[terry]

Then I guess I don't know what qualifies as a blocked punt if the Ohio State player blocking it with his hand doesn't count.

Hey, I'm just telling you what's in the box score and in MSU's official stats. I relied on the stats and box score on MSU's website and in MSU's Rose Bowl media guide. It sounds like there's a mistake in MSU's stats. According to the NCAA Statistician's Manual, when a punt is deflected but travels forward anyway, the statistician is supposed to determine whether "the distance of the punt is materially affected." If so, it's supposed to be recorded as a blocked punt. It sounds like this one, which went 19 yards, should have been scored as a blocked punt.

What if I were to tell you that MSU's Ray Guy Award semifinalist punter leads the nation with 22 punts downed inside the 10 and ranks third in punts inside the 20?

I think 8 touchbacks are too many. Perhaps the punter may have been too caught up in trying to land the ball inside the 10, which resulted in his putting too many punts in the end zone. He would have done better for his team by putting fewer punts in the end zone, even if that meant putting fewer punts inside the 10.

In addition, my sources say Sadler averaged 42.4 yards/punt compared to 42.1 yards for Rhyne.  In other words, I believe MSU's 8 touchbacks are somewhat inconsequential.

That doesn't follow. Those figures are gross punting averages. They don't take into account the yards lost due to touchbacks. Sadler would have been better off with a somewhat lower punting average and fewer touchbacks. If Sadler had put those 8 punts at the 15 yard line instead of in the end zone, his punting average for the season would have gone down 1.7 yards but his team would have been better off. (By the way, Sadler averaged 42.3 yards, not 42.4, according to MSU's stats and the NCAA stats.)

[terry]

Then I guess I don't know what qualifies as a blocked punt if the Ohio State player blocking it with his hand doesn't count.

Hey, I'm just telling you what's in the box score and in MSU's official stats. I relied on the stats and box score on MSU's website and in MSU's Rose Bowl media guide. It sounds like there's a mistake in MSU's stats. According to the NCAA Statistician's Manual, when a punt is deflected but travels forward anyway, the statistician is supposed to determine whether "the distance of the punt is materially affected." If so, it's supposed to be recorded as a blocked punt. It sounds like this one, which went 19 yards, should have been scored as a blocked punt.

What if I were to tell you that MSU's Ray Guy Award semifinalist punter leads the nation with 22 punts downed inside the 10 and ranks third in punts inside the 20?

I think 8 touchbacks are too many. Perhaps the punter may have been too caught up in trying to land the ball inside the 10, which resulted in his putting too many punts in the end zone. He would have done better for his team by putting fewer punts in the end zone, even if that meant putting fewer punts inside the 10.

In addition, my sources say Sadler averaged 42.4 yards/punt compared to 42.1 yards for Rhyne.  In other words, I believe MSU's 8 touchbacks are somewhat inconsequential.

That doesn't follow. Those figures are gross punting averages. They don't take into account the yards lost due to touchbacks. Sadler would have been better off with a somewhat lower punting average and fewer touchbacks. If Sadler had put those 8 punts at the 15 yard line instead of in the end zone, his punting average for the season would have gone down 1.7 yards but his team would have been better off. (By the way, Sadler averaged 42.3 yards, not 42.4, according to MSU's stats and the NCAA stats.)