Georgia punter Collin Barber has had some good moments but also some disasters in a generally inconsistent sophomore season.Georgia sophomore place-kicker Marshall Morgan has improved dramatically from his freshman season, but that hasn’t been the case with sophomore punter Collin Barber.
Barber’s first two punts in Saturday’s 43-38 loss at Auburn traveled 43 and 51 yards, but his third attempt went just 23. Shanked punts are actually preferable to what Georgia was experiencing earlier this season, as the Bulldogs battled bad snaps and had punts blocked for touchdowns against North Texas and Tennessee.
“I guess I’ve had a decent year,” Barber said. “I haven’t given up many return yards, but I wish I had not dropped that snap against South Carolina. I’ve had some blocked punts and some high snaps. There are a lot of things I wish I could take back, but it is what it is and we have to keep going.”
Georgia’s last disaster on a punt occurred in the fourth quarter of the 31-27 loss at Vanderbilt on Oct. 19, when a high snap resulted in Barber falling on the ball at his team’s 13-yard line. The Commodores scored on the next play to take their 31-27 lead with 2:53 remaining.
Snapping has not been an issue since, but Barber had his most erratic showing at Auburn, following up his 23-yard punt in the second quarter with a 36-yarder in the third.