WVU football’s punting shows highs, lows through 3 games
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia football's offense scored 38 points on No. 25 Virginia's top-rated offense through the first two games. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. scored five total touchdowns, the rushing attack had 247 yards and the offense as a whole totaled 437 yards. Defensively, it looked rocky through the first quarter, but defensive coordinator Zac Alley completely adjusted, and the defense dominated the rest of the game.
Offensively and defensively, there aren't many complaints in WVU's 38-27 upset win. Even the placekicking and Jack Cassidy continued to excel. Cassidy has kicked all seven kickoffs through the end zone, which Rich Rodriguez has talked about being a massive strength, and made a 21-yard field goal to stay perfect on the season.
“You know how much less stress there is when you have a kicker like Jack Cassidy,” Rodriguez said. “Last year, every kick is like ‘I hope we cover well.’ I just hope Jack kicks it out like he always does.”
However, the punting has created a little stress.
WVU added just one punter this offseason, bringing in Colorado State transfer Bryan Hansen. Hansen punted in 12 games last season for head coach Jay Norvell. He punted 57 times and averaged 47.9 per punt. His 47.9 yards was top 10 last season in the FBS. Thirteen of Hansen's punts landed inside the 20.
Hansen had the metrics to be the starting punter for the Mountaineers, and a good one at that, taking over for long-time punter Oliver Straw, who gained an extra year through a TRO and is on the UAB roster.
Through the first two games, Hansen's punting went under the radar.
He punted six times against Coastal Carolina. Hansen had punts of 30, 45, 31, 24, 44 and the big 74-yarder. The 74-yarder overshadowed the smaller punts. Two of the six ended up inside the 20-yard line, including the 74-yarder, and one went into the end zone, which was at the end of the game. The Chanticleers marched down the field and hit a field goal.
U.T. Martin, Hansen punted twice in the blowout win. He had a 43 and 42-yard punt, and neither went inside the 20. But in a blowout win against an FCS school, it didn't matter.
In the matchup with the Cavaliers, in a pressure situation, Hansen struggled. He punted six times again, and had a 38, 39, 42, 40 and a 19-yarder. He only had one inside the 20-yard line. Hansen had a 60-yarder, but it went into the end zone for a touchback.
Luckily, it wasn't an issue because the defense made up for it, and the Mountaineers won the game.
After three games for the Mountaineers and 14 punts, Hansen has averaged 40.86 yards per punt and has just three inside the 20. Hansen is 80th in the country in punting average. His 38 net punting average is 113th in the country among 146 punters.
Through three games, it hasn't been a major problem, especially with the 3-0 record, but it hasn't helped the team.
WVU starts Big 12 play against Oklahoma State on Sept. 26, meaning the competition should only ramp up. The Mountaineers have dominated their first three games, so punting hasn't had to be too much of an impact. WVU's not going to roll every game, so punting will need to be a factor.
Right now, the short punts haven’t been detrimental, but it could become a bigger problem down the road.
WVU has another option at punter. The Mountaineers added Robert Morris punter Mack Flynn just before the season started, but they haven't shown or heard anything about him. He doesn't have any information on the WVU side either. Flynn was on the travel roster for Virginia, so if Hansen continues to have issues or goes down, Flynn should be next in line.