Lachlan Wilson Has Provided Cal With a Great Punter and More

The senior from Australia made a big play as the Bears' holder in Saturday's Big Game Victory

Lachlan Wilson / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal coach Justin Wilcox appreciates Lachlan Wilson for his performance as the Bears’ punter. 

But he had special praise this week for a play the senior from Eaglemont, Australia made as the holder for a field-goal try in Saturday’s 127th Big Game.

Stanford led 21-7 in the third quarter when Cal’s drive stalled at the 28-yard line. Ryan Coe lined up for a 46-yard field goal and David Bird snapped the ball to Wilson.

“Coe did a great job, protection did a great job, Lachlan Wilson, the holder, makes a great hold,” Wilcox said. “Birdman, who usually throws strikes, it wasn’t his best snap. And Lachlan got that ball down and we kicked it through and that was a huge play in the game.”

Lachlan Wilson's duties also include serving as holder on kicks / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Bears scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to claim their fourth straight victory in the Big Game, 24-21, clinching the bowl eligibility in the process. 

Wilson’s day job is punting and he had three kicks Saturday for a 47.7-yard average.

That boosted his season mark to 46.02, which ranks second in the ACC and No. 8 nationally. And it strengthened his pursuit of Bryan Anger’s 2010 single-season program record of 45.6 yards.

Wilson, with a two-year Cal career average of 45.2 yards, also is on pace to eclipse the program record in that category. Scott Tabor’s standard of 44.0 yards has stood since the 1986-87 seasons.

“There have been a lot of punters, a lot of really good punters,” Wilcox said of the Bears’ legacy at the position. 

Anger is in his 13th season as an NFL punter. He was a second-team AP All-Pro honoree last year when he averaged 51.4 yards on 44 punts. For his pro career, he averages 46.9 and has been above 46 yards for six consecutive seasons.

But Wilson has been better than what Anger achieved at the collegiate level.

“He has been much more consistent,” Wilcox said of Wilson’s performance this season. “We always knew his best is exceptional.”

A transfer to Cal from Tulsa before last season, Wilson has averaged at least 44 yards per punt in each of the Bears’ past 10 games. He averaged better than 47 yards in five games this season.

“Really proud of him,” Wilcox said, “and excited for him to hopefully set some of those records.”