Specialist Spotlight: Tommy Townsend
It was fourth down, three yards to gain.
Tommy Townsend lined up for his first punt of the season against the Miami Hurricanes on the 28-yard line. However, in a game where early momentum was key, coach Dan Mullen trusted his second-year starting punter to show off his legs by way of running, instead of punting.
In some fake punts, the punter takes a step or two in usual form to look as if it is just any other punt. Townsend didn't need it.
He caught the snap and took off immediately to the right side. The Orlando native ran like he was still playing safety at Boone High School, just a right turn on Rio Grand Avenue and a left turn on Kaley Street away from Camping World Stadium.
What was so impressive about that play was the fact that Townsend did not have a favorable angle to beat Miami cornerback Al Blades Jr. In fact, any punter that had the athleticism you would expect out of a punter may have not even made it to the line of scrimmage. Townsend beat him to the edge and cleared the first down marker by more than a yard, putting the Gators' offense --who scored a 66-yard touchdown by way of Kadarius Toney the very next play --back on the field.
Also, later in the game, Townsend was involved in arguably the play of the day. He booted one 52 yards to UM's 18-yard line. What people will remember is what happened next, when Miami receiver Jeff Thomas muffed the return and Van Jefferson made a ridiculous scoop of the ball to put UF's offense back on the field in amazing position to score.
But the underappreciated portion of this play came from Townsend's right foot.
First, a 52-yard punt is one that anyone will gladly take. That's a guarantee to flip the field position every time. Secondly, and more importantly, it hung in the air for a perfect amount of time. It gave Jefferson enough time to be right there when Thomas muffed it. This is why the ball was in Jefferson's hands less than two seconds after it left Thomas's.
Townsend isn't new to helping Florida more than the average punter does. Last year, he had a 71-yard punt against LSU, the seventh-longest ever in a Gator uniform. He also had an 18-yard run against Vanderbilt to keep the Gator offense on the field then as well, in which just over a minute later Jefferson walked into the end zone.
In both the Miami and Vanderbilt games, it is very possible the Gators would not have won without No. 43. Throughout the season, keep watch of this man, especially in close games where a special teams fourth down conversion or absurdly far punt could be the difference. It seems that Townsend has a new hairstyle, but the same great fakes.