Cowboy Punter Makes Ray Guy Award List

STILLWATER - Oklahoma State punter Matt Fodge received some good news after practice Monday as he has cleared the first cut for this year's Ray Guy Award honoring the top punter in college football. Fodge would be leading the nation in NCAA Division I if he had one more punt to his credit. His total of 21 punts is one off what he needs to be ranked.

Fodge, a sophomore out of Garland, Texas, is averaging 51.0 yard per punt with punts of 72 and 71 yards this season. His 71-yard effort came in last Saturday's 42-32 win at Kansas. He also had a clutch punt out of the back of his own end zone during the game.

"Yeah it's pretty cool to make the top 50," Fodge said Fodge Monday's practice. "Going into the season you don't really have that on your mind, but it goes to show that all the hard work that you do over the off season paid off. It's pretty cool."

Fodge also leads the punters in the Big 12 in conference play. He only has eight punts, but he is averaging 48.9 yards on those eight punts. This Saturday provides a showdown between the two top punters in the Big 12, both are Ray Guy top 50 finalists. Texas A&M's Justin Brantly trails Fodge in the overall standings, averaging 46.7 yards on 25 punts this season.

"As a special teams unit at Oklahoma State we're always going to be competitive with the special teams of the teams we're playing," said Fodge. "This week playing Texas A&M their punter Justin Brantly is one of the top punters in the nation. It's good to play in these type of games because you get to see your competition and he pushes me to punt better and I will try to push him to punt better."

Fodge would need six punts to get him in the running to be ranked nationally, but unselfish as he is, Fodge said he would prefer the Cowboys not need his services against the Aggies. It is logical that he will be called on a few times this Saturday.