Kucek is Guy award candidate

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — What defines a good punter in football?

Is it the total average of all punts (the average distance from the line of scrimmage to where the football stops)?

Is it the number of punts that stop within the 20-yard line?

Or the net average of all punts (the average distance from the line of scrimmage to where the punt-return man is stopped, which means the defense has to help?

All three constitute the criteria, according to Ray Guy, who is considered by many to be the top punter ever, and for whom the Ray Guy Award was established in 2000 by the Greater Augusta Sports Council as an annual national prize honoring the nation’s top collegiate punter.

Guy, who punted for Southern Mississippi and also 14 seasons in the NFL for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, suggested the three criteria to be used for the award.

And he should know: He punted 1,049 times during his NFL career for a 42.4-yard average.

Kucek believes other factors also considered

But Justin Kucek, a senior punter for Minnesota from Canfield High who is one of 50 candidates on the Ray Guy Award Watch List this year, believes other factors also are considered when selecting the nation’s top punter, especially because every punt fits a certain situation and objective.

“The main objective of a punt is to make sure [the return man] doesn’t have a return, no yards,” said Kucek, who is averaging 42.2 total yards for 21 punts so far this season, with eight punts within the 20-yard line. “You want fair catches.”

So, “Ball control and directional punting are important. You have to make sure to put the ball [where you want to put it].”

But when the main objective is to get off a long and high punt, Kucek said hang time — how long the ball stays airborne — is important.

“The hang time should be 4.5 to 5.0 seconds,” he said. “It all depends on whether or not the punt is into the wind. If it goes high into the wind, it will elevate even higher.”

Because many elements constitute a good punt, “All of these things will be included. All of the criteria will be used in selecting the Ray Guy Award winner,” said Kucek.

The winner will be announced in December.

Gophers vs. Ohio State, Kucek vs. Trapasso

How good is Kucek (6-0, 206), whose 21 punts rank No. 2 in the Big Ten?

Area fans will be able to get some idea Saturday as they watch him square off against A.J. Trapasso, Ohio State’s senior punter, when the undefeated Gophers battle the Buckeyes (3-1) in Ohio Stadium in a Big Ten Conference opener at noon to be televised over the Big Ten Network.

Kucek’s 42.2 total-yards average ranks No. 6 in the Big Ten and just .9 of a yard behind Trappaso, who is No. 3 with a 43.1-yard average on 19 punts. No. 1 is Zoltan Mesko of Michigan, 44.1 in 18 punts.

Kucek, in his fourth season as Minnesota’s starting punter, has punted every time to date since his red-shirt freshman season in 2005, and is averaging 41.0 yards for his career with 47 of his 155 punts stopping inside the 20-yard line. He also has had only 10 touchbacks while forcing 29 fair catches.

Last season as a junior, Kucek averaged a career-best 42.7 yards on 62 punts, placing 21 of them inside the 20 and forcing 14 fair catches. He was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the media and won the Bobby Bell Award the team’s top special teams player.

The son of Jack and Janice Kucek, Justin is majoring in business and marketing.

While at Canfield High under coach Mike Pavlansky, he averaged 42.3 yards in 27 punts as a senior in 2003.

Justin’s brother, Jake Kucek, is punting for Canfield High this season.

XJohn Kovach covers colleges for The Vindicator. Write him at kovach@vindy.com.