Koch Named to Ray Guy Watch List

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska senior Sam Koch is one of 40 punters named to the 2005 Ray Guy Award watch list. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate punter by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Ray Guy award will be presented to the nation’s best collegiate punter as determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches and sports information directors, former punters and members designated by the Greater Augusta Sports Council.

 

Among the statistics used to identify the Ray Guy Award winner are total yardage punted, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, net average, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned. It is also of importance for the award winner to display team leadership, self-discipline and to have a positive impact on the team’s success.

 

After an outstanding junior season in 2004, Koch is off to a great start this fall. In two games, Koch is averaging 43.9 yards per punt on 12 attempts to rank 17th nationally in punting average. Six of Koch’s 12 punts have pinned the opposition inside their own 20-yard line and he has boomed two punts better than 70 yards, including a career-long 76-yard punt against WakeForest, the third-longest punt in school history.

 

Koch’s predecessor, Kyle Larson, was one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award in the 2003 season, and is now the starting punter for the Cincinnati Bengals.

 

The Ray Guy Award watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists to be announced in early November. The national voting body will then vote for the top three finalists who will be announced at the end of November. On Dec. 8, 2005 the top three finalists will be in Orlando, Fla. for the Home Depot College Football awards show. The winner will be announced live on ESPN

2005 Ray Guy Award Watch List

 

NAME

SCHOOL

CLASS

Troy Blankenship

Iowa State

Senior

Kody Bliss

Auburn University

Junior

Joshua Brazen

Kent State

Senior

Adam Brooks

Wyoming

Senior

Dave Brytus

Purdue University

Sophmore

Brendan Carney

Syracuse

Senior

Cole Chason

Clemson

Junior

Ken Debauche

Wisconsin

Sophmore

Ryan Dougherty

East Carolina

Junior

Gordon Ely-Kelso

University of Georgia

Junior

Brandon Fields

Michigan State

Junior

Nate Fry

Bowling Green State U

Senior

Tyler Gaus

New Mexico

Senior

Adam Graessle

Pittsburgh

Junior

Chris Hall

Florida State

Senior

Ryan Hoffman

Illinois State

Senior

Ryan Hotchkiss

UTEP

Junior

Luke Johnson

Southern Miss

Senior

Jeremy Kapinos

Penn State

Junior

Sam Koch

Nebraska

Senior

Mike Lingiua

Fresno State

Junior

Chris Macdonald

Arizona State

Sophmore

Tom Malone

Southern Cal

Senior

Ryan Mentzel

SMU

Senior

Matt Miller

Ohio

Senior

Kurt Milne

Hawaii

Junior

Brian Monroe

Miami

Junior

Parker Mullins

UAB

Junior

Thomas Olmsted

Troy University

Senior

Sam Paulescu

Oregon State

Senior

Ryan Plackemeier

Wake Forest

Senior

Adam Podlesh

Maryland

Junior

Tim Reyer

Kansas State

Sophmore

Alex Reyes

Texas Tech

Junior

Daniel Sepulveda

Baylor

Junior

Joel Stelly

Louisiana-Monroe

Senior

Billy Sullivan

University of Akron

Senior

John Torp

Colorado

Senior

Steve Weatherford

Illinois

Senior

Andrew Wellock

Eastern Michigan

Junior

Eric Wilbur

Florida

Junior