Photo by: David Stluka
Lucas: Vujnovich ready to get his kicks in if called upon
November 11, 2022 | Football, Mike Lucas
UW’s career leader in punting average focused on helping Badgers’ D
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – Andy Vujnovich walked out of the player's tunnel and immediately surveyed the flags at various locations around Camp Randall Stadium. He looked towards the south and the UW Field House. He looked towards the west and the press box. He looked towards the north and the scoreboard.
"I'll get the broad picture of where the winds are generally going," Vujnovich said.
It was the first order of business for Wisconsin's punter during last Saturday's pregame warmup.
"Every stadium is different but here at Camp Randall, the wind swirls once it gets into the stadium," he said. "So, every 30 yards, it's a little bit different. You're in your own end zone and it's going left to right. Then you move to the 50 and it's going right to left.
"Guys from some of the other teams will come up to me and ask, 'How do you judge the wind here?' Honestly, it's just by feel. You've just got to practice it and it takes time. Every wind is different. That was crazy wind (Saturday) with gusts up to 50. It was insane."
Vujnovich's first punt against Maryland traveled 29 yards, 15 yards under his season average.
"We went into the game," he said, "saying the wind is going towards the scoreboard."
He went out to punt with that in mind. But the wind was swirling and consistently inconsistent.
"Honestly, I'd get out there," he said, "and I'd feel the wind and go, 'Oh-oh.'"
Headwinds. Tailwinds. Crosswinds. Gusting winds. It was one of those challenging days for anything in the air. Particularly for the quarterbacks. Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa and Wisconsin's Graham Mertz each threw for 77 yards, season lows. They were a combined 15-of-41.
By contrast, Maryland punter Colton Spangler flourished under the conditions. He averaged 47.9 yards on 8 punts. Although Vujnovich finished well under that mark (39.7), he pinned the Terps inside the 20 three times. Two weeks earlier, he forced Purdue to start drives from its 1, 8, 10 and 13.
"The closer we get," he said of the opponent's goal line, "the more accurate I can be and pinpoint location and have my gunners down the ball if the returner decides to let it go. If you tell the gunners where the ball is going to be, they can go right to the location.
"Between the numbers and the sideline. Or the numbers and the hash."
While the punt unit is readying to take the field, Vujnovich said, "We all group around coach (Chris) Haering who makes the protection call. And then I make the call (on direction) because I can see from the play before where the ball is going to be set. On the right hash, left hash, or middle."
The key is coordinating the coverage and communication, especially to the gunners.
"Last Saturday, the wind was changing every 10 minutes," he said. "I'd love to have a couple of those back where I'd be out there and want to switch my decision from going right to going left instead. But I went with it because that was the call and we have to be on the same page as a group."
In nine games, he has 15 punts inside the 20. Last season, he did it 16 times in 13 games.
"A big part of it is just being more comfortable back there and buying myself time pre-kick," he said. "If I'm taking another second holding the ball, that's an extra second of hangtime … it gives my gunners more time and I don't have to kick a higher ball, which leaves it up in the wind.
"On those shorter kicks, I can get the ball and peek and see the pressure coming. It's a little bit easier kick because I don't have to kick it with such precision like a straight punt. With an Aussie punt, I don't have to hit it with as much power which leaves less room for error."
These field-altering punts are particularly meaningful to Vujnovich because "I enjoy putting my defense in good position." There's an emotional and energizing aspect to it, too. "I do enjoy the rush everyone gets when it's pinned deep," he said. "It's a good feeling for everyone on the team."
The kicking specialists may have crucial roles in what looms as a low-scoring game Saturday between Wisconsin and Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa's Tory Taylor, a native of Melbourne, Australia, ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 9 nationally with a 45.9 average on 55 punts (23 inside the 20).
"Special teams don't get the credit they deserve until it matters or until something goes wrong," rationalized Vujnovich, who's averaging 43.7 yards on 39 punts. "Taylor has been putting them in a position to win games because they're pinning them deep and their defense has been getting it done."
The Hawkeyes rank No. 3 in the nation in total defense (264.4) and No. 5 in scoring defense (14.3). They've held all nine opponents under their season average in total offense and eight of nine under their season scoring average. They held Purdue without a touchdown in last Saturday's 24-3 win.
Taylor averaged 51.8 on 8 punts and had a career-long 70-yarder. He's one of seven Aussies kicking in the Big Ten joining Purdue's Jack Ansell, Minnesota's Mark Crawford, Rutgers' Adam Korsak, Ohio State's Jesse Mirco and Illinois' Hugh Robertson. Indiana's James Evans is from New Zealand.
The leading punter in college football is Michigan State's Bryce Baringer who's averaging 49.97. In a double-overtime win over the Badgers on Oct. 15, he averaged 48.2 on five kicks. Vujnovich and Baringer got introduced after the game, one of the perks of the sport and the punting fraternity.
"It's fun to have competition," Vujnovich said, "and to see how they do in the same conditions."
This will be the third time that Vujnovich and Taylor have matched punts. In last season's 27-7 Wisconsin win at Camp Randall, Taylor averaged 49 on 7 kicks and Vujnovich averaged 40.5 on 6. Both had three punts downed inside the 20 on a cloudy 51-degree day with winds out of the north at 10 mph.
During the 2020 COVID season, the Hawkeyes beat the Badgers, 28-7, at an all but empty Kinnick Stadium (attendance: 1,445). Taylor averaged 42.1 on 8 kicks, while Vujnovich had a career-high 9 punts and averaged 43.7 with three inside the 20 and a long of 60. Statistically, he had the edge.
"I do remember punting a lot in that game," Vujnovich said with a sigh. "It started snowing near the end. It just kind of felt like a glorified practice or scrimmage or something (without fans). I felt it helped with the pressure – moving my way up from D-3 to just a bigger stage."
The D-3 reference was to the University of Dubuque, which was Vujnovich's landing spot for two years after graduating from Columbus High School. Competitively, he made the jump from the American Rivers Conference and games against Buena Vista and Wartburg to the Big Ten and a Power 5 spotlight.
"I learned about my body there – it took me time to fill in and grow up – I understood that I wasn't at my peak, I guess," he said. "It was nice to know that I had more potential. My coach (Dubuque's Stan Zweifel) saw that and he pushed me to go farther and that's why I'm here."
Vujnovich averaged 37 and 33 yards at Dubuque, not exactly a predictor of success. But it could be explained. "The ability for me to do better here is that I have better protection and better snaps," he said. "There, I had to worry about, 'Is the snap going to get to me?' Here, I'm ready for a perfect snap."
He had nothing but praise for UW long snapper Peter Bowden, a junior from San Diego. By his own admission, there were times when "I had to be a shortstop back there" at Dubuque. The total opposite is true with Bowden's snaps. "He's absolutely phenomenal, he's putting it on the hip," he said.
Besides the (punting) game within the game, the placekickers might also factor into Saturday's outcome. Iowa freshman Drew Stevens has converted on 12-of-14 field goals, including kicks from 54 and 51 yards. UW redshirt freshman Nate Van Zelst has made 5-of-7, including 3-of-4 against Maryland.
"I was really impressed with what he did because I knew that the wind was crazy," Vujnovich said of Van Zelst, a walk-on from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill. Despite the gusting, swirling winds, he made kicks from 38, 35 and 28 yards. His only miss was from 33. "He's got great accuracy."
Vujnovich, a fifth-year senior, is on the clock. And he's trying to savor every moment. At Wisconsin, he has punted 121 times and averaged 44.2 yards. The school record is 43.5 held by Kevin Stemke, the original winner of the Ray Guy Award. Guy, the Hall of Famer, recently passed away.
The 6-3, 230-pound Vujnovich is generally still known more for his "freakish" physical attributes than his career punting average. In each of the past two years, he has been on Bruce Feldmen's "Freaks" list, an endorsement, not an indictment. In 2021, he was ranked No. 87. This year, he was No. 80.
Vujnovich has a 35-inch vertical and a 400-pound bench to go along with an uncommon agility for most defensive backs, let alone punters. His showstopper is the Turkish Get-Up, a one-armed maneuver with a bar bell from lift to a reclining position on the floor and back to standing. Crazy stuff.
"Honestly, I'm known more for the Freaks list – I don't think anyone has even mentioned the career punting average," he said. "I don't get any recognition unless from people who really understand the game and they'll talk about the career average. But it's more about being the jacked punter."
Which is fine. As long as he's still getting his kicks. Preferably inside the 20.
Â
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – Andy Vujnovich walked out of the player's tunnel and immediately surveyed the flags at various locations around Camp Randall Stadium. He looked towards the south and the UW Field House. He looked towards the west and the press box. He looked towards the north and the scoreboard.
"I'll get the broad picture of where the winds are generally going," Vujnovich said.
It was the first order of business for Wisconsin's punter during last Saturday's pregame warmup.
"Every stadium is different but here at Camp Randall, the wind swirls once it gets into the stadium," he said. "So, every 30 yards, it's a little bit different. You're in your own end zone and it's going left to right. Then you move to the 50 and it's going right to left.
"Guys from some of the other teams will come up to me and ask, 'How do you judge the wind here?' Honestly, it's just by feel. You've just got to practice it and it takes time. Every wind is different. That was crazy wind (Saturday) with gusts up to 50. It was insane."
Vujnovich's first punt against Maryland traveled 29 yards, 15 yards under his season average.
"We went into the game," he said, "saying the wind is going towards the scoreboard."
He went out to punt with that in mind. But the wind was swirling and consistently inconsistent.
"Honestly, I'd get out there," he said, "and I'd feel the wind and go, 'Oh-oh.'"
Headwinds. Tailwinds. Crosswinds. Gusting winds. It was one of those challenging days for anything in the air. Particularly for the quarterbacks. Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa and Wisconsin's Graham Mertz each threw for 77 yards, season lows. They were a combined 15-of-41.
By contrast, Maryland punter Colton Spangler flourished under the conditions. He averaged 47.9 yards on 8 punts. Although Vujnovich finished well under that mark (39.7), he pinned the Terps inside the 20 three times. Two weeks earlier, he forced Purdue to start drives from its 1, 8, 10 and 13.
"The closer we get," he said of the opponent's goal line, "the more accurate I can be and pinpoint location and have my gunners down the ball if the returner decides to let it go. If you tell the gunners where the ball is going to be, they can go right to the location.
"Between the numbers and the sideline. Or the numbers and the hash."
While the punt unit is readying to take the field, Vujnovich said, "We all group around coach (Chris) Haering who makes the protection call. And then I make the call (on direction) because I can see from the play before where the ball is going to be set. On the right hash, left hash, or middle."
The key is coordinating the coverage and communication, especially to the gunners.
"Last Saturday, the wind was changing every 10 minutes," he said. "I'd love to have a couple of those back where I'd be out there and want to switch my decision from going right to going left instead. But I went with it because that was the call and we have to be on the same page as a group."
In nine games, he has 15 punts inside the 20. Last season, he did it 16 times in 13 games.
"A big part of it is just being more comfortable back there and buying myself time pre-kick," he said. "If I'm taking another second holding the ball, that's an extra second of hangtime … it gives my gunners more time and I don't have to kick a higher ball, which leaves it up in the wind.
"On those shorter kicks, I can get the ball and peek and see the pressure coming. It's a little bit easier kick because I don't have to kick it with such precision like a straight punt. With an Aussie punt, I don't have to hit it with as much power which leaves less room for error."
These field-altering punts are particularly meaningful to Vujnovich because "I enjoy putting my defense in good position." There's an emotional and energizing aspect to it, too. "I do enjoy the rush everyone gets when it's pinned deep," he said. "It's a good feeling for everyone on the team."
The kicking specialists may have crucial roles in what looms as a low-scoring game Saturday between Wisconsin and Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa's Tory Taylor, a native of Melbourne, Australia, ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 9 nationally with a 45.9 average on 55 punts (23 inside the 20).
"Special teams don't get the credit they deserve until it matters or until something goes wrong," rationalized Vujnovich, who's averaging 43.7 yards on 39 punts. "Taylor has been putting them in a position to win games because they're pinning them deep and their defense has been getting it done."
The Hawkeyes rank No. 3 in the nation in total defense (264.4) and No. 5 in scoring defense (14.3). They've held all nine opponents under their season average in total offense and eight of nine under their season scoring average. They held Purdue without a touchdown in last Saturday's 24-3 win.
Taylor averaged 51.8 on 8 punts and had a career-long 70-yarder. He's one of seven Aussies kicking in the Big Ten joining Purdue's Jack Ansell, Minnesota's Mark Crawford, Rutgers' Adam Korsak, Ohio State's Jesse Mirco and Illinois' Hugh Robertson. Indiana's James Evans is from New Zealand.
The leading punter in college football is Michigan State's Bryce Baringer who's averaging 49.97. In a double-overtime win over the Badgers on Oct. 15, he averaged 48.2 on five kicks. Vujnovich and Baringer got introduced after the game, one of the perks of the sport and the punting fraternity.
"It's fun to have competition," Vujnovich said, "and to see how they do in the same conditions."
This will be the third time that Vujnovich and Taylor have matched punts. In last season's 27-7 Wisconsin win at Camp Randall, Taylor averaged 49 on 7 kicks and Vujnovich averaged 40.5 on 6. Both had three punts downed inside the 20 on a cloudy 51-degree day with winds out of the north at 10 mph.
During the 2020 COVID season, the Hawkeyes beat the Badgers, 28-7, at an all but empty Kinnick Stadium (attendance: 1,445). Taylor averaged 42.1 on 8 kicks, while Vujnovich had a career-high 9 punts and averaged 43.7 with three inside the 20 and a long of 60. Statistically, he had the edge.
"I do remember punting a lot in that game," Vujnovich said with a sigh. "It started snowing near the end. It just kind of felt like a glorified practice or scrimmage or something (without fans). I felt it helped with the pressure – moving my way up from D-3 to just a bigger stage."
The D-3 reference was to the University of Dubuque, which was Vujnovich's landing spot for two years after graduating from Columbus High School. Competitively, he made the jump from the American Rivers Conference and games against Buena Vista and Wartburg to the Big Ten and a Power 5 spotlight.
"I learned about my body there – it took me time to fill in and grow up – I understood that I wasn't at my peak, I guess," he said. "It was nice to know that I had more potential. My coach (Dubuque's Stan Zweifel) saw that and he pushed me to go farther and that's why I'm here."
Vujnovich averaged 37 and 33 yards at Dubuque, not exactly a predictor of success. But it could be explained. "The ability for me to do better here is that I have better protection and better snaps," he said. "There, I had to worry about, 'Is the snap going to get to me?' Here, I'm ready for a perfect snap."
He had nothing but praise for UW long snapper Peter Bowden, a junior from San Diego. By his own admission, there were times when "I had to be a shortstop back there" at Dubuque. The total opposite is true with Bowden's snaps. "He's absolutely phenomenal, he's putting it on the hip," he said.
Besides the (punting) game within the game, the placekickers might also factor into Saturday's outcome. Iowa freshman Drew Stevens has converted on 12-of-14 field goals, including kicks from 54 and 51 yards. UW redshirt freshman Nate Van Zelst has made 5-of-7, including 3-of-4 against Maryland.
"I was really impressed with what he did because I knew that the wind was crazy," Vujnovich said of Van Zelst, a walk-on from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill. Despite the gusting, swirling winds, he made kicks from 38, 35 and 28 yards. His only miss was from 33. "He's got great accuracy."
Vujnovich, a fifth-year senior, is on the clock. And he's trying to savor every moment. At Wisconsin, he has punted 121 times and averaged 44.2 yards. The school record is 43.5 held by Kevin Stemke, the original winner of the Ray Guy Award. Guy, the Hall of Famer, recently passed away.
The 6-3, 230-pound Vujnovich is generally still known more for his "freakish" physical attributes than his career punting average. In each of the past two years, he has been on Bruce Feldmen's "Freaks" list, an endorsement, not an indictment. In 2021, he was ranked No. 87. This year, he was No. 80.
Vujnovich has a 35-inch vertical and a 400-pound bench to go along with an uncommon agility for most defensive backs, let alone punters. His showstopper is the Turkish Get-Up, a one-armed maneuver with a bar bell from lift to a reclining position on the floor and back to standing. Crazy stuff.
"Honestly, I'm known more for the Freaks list – I don't think anyone has even mentioned the career punting average," he said. "I don't get any recognition unless from people who really understand the game and they'll talk about the career average. But it's more about being the jacked punter."
Which is fine. As long as he's still getting his kicks. Preferably inside the 20.
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