Texas Tech, former Arizona HS punter boots punt full length of field
Oct 25, 2020, 9:47 AM
Texas Tech coach Matt Wells walks onto the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Brad Tollefson)
(AP Photo/Brad Tollefson)
Backed up to his own goal line, Texas Tech punter Austin McNamara did more than just get his team some breathing room.
The former Highland High School (Gilbert, Ariz.) student booted his kick the entire length of the field.
Texas Tech’s punter just kicked it 110+ yards pic.twitter.com/XbudMxmli4
— CFB Country (@tCFBCountry) October 25, 2020
Officially an 87-yard punt to set a Texas Tech record, McNamara kicked the ball from inside the five-yard line. It sailed. And sailed. And sailed. It didn’t land until right around the 10-yard marker on the opposite side of the field. Then it rolled, off the field, out of the end zone and out of the TV screen.
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“Prepostorous,” For The Win called it. That leg “should be a registered weapon,” wrote Lubbock, Texas radio station Talk 1340. Buffalo, New York radio station WBEN watched it “defy physics.”
Pat McAfree approved this kick to be #ForTheBrand.
This ball is STILL GOING
MY LORD WHAT A SLAUGHTERED FOOTBALL #ForTheBrand https://t.co/WsBNYNeSmo
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 25, 2020
In high school, McNamara was named the Arizona Cardinals Special Teams Player of the Year in 2018, but recognition went beyond local awards.
He was considered one of the top punters in the country by recruitment experts, including 247Sports, which ranked him No. 1 in the 2019 class, and Chris Sailer Kicking, which ranked him No. 2.
West Virginia wouldn’t have any arguments against this.
Not only did McNamara kick his 87-yarder, which placed the Mountaineers far enough back that their 34-yard drive wasn’t enough to get them into field goal range and forced them to punt it back to Texas Tech, he also hit them with a 74-yard bomb.
You wanna talk about being #ForTheBrand @PatMcAfeeShow? Feast your eyes on Texas Tech sophomore punter Austin McNamara's first two punts today against West Virginia…
The first one went 74 yards.
The second one….went a school record 87 YARDS. pic.twitter.com/ddohxosOCI
— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) October 25, 2020
Most importantly, both these punts took West Virginia out of field position during different times in the game when the score was tied.
When that 87-yard punt boomed, the teams were tied at 27 in the third quarter.
Texas Tech won 34-27.
Good luck beating a team when even perfect defense will put your team back at your own 20-yard line.
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