Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/741084
ALIVE KICKING AND hen you're a long snapper, trapped in the scrum that forms as soon as you release the ball, you don't often see the result of your handiwork. But sometimes you hear it. Tyler Yazujian has been snapping at Penn State for four years. He knows the sound of a good punt, and he knows the sound of a bad one, too. It's actually pretty easy to tell them apart. One thump: good. Two thumps: bad. That rule applies to pretty much every punting situation, as two thumps usually mean there's a ball bouncing around somewhere it isn't supposed to be. Fortu- nately for the Nittany Lions, Yazujian only heard the dreaded second thump once in the first half of this season. And as for that first thump, let's just say it's a little bit louder now that fresh- man Blake Gillikin is doing the punting for Penn State. "I wouldn't say I notice a huge difference," Yazujian said. "I mean, I'm kind of doing some other stuff at the same time. But yeah, I would say in comparison, you definitely notice his leg." You do indeed. Gillikin has been one of the consistent bright spots in the Nittany Lions' season to date, booming punt after punt to help Penn State win the field-po- sition battles it had been losing with some regularity the previous two years. Heading into the team's midseason showdown with Ohio State, Gillikin was averaging 42.3 yards per attempt to rank fourth in the Big Ten. He'd gotten off a 58-yarder against Kent State, a 69-yarder against Pitt and a 61-yarder against Michigan. And although he had one blocked in week six vs. Maryland while trying to play through an injury he re- ceived in practice, his stat line for the first half of his debut season was overwhelm- ingly positive. Consider this: Of his first 29 collegiate punts, five were 50 or more yards, six resulted in fair catches and 11 landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line, including his first punt against the Panthers, which was downed at the 1. "He's stepped into his role perfectly," Yazujian said. "He has a great approach, and he's got a veteran mindset already, which is good to see out of a young guy. He's had great mentorship from the other punters. He's had [Chris] Gulla and | W GILLIKIN'S ISLAND As a freshman, Gillikin has helped turn Penn State's punting game from a weakness into a strength. He had a 69- yarder vs. Pitt and was averaging 42.3 yards through six games. Photo by Steve Manuel An infusion of young talent has helped to revitalize the Lions' special teams