Andy Vujnovich made an impression last season as Wisconsin's No. 1 punter, and this year, he's further improved as a difference maker on special teams.
Vujnovich, a former D-III transfer, currently ranks 11th in the FBS in yards per punt (47.7). Six of his 22 attempts have been inside opponents' 20-yard line, and seven have carried 50 or more yards.
A third of the way through the regular season, Vujnovich currently holds a better average than his first year. In 2020, he averaged 41.6 yards per punt on 33 attempts, with 10 fair catches, 13 placed inside the 20-yard line and five that registered 50 or more yards. He pointed to a couple areas where he has refined his game.
“Compared to last year, I'd say I’m more seamless on the catch to punt, I'd say," Vujnovich told BadgerBlitz.com on Monday. "Just moving where the ball is being snapped, too, if it's a little off center. Other than that, just the rhythm has been very seamless, I'd say. Not very many catch flaws there, just more smooth punts. But in turn doing that, I'm being more smooth, but then I'm also rushing it to a point where I'm out of rhythm. So just going back to just relaxing and trusting everyone and just do my thing just like I do in practice every week.
“Biggest area is just the catch I’d say. I mold the ball well, and it turns out compared to last year, you can notice it. But I just need to remember to be more smooth and just finish the punt every day.”
Vujnovich feels "good," and looking at the stats between 2020 and 2021, has made substantial strides. Despite the big numbers from a big leg, he still sees opportunities for growth. He noted a "few balls that weren't essentially hit great," in his words, "but they turned out in our favor."
"An area where I can improve on is just being more consistent on the direction that my team thinks I'm going so that they know where to go," Vujnovich said, "where the ball’s gonna be going, so that we can get a tackle where the ball's gonna be. Instead of people run left, and I'm hitting it right, so it's an area where I need to improve on.
“Just putting our defense in a good spot so that they have the motivation the next play after a big play, like downing him at the one. Then, say they get a safety, and that boosts our morale for the rest of the game. That's just huge to put our offense and defense in a good spot moving forward. So that's just a spot where I need to be more consistent for my team and just put them in a position to execute for them.”
Last week, Vujnovich averaged 44.9 yards per punt in the 38-17 loss to Michigan. Three of his eight boots went inside the 20, and he connected on one that went over 50 yards. However, the senior became "a little rushed," according to the specialist, due to preparing for the pressure the Wolverines have received in recent years. He fixed that in the final two quarters.
"We practiced being fast, but naturally in the game, you tend to be a little bit faster even then," Vujnovich said. "It was just like stacking speed-on-speed, which made me just out of my rhythm, which took me way out of my rhythm. You can see it on the tape that it just didn't look like me out there in the first half.
“So then [I] just settled down and hit my punts in the second half, and that's where I just noticed that [I was] just doing my thing. Just trust it, because I know the guys up front are doing a great job blocking for me. Pete's [Bowden] doing a good job snapping. They're all giving me the opportunity, and I just got to give myself the opportunity to produce for the team.”
Vujnovich and Wisconsin (1-3 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) will face an Illinois (2-4, 1-2) program with its own hyped up punter on Saturday in Champaign (2:30 p.m. CT, BTN). Blake Hayes, arguably one of the nation's best at the position, currently 45.3 yards per attempt in his 32 boots through six games.
Nine of Hayes' punts have gone over 50 yards, 11 have registered as touchbacks and 14 have been inside the 20.
The other thing Vujnovich may be known for, besides his punting, is for his weight lifting numbers. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound specialist confirmed to BadgerBlitz.com that his maxed out squats at 545 pounds, bench press at 395 pounds, and power clean at 315 pounds. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic listed him at No. 87 among his annual "Freaks List" earlier this year, joining teammates Leo Chenal (No. 22) and Matt Henningsen (No. 66) in receiving that accolade.
Vujnovich even showed off an impressive feat in an August tweet when he performed a "Turkish Get-Up." The punter lifted 115 pounds over his head with one arm, then proceeded to lay down and stand back up with it without it touching the ground.
The catalyst for his physique and lifting came during high school when Vujnovich took a weight training class. From there, he enjoyed it and has pushed on until now.
“I continued with that at home and then going on to college, started lifting there, doing extra lifts outside the football program as well. From there on, I just noticed the growth, especially with the additional food access that I had at college just helped me to grow physically along with the lifts that I was doing. I just noticed like immediately the return that I was getting so I just kept with it, and it was fun to see progress.
"The progress is so fun to see and then it’s just more motivating to see that every week. It's just fun for me to see the little steps you take that just grows on you. During the season, I have to tone it down because obviously punting comes first and the season’s important. But in the offseason, I enjoy working out with teammates that also enjoy lifting as well. It's just a fun environment always with them, so I enjoy it."
