IdaGriz01
Well-known member
We all know from the “eye test” that punter Adam Wilson is a weapon. Sadly, the NCAA doesn’t keep a stat for “inside the 20” or anything like that. If they did, I feel he’d be way up there. Mind you, he’s not bad in the stat that seems to get the most attention: yards per punt. Wilson is “only” #29, with a 41.7 ypp average. Not bad. But that, IMO, is not necessarily the best measure of a punters effectiveness or value to the team.
Being a “numbers” guy, I started looking for a better measure, and, several games back, came across the Punt Return Defense ranking by the NCAA. That’s a team stat, of course, but if the team always uses the same punter, it becomes an individual stat for that one guy. Following that stat has proven very interesting, and now it’s just amazing, almost mind-blowing, in my view.
First, the Griz are now ranked #4 in Punt Return Defense, measured by average yards per return. But here’s the deal, according to the latest NCAA numbers: In thirteen games, the Griz have had to “defend” just 12 twelve punt returns. Think about that for a moment … less than one attempt to return a punt per game. (Wilson has punted 58 times in those games, BTW.) And in those 12 attempts, they have gained a net of just 27 yards, for an average of 2.25 yards per (attempted
) return.
The coverage guys are obviously doing a great job … but Wilson’s kicks set everything up.
Being a “numbers” guy, I started looking for a better measure, and, several games back, came across the Punt Return Defense ranking by the NCAA. That’s a team stat, of course, but if the team always uses the same punter, it becomes an individual stat for that one guy. Following that stat has proven very interesting, and now it’s just amazing, almost mind-blowing, in my view.
First, the Griz are now ranked #4 in Punt Return Defense, measured by average yards per return. But here’s the deal, according to the latest NCAA numbers: In thirteen games, the Griz have had to “defend” just 12 twelve punt returns. Think about that for a moment … less than one attempt to return a punt per game. (Wilson has punted 58 times in those games, BTW.) And in those 12 attempts, they have gained a net of just 27 yards, for an average of 2.25 yards per (attempted
) return.The coverage guys are obviously doing a great job … but Wilson’s kicks set everything up.
