Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008 | 11:18 a.m.
One of the more intriguing stories this season for the UNLV football program gained a bit more notoriety on Tuesday, when senior third-string quarterback-turned-punter Dack Ishii was added to the watch list for the Ray Guy Award.
The award is presented annually to the nation's top punter. The recipient is determined by a national selection committee made up of sportswriters, college football coaches, sports information directors and past Ray Guy winners.
Ishii appeared in just two games prior to this season as a walk-on transfer from Tennessee, and his special teams contributions this season also include his holding role on extra points and field goals.
He's averaging 43.6 yards per kick this season on 30 attempts after earning the nod midway through the team's Sept. 6 game at Utah. That night, he booted a 63-yard line drive, and from that point the job has been his and his alone.
His average ranks second in the Mountain West and 18th in the nation, he's kicked seven balls 50 yards or longer and has placed a third of his attempts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in early November, and from there, three finalists will emerge by the end of November.
The award is presented live on ESPN in December during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy