After he propelled Ohio State past Penn State with his performance on special teams last Saturday, sophomore Drue Chrisman earned the Ray Guy’s weekly award Tuesday as the nation’s top punter.
The 6-3, 215-pounder played a pivotal role as the Buckeyes came back from 12 points down in the fourth quarter and edged the Nittany Lions by a 27-26 margin. Chrisman was an unsung hero for OSU with a career-high average of 47.9 yards.
His nine punts totaled 431 yards with a long of 58 and three inside the 20. Those efforts to win the field position battle were especially critical in the first half as PSU dominated total yardage 293-93 but only led 13-7.
On the season, through five games, 13 of Chrisman’s 22 punts have been pinned inside the 20. He boasts a long of 65 and features a total of 982 yards, averaging 44.6 yards per punt and ranking 15th in the nation (third in the Big Ten).