TEMPE – Sun Devil Football's Michael Turk has been named a semifinalist for the 2019 Ray Guy Award, presented annually to the top punter in college football. The Augusta Sports Council announced the 10 semifinalists on Monday afternoon from a field of 78 nominated candidates.
The candidates were evaluated by the Ray Guy Award committee on their overall statistics and contribution to the team. Particular emphasis was placed on net punting average, number of times a punt was downed or kicked out-of-bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
Turk becomes just the third Sun Devil in program history to be named a semifinalist for the honor, joining Josh Hubner (2012) and Nick Murphy (2000 and 2001).
Turk's 46.3 yards per punt average on 49 punts is 10th in the FBS and leads the Pac-12. He has pinned 28 of those 49 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line (57.1 percent), a total that is tied for second in the nation. Turk has 17 punts out of 49 (34.7 percent) that have gone for 50+ yards this season.
Turk holds the top mark in the FBS this season for max hang time on a punt with a mark of 5.51 seconds in generally unfavorable conditions in Week 8 against Utah. Pro Football Focus has given Turk the seventh-highest grade among FBS punters this season.
The Sun Devils rank in the Top-30 nationally in punt efficiency, with 14 percent of Turk's punts resulting in a higher net value than the expected outcome based on the field position of the punt compared the ending field position for the opposing team.
Turk's 63.0 yards per punt mark on Aug. 29 vs. Kent State broke an NCAA record. The previous record for highest average yards per punt in a game with minimum five attempts was Braden Mann of Texas A&M on Sept. 22, 2018, as he had a 60.8 yards per punt average vs. Alabama on punts of 56, 65, 62, 61 and 60 for 304 yards. Turks punted five times for 315 yards with boots of 64, 62, 65, 49 and 75 in his Sun Devil debut.
Turk crushed Sun Devils school records for punting average, breaking the previous school record for average on five punts of 55.0 by Danny White in 1972. Turk's 63.0 yards per punt would have set records for every minimum number of punts in a game with the closest being Tony Lorick's 59.3 yards per punt on three punts in 1962.
Turk's 75-yarder in the opener was tied for the seventh-longest punt in school history and the fifth-longest punt in the FBS this season.
That effort earned Turk the Ray Guy Award College Punter of the Week honor in addition to the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week nod. Turk has been named to the weekly "Ray's 8" list on three occasions this season.
A national voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, national media and previous Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists who will be announced on Monday, November 25th. Voters will then vote again to determine the winner who will be announced live on Thursday, December 12th at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Ray Guy Award will provide one additional vote as determined by football fans. The Fan Vote will be located on the Ray Guy Award website and is equivalent to one national selection committee member's vote. The vote will be included for the selection of the finalists and the winner.
About the Ray Guy Award
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
About the Augusta Sports Council
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) enriches the quality of life and economic well-being for the Augusta metropolitan area by supporting and attracting sporting activities. To learn more, visitwww.augustasportscouncil.org.
About the National College Football Awards Association
The Ray Guy Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 22 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
The candidates were evaluated by the Ray Guy Award committee on their overall statistics and contribution to the team. Particular emphasis was placed on net punting average, number of times a punt was downed or kicked out-of-bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
Turk becomes just the third Sun Devil in program history to be named a semifinalist for the honor, joining Josh Hubner (2012) and Nick Murphy (2000 and 2001).
Turk's 46.3 yards per punt average on 49 punts is 10th in the FBS and leads the Pac-12. He has pinned 28 of those 49 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line (57.1 percent), a total that is tied for second in the nation. Turk has 17 punts out of 49 (34.7 percent) that have gone for 50+ yards this season.
Turk holds the top mark in the FBS this season for max hang time on a punt with a mark of 5.51 seconds in generally unfavorable conditions in Week 8 against Utah. Pro Football Focus has given Turk the seventh-highest grade among FBS punters this season.
The Sun Devils rank in the Top-30 nationally in punt efficiency, with 14 percent of Turk's punts resulting in a higher net value than the expected outcome based on the field position of the punt compared the ending field position for the opposing team.
Turk's 63.0 yards per punt mark on Aug. 29 vs. Kent State broke an NCAA record. The previous record for highest average yards per punt in a game with minimum five attempts was Braden Mann of Texas A&M on Sept. 22, 2018, as he had a 60.8 yards per punt average vs. Alabama on punts of 56, 65, 62, 61 and 60 for 304 yards. Turks punted five times for 315 yards with boots of 64, 62, 65, 49 and 75 in his Sun Devil debut.
Turk crushed Sun Devils school records for punting average, breaking the previous school record for average on five punts of 55.0 by Danny White in 1972. Turk's 63.0 yards per punt would have set records for every minimum number of punts in a game with the closest being Tony Lorick's 59.3 yards per punt on three punts in 1962.
Turk's 75-yarder in the opener was tied for the seventh-longest punt in school history and the fifth-longest punt in the FBS this season.
That effort earned Turk the Ray Guy Award College Punter of the Week honor in addition to the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week nod. Turk has been named to the weekly "Ray's 8" list on three occasions this season.
A national voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, national media and previous Ray Guy Award winners will decide the three award finalists who will be announced on Monday, November 25th. Voters will then vote again to determine the winner who will be announced live on Thursday, December 12th at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Ray Guy Award will provide one additional vote as determined by football fans. The Fan Vote will be located on the Ray Guy Award website and is equivalent to one national selection committee member's vote. The vote will be included for the selection of the finalists and the winner.
About the Ray Guy Award
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
About the Augusta Sports Council
The Augusta Sports Council (ASC) enriches the quality of life and economic well-being for the Augusta metropolitan area by supporting and attracting sporting activities. To learn more, visitwww.augustasportscouncil.org.
About the National College Football Awards Association
The Ray Guy Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 22 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.