earlier this week, he testified at a university hearing regarding Allmond’s alleged involvement in an off-campus scuffle.