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University of Oklahoma Athletics
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Turk Named Ray Guy Award Semifinalist
November 21, 2022 | Football
NORMAN — Oklahoma punter Michael Turk has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2022 Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top punter, the Augusta Sports Council announced Monday.
A redshirt senior from Dallas, Texas, Turk has handled all of OU's punting duties over the last two seasons. He leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally by averaging 46.5 yards per punt. Nineteen of his 57 punts this season (33%) have been downed inside the 20-yard line. Forty-seven of his punts have not been returned (82%) and the 10 returns have averaged only 3.0 yards per return with a long of 13 yards.
Turk has punted for 2,651 yards this season (more than 1.5 miles) and 18 of those punts have been longer than 50 yards. He has also boomed seven 60-yarders this year, including season-long punts of 63 and 67 yards on consecutive kicks against Oklahoma State.
Despite playing in just 22 games as a Sooner, Turk is tied with Jack Jacobs for second in program history with his 14 punts of at least 60 yards. He is two shy of Tress Way's record of 16 60-yarders. Turk transferred to OU from Arizona State prior to the 2021 season, and has punted 92 times for 4,442 yards (48.3 average). He set a single-season school record in 2021 by averaging 51.2 yards per punt, smashing the previous record of 47.8 set by Jacobs in 1940.
The semifinalists were chosen from a field of 81 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.
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 Tuesday, Nov. 29. Voters will then vote again to determine the winner who will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 8 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.
The Ray Guy Award will provide one additional vote as determined by football fans for the 2022 winner. 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 winner once the three finalists have been announced.
A redshirt senior from Dallas, Texas, Turk has handled all of OU's punting duties over the last two seasons. He leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally by averaging 46.5 yards per punt. Nineteen of his 57 punts this season (33%) have been downed inside the 20-yard line. Forty-seven of his punts have not been returned (82%) and the 10 returns have averaged only 3.0 yards per return with a long of 13 yards.
Turk has punted for 2,651 yards this season (more than 1.5 miles) and 18 of those punts have been longer than 50 yards. He has also boomed seven 60-yarders this year, including season-long punts of 63 and 67 yards on consecutive kicks against Oklahoma State.
Despite playing in just 22 games as a Sooner, Turk is tied with Jack Jacobs for second in program history with his 14 punts of at least 60 yards. He is two shy of Tress Way's record of 16 60-yarders. Turk transferred to OU from Arizona State prior to the 2021 season, and has punted 92 times for 4,442 yards (48.3 average). He set a single-season school record in 2021 by averaging 51.2 yards per punt, smashing the previous record of 47.8 set by Jacobs in 1940.
The semifinalists were chosen from a field of 81 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.
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 Tuesday, Nov. 29. Voters will then vote again to determine the winner who will be announced live on Thursday, Dec. 8 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.
The Ray Guy Award will provide one additional vote as determined by football fans for the 2022 winner. 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 winner once the three finalists have been announced.
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