Clemson ‘Real Close’ to Making Change at Kicker
By: will-vandervort September 17, 2023

CLEMSON — Robert Gunn is still Clemson’s placekicker. However, that could change real quick if Gunn does not start showing signs of improving.

In Saturday’s win over Florida Atlantic, Gunn missed an extra point and a 31-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter.

During his media call Sunday night, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was asked how close he is to giving someone else a shot at the placekicking duties.

“To answer your question, we are real close,” Swinney said.

That someone else is punter Aidan Swanson.

Gunn eventually settled down and made his final five extra point attempts, as he went through the process and the mechanics of doing what he needed to do. According to Swinney, Gunn was clean and crisp with his mechanics and got the football up in the air.

So far this season, Gunn is just 1-for-4 on his field goal attempts and has made 14 of his 15 PAT attempts. Two of his field goal attempts were blocked in the Tigers’ loss to Duke in the season opener and his lone attempt on Sunday missed badly to the left.

Gunn’s only make came in last week’s Charleston Southern game — a 23-yard kick.

“It is frustrating for sure, but we just have to keep going,” Swinney said. “The next guy up would be Aidan.”

Swanson has not officially tried a field goal this season, but Swinney said he has looked solid in practice.

“The other two guys (Quinn Castner and Hogan Morton) have not seized the moment and Aidan has,” Swinney said. “He is a punter who can kick, but he has gotten a little bit more confidence and has done a little better job than the other couple of guys. When they have had opportunities these past couple of weeks, they have not taken advantage of it.

“Hopefully, Robert will get this thing turned around and get out of this little funk he is in. As I have said many times, he is as talented of a guy as I have ever been around, but sometimes guys can get in a little bit of a bad spot mentally or in a slump.”

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