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Rice University Athletics
Martens on Ray Guy Award Watch List
11/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 1, 2011
Rice University senior punter Kyle Martens was among the candidates named to the Watch List for the Ray Guy Award released Tuesday by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Given to the nation's top punter, the Ray Guy Award is named in honor of the former Southern Miss punter who many consider the best of all-time.
Through eight games of his senior season, Martens enters the week ranked 15th nationally in punting with a 44.89 average. He has placed 18 of his 53 punters inside opponents' 20-yard line this season, including 10 inside the 10.
Martens, a native of Spearfish, S.D., was an AFCA All-America selection last year and is the Owls' career record holder for punting average. He has placed 40 of his last 105 punts inside the 20 (38.1 percent) and 21 of those 40 have been downed inside the 10.
Martens was one of six Conference USA punters named to the watch list.
Saturday's game between Rice and UTEP will feature two of the nation's top punters. UTEP junior punter Ian Campbell leads the nation with a 47.78 punting average.
Also named to the list from Conference USA were Richie Leone of Houston, Kase Whitehead of Marshall, Tom Hornsey of Memphis and Peter Boehme of Southern Miss.
The Ray Guy Award Watch List will be narrowed to ten semifinalists to be announced Nov. 11. Following the semifinalists announcement, a national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists who will be identified on Nov. 21. The voting body will then cast ballots to select the winner.
The presentation of the Ray Guy Award will be featured on The Home Depot College Football Awards live on Dec. 8 on ESPN.
Martens and the Owls return to Rice Stadium for homecoming this Saturday. Kickoff for Saturday's game against UTEP is 2:30 p.m.
