By: Austin Williams
Special teams were a highlight for the Kennesaw State Owls on Saturday, as punter Jacob Ulrich excelled in his duties against UTSA.
Ulrich, a redshirt freshman, punted five times against the Roadrunners, flipping the field multiple times and setting up the opposing offense inside their own 20-yard line twice. His furthest punt went 59 yards and he averaged 54.6 yards per punt, which broke the previous record average for the Owls at 53.5 set against Presbyterian in 2016.
Ulrich was noticed nationally by appearing on the Ray Guy Award's "Ray's 8" list, highlighting the top eight punters each week in college football. Ulrich also leads the nation in average punt yardage (min. 4 punts) and feels excited to be noticed.
"I'm extremely ecstatic to be on the Ray Guy list," Ulrich said. "I didn't know underclassmen were eligible for the award and that was a shock. I'm just looking forward to how we're going about this year."
There was speculation about the Owls special team unit coming into the 2024 season; however, Ulrich describes major confidence in the special teams room after the UTSA performance.
"This position group is night and day better," Ulrich said. "Last year, we weren't as good on special teams. We had some good and bad moments. We just need to stay humble, keep our heads down and keep working."
Emotions were high for all the Owls going into the Alamodome to face UTSA in their first game as an FBS team, and Ulrich admitted he was tense going into his first FBS start.
"On the plane ride there, I cannot lie, I was really nervous," Ulrich said. "I was just going through the motions. Right before the game, I found my Zen, went out there and had fun."
In terms of what worked best for Ulrich against UTSA, he mentioned relying heavily on his training and staying mentally prepared.
"What worked was honestly remembering my training and not letting my mind get the best of me," said Ulrich. "I have to remember to have fun, keep my steps short, get enough through the ball and just go after it."
Ulrich shared that he was able to improve his abilities through individual workouts, his past in playing soccer and how he decided to become a special teams player.
"Since high school, I've been going to one-on-one kicking workouts in Atlanta and Birmingham," Ulrich said. "I was not great when I first started, but those training sessions upped my game tremendously. I wanted to be a quarterback when I was young but soon realized I didn't like being hit."
Having fun is a significant component of Ulrich's drive for football, and despite playing both punter and kicker throughout his career, he feels he is at his best as a punter for the Owls.
As Kennesaw State's starting punter, he has dubbed himself the "fourth-down quarterback" and takes pride in his position.
"Being the punter isn't about being the leader on the field," Ulrich said. "You're the one who has to get the plays done. You have to get a hold of the ball, hit the punt and hope for the best."
The Owls will be hosting their first home FBS game against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday, and Ulrich wants Owl Nation to come out and support Kennesaw State loud and proud.
"I am thrilled," Ulrich said. "I hope all the fans come out and have fun. We're going to get through the game, and we're going to walk off and sing the fight song."
The Owls will host the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Sep. 7 inside Fifth Third Stadium at 7 p.m. Fans can watch the game with ESPN+ or purchase tickets here.
