What Johnny Townsend has done for the Gators this year is incredible.
Most casual football fans underestimate the power a punter brings to a team.
But with the inconsistencies surrounding Florida’s offense this year, Townsend has become a household name, making game-deciding plays in addition to being an unsung hero at times when it comes to the Gators’ success this season.
At the very least, he needs to be a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually to college football’s best punter.
But I’m going to take that a step further.
Johnny Townsend should be Florida’s most valuable player this season.
Game after game, punt after punt, Townsend has been Florida’s most consistent playmaker.
He sets the defense up for success when the offense fails to move the chains, using his powerful right leg to flip the field.
"I don’t keep up with a lot of punters but I can’t imagine there’s another punter doing what he’s doing for us," UF tight end Jake McGee said.
Take Saturday’s overtime atrocity against Florida Atlantic as your most recent example.
The Gators, unable to move the ball against an Owls defense that ranked 91st in the country heading into the game, punted the ball on nine of their 15 drives.
Six punts came on Florida’s first seven drives, the seventh ending in a missed field goal.
The final three came in the fourth quarter of a tied ball game between a top-10 Southeastern Conference team and a two-win Conference-USA opponent that was a 30-plus point underdog.
And each time Townsend went out to punt, he pinned the Owls deep in their territory, forcing their offense to face an uphill battle each time they stepped foot on the field and giving the Gators an extra breath of life.
On nine punts, Townsend averaged 43.4 yards per punt, with five ending inside the FAU 10.
"The odds are against you the further backed up you are," FAU coach Charlie Partridge said after the game.
Townsend and the Gators keep proving that statement this year.
This season, Townsend has already attempted 62 punts, which sits tied for ninth in school history for a season with at least three games to go.
The redshirt sophomore is averaging 43.82 yards per punt, with 18 travelling at least 50 yards, 25 pinning opponents inside their 20-yard line and just three rolling into the end zone for a touchback.
While Townsend’s numbers are still lower than former UF punter Kyle Christy’s 2012 season when he was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award (66 punts, 45.8 yards/punt, 27 inside 20 yard line, six touchbacks), Townsend’s presence is being equally felt this year.
Of the 25 drives where Townsend forced opponents to start inside their own red zone:
Fifteen ended in the opponent punting.
Three ended in turnovers.
Three ended with the end of a half.
Two ended in touchdowns.
Two ended in field goal attempts, only one of which was made.
This year, opponents are starting on average at their 21.8-yard line when they receive the ball on a punt.
If opponents get the ball in any other way (takeaway, turnover on downs, kickoff or missed field goal), they start on average at their 26.6-yard line, an almost 5-yard advantage that makes more of a difference than most think.
The disparity is even greater as of late.
In the four games since UF’s loss to LSU, Townsend is pinning opponents on average to their 17.7-yard line.
Remove Townsend’s punts and opponents are beginning drives on average at their 24 in that span
"The guy’s a weapon," UF coach Jim McElwain said.
That’s a good thing for the Gators because Florida hasn’t had very many of them over the past few years.
With UF getting ready for its home finale against No. 14 Florida State on Saturday and a date with the SEC West champion a week later in Atlanta, the Gators need Townsend to continue his recent kicking spree.
His performance will more than likely be the difference.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Johnny Townsend punts during Florida's 20-14 overtime win against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 21, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
