Ressel loses job security as Missouri Tigers' kicker

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri kicking job is up for grabs until Grant Ressel regains his touch.

Ressel is just 7 for 13 this year after missing only three of 46 attempts over the past two seasons.

Tigers coach Gary Pinkel opened competition between Ressel and punter Trey Barrow, with the winner kicking against Iowa State in the homecoming game Saturday.

"You wait as long as you can for that," said offensive coordinator Dave Yost, who also coaches the place-kickers. "Players earn the right to have some struggles a little bit. He earned quite a little bit more rope than other guys."

Ressel was an All-American in 2009, and the Jackson High School graduate's struggles seemingly came from nowhere.

After missing one of his first five attempts, and that one a 54-yarder, Ressel missed an opportunity to seal a victory at Arizona State by pulling a 48-yard attempt wide left at the end of regulation. The miss came after Pinkel called two timeouts, leading to complaints the coach had iced his own kicker.

Ressel made two field goals against Western Illinois, but missed a pair of 46-yard attempts at Oklahoma and had two more misses Saturday at Kansas State. Only two of his misses have come from inside the 45.

"He's a great kid and he's going through a difficult time," Pinkel said. "He hasn't fixed it yet."

Enter Barrow, who handled kickoffs last season. Barrow arrived as a preferred walk-on for kicking after making a school-record 47-yard field goal at Moberly (Mo.) High School.

Barrow lost out to Ressel in the last kicking competition at Missouri. So Barrow focused on kickoffs and punting. He's averaging 47.9 yards on 25 punts this season, including a 73-yarder against Arizona State.

"It's a remarkable advantage for field position," Pinkel said. Barrow's ability to flip the field, the coach added, is "unbelievable."

Barrow said he and Ressel have a close relationship as they enter the second kicking competition. Jeff Wolfert, the kicker before Ressel, was Barrow's "big brother" when he arrived at Missouri, and Barrow said Ressel has helped him deal with the pressures of kicking.

Pinkel said the job won't be awarded until late in the week.

"They're just competing," Pinkel said. "It shows there is a lot of competition there. I think it's healthy and it's good, and I think we are getting good work out of all those guys."

Yost said Ressel and Barrow will line up alongside one another in practice and performance will decide the job, taking into account any snap issues.

"What we have to do is we have to find who's the best guy at this time to play for us," Yost said. "That's where we're at."

Barrow has not practiced kicking field goals before this week, but don't count him out.

"I want the game to rest on my shoulders at the end," Barrow said. "I like the pressure."

Missouri (2-3) will be playing at home for the first time in a month as part of the university's centennial homecoming celebration. The Tigers have won seven of their last eight against Iowa State, including four straight at home.