OSU’s Matt Fodge may be known more for his fake punts than his actual kicks this season. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
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For Fodge it’s slightly more complex.
"Every week coaches and players come up to me and say ‘I hope you don’t play this week,’” Fodge said "It’s kind of discouraging at first but once you think about it – if I’m not playing then we’re doing our job. So I don’t take offense to it.”
Fodge certainly isn’t offended that his offense is so good that it rarely punts, but it does mildly concern the senior and his coaches that his limited punts keep him out of the NCAA statistics.
The NCAA demands a minimum of 3.6 punts per game to make the list, and Fodge has averaged 2.5 in OSU’s 10 games this season.
If he qualified, his 45-yard average would rank seventh.
Fodge isn’t alone. Punters in most of the high-powered offenses aren’t getting many punts.
And this year "high-powered offense” is something of a euphemism for "The Big 12.”
Of the Top 10 scoring offenses (five of those are in the Big 12) only two have punted 50 times or more this season.
"That says a lot for the offenses in the Big 12,” OSU special teams coordinator Joe DeForest said. "And it also says a lot for the defenses in the Big 12 (laughs). It’s not the punter’s fault.”
Organizers of the Ray Guy Award, given to the country’s top collegiate punter, are aware of that fact.
Ten finalists remain in contention for the award, and two of them — Fodge and Florida punter Chas Henry — don’t have enough punts to make the NCAA list.
"I talked to the people from the Ray Guy Award the other day and Matt’s very well-respected across the country because of the return yards he’s given up,” DeForest said.
"So I think he’s noticed around the country and respected.”
Fodge, who said he boots 100-200 practice punts during the week, said he decided early in the season not to worry about the limited attempts.
He’s got another job — holding for Dan Bailey’s kicks.
"I say, I hope all I do this week is hold the ball,” Fodge said. "I hope I have about 10 holds this week.”
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Robert, I don't think Steve is old enough for a GED. He's clearly a juvenile, I'd guess about 12-14 yrs old. Ignore the little brat. And he doesn't HAVE a life, at least not until he grows up and stops acting like a petulant child.
steve i am sure your parents eh never mind just pass my sincere apologies on to them and please know your welfare check is being prepared for next month...remeber its christmas so not to spend it all on your trips to walmarts for your always low price tshirt
Oklahoma State’s Matt Fodge isn’t the only punter who’s underworked. A look at the workload for punters on the top 10 scoring teams:
Team
PPG
Punts
Avg
Tulsa
52
18
41.4
Oklahoma
51.4
45
35.8
Texas Tech
47.9
18
34.9
Missouri
45.1
25
41.6
Texas
44.3
30
44.6
Oklahoma State
42.8
26
43.5
Florida
42.8
28
43
Rice
40.8
43
37.9
Penn State
39.9
32
40.9
Arizona
39.1
35
44.3
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