ECU football update

East Carolina’s Matt Dodge Named To 2009 Ray Guy Award Watch List

Senior Ranked 14th Nationally In Punt Average In 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga. – East Carolina senior Matt Dodge is one of nine punters that have been selected to the 2009 Ray Guy Award Watch List, according to an announcement by the Greater Augusta Sports Council Wednesday.

A 2008 All-America Honorable Mention choice by SI.com, Dodge averaged 43.9 yards per punt, which ranked him No. 14 nationally and second among all Conference USA punters. That mark also represented the fifth-highest single-season total in program history as he currently stands fourth on the Pirate career chart with a 42.6 clip. Dodge averaged over 45 yards per punt on six occasions while dropping a total of 20 kicks inside the opponent 20-yard line and recording 70-yard or longer punts against N.C. State (70) and Tulsa (73, which stands as the seventh-longest in school history). Additionally, he tallied 25 boots of 50 yards or longer.

In league contests, Dodge averaged 44.7 yards per punt in eight games with 15 of 38 kicks travelling 50 yards or more. He turned in a season single-game best average of 48.5 yards per punt against Houston on Sept. 27.

Other punters named to the Ray Guy Watch List include 2008 semifinalists Chas Henry (Florida), Ryan Donahue (Iowa) and Zoltan Mesko (Michigan) as well as Tulane’s Ross Thevenot.

The watch list will be narrowed to ten semi-finalists in mid-November. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists, and ultimately, the recipient. The winner will be announced live during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show, which airs Dec. 10 on ESPN.

The Greater Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Ga., native and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner are total yards punted, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponent 20-yard line, net average, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team’s success.

2009 Ray Guy Award Watch List Selections

Bryan Anger, California, Sophomore

Ben Armer, Western Michigan, Sophomore

Travis Baltz, Maryland, Junior

Matt Dodge, East Carolina, Senior

Ryan Donahue, Iowa, Junior

Derek Epperson, Baylor, Junior

Chas Henry, Florida, Junior

Zoltan Mesko, Michigan, Senior

Ross Thevenot, Tulane, Senior

 

 

Tom McClellan

Assistant AD/Media Relations

East Carolina University

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