Boise State Punter Gets CRUSHED As Blocked Kick Results In Epic Fail Scoop-And-Score
The first half of Friday's night game against San Diego State did not go well for Boise State punter Joel Velazquez. He got absolutely CLOBBERED.
With just under 10 minutes left in the second quarter, the Broncos lined up to punt at its own 49-yard-line. Velazquez, a 6-foot-0, 200-pounder, set up to kick at his own 35.
What happened next was an epic fail. Boise's line completely failed to block the SDSU edge rusher, who went entirely untouched into the backfield.
Meanwhile, Velazquez dropped the snap and did his best to recover. He couldn't.
As Velazquez set his feet and tried to boot the ball away, the untouched rusher came flying in like a banshee and blocked the kick. Not only that, but he laid the lumber on the punter.
Boise State punter Joel Velazquez got OBLITERATED.
Meanwhile, as he laid on the ground, the Aztecs recovered the kick, scooped it up and ran it back for the touchdown. It was a brutal sequence.
Roughing the kicker or punter, is illegal. Players cannot make contact with the punter after the ball is in the air. But there is one exception.
If the defensive player touches the ball before making contact with the punter, it's fair game. That is certainly what went down on Friday night, and as a result, Velazquez got smacked.
Although the punt went about as poorly as it could, it wasn't entirely Velazquez's fault. He never should have been put in that position. His line completely failed him.
Sure, Velazquez bobbled the snap and couldn't get a clean punt— and he will get chewed out during the film session— but can you blame him? I wouldn't be able to focus on getting the punt off as a free rusher came at me full-speed without so much as a finger being put on him.
If that wasn't bad enough, he's going to be reminded of that moment when he wakes up sore on Saturday.