The Washington Huskies have had a lot of trouble on special teams, and at the epicenter of those struggles has been kicker Grady Gross. After a near-perfect sophomore campaign, Gross has made 10 of his 17 field goal tries, converting at just a 58.8 percent clip.
Despite those struggles, coach Jedd Fisch has continued to support his kicker, bringing in longtime NFL special teams coach Gary Zauner to help break him out of his slump.
On Monday, Fisch once again backed the junior from Scottsdale, Arizona, and said he was dependable throughout the bye week.
“Man, he kicked it great yesterday,” Fisch said on Monday. “We had some running [on Sunday], and I said, ‘Alright Grady, we’re either going to run four gassers or zero, depending on if you make this kick.'”
“We put the ball down on the line for a 48-yard field goal, and the whole team surrounded him. I said, ‘It’s either going to be either 400 yards running for the players or zero,’ and he nailed it right through the uprights. The team was very excited we didn’t have to run to end practice. I think he felt good about nailing that kick.”
As the Huskies prepare for their final five games, a turnaround from Gross could go a long way toward stabilizing Fisch’s team.