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Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State's Blakenship Makes 2005 Ray Guy Award Watch List
09.13.2005 | Football
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Iowa State punter Troy Blankenship, the reigning Big 12 Conference special teams player of the week is among 40 punters nationally named by The Greater Augusta Sports Council to the 2005 Ray Guy Award watch list as potential candidates for the top collegiate punter of the year.
Blankenship was named the conference's special teams player of the week after dropping three punts inside the Iowa 20-yard line in Iowa State's 23-3 win over the then No. 8 Hawkeyes Saturday in Ames. Blankenship had a first-quarter punt of 44 yards that went out of bounds on the Iowa 3-yard line. Iowa fumbled in its own territory two plays later. The Cyclones notched the game's first score two plays after the turnover.
The play of the game followed. In the third quarter, Iowa had tallied a field goal on its first drive of the second half. Iowa State went three-and-out on its next series at the Cyclone 26-yard-line. Blankenship would be forced to punt into a 25-mile an hour wind. Iowa anticipated good field position but Blankenship boomed a career-long 68-yard punt that went out-of-bounds at the Hawkeye 3-yard line. Iowa never got closer than the Iowa State 29 -yard line the rest of the game.
Blankenship had a strong opening game against Illinois State on Sept. 3. The senior averaged 46 yards on five punts while dropping three kicks inside the Redbird 20-yard line. One punt was downed at the Illinois State 1-yard line. His game included a then-career long 55-yard punt. Blankenship has averaged 43.2 yards on 13 punts this season.
The Ray Guy award will be presented to the nation's best collegiate punter as determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches and sports information directors, former punters and members designated by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Among the statistics used to identify the Ray Guy Award winner are total yardage punted, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, net average, average returned yardage, and percentage of punts not returned. It is also of importance for the award winner to display team leadership, self-discipline, and to have a positive impact on the team's success.
The Ray Guy Award watch list will be narrowed to ten semi-finalists to be announced in early-November. The national voting body will then vote for the top three finalists who will be announced at the end of November. On December 8, 2005 the top three finalists will be in Orlando, Florida for the Home Depot College Football awards show. The winner will be announced live on ESPN.
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