ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia punter Drew Butler is having a good season.
It’s just not last season.
Butler led the nation in punting last year with a 48.1-yard average but enters Saturday’s game at Mississippi State ranked 21st with a 44.6-yard clip. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound junior from Duluth has been outdistanced the past two weeks by Spencer Lanning of South Carolina and Dylan Breeding of Arkansas.
“He’s had a good year, but obviously his standards are really high,” said Georgia assistant coach John Lilly, who oversees the punters. “There are probably 110 Division I-A punters who would love to be having the season he’s having right now. We’re hovering around 40 yards net right now, which is outstanding, because our goal for every game is 39.”
In last week’s 31-24 loss to Arkansas, Butler had the worst punt of a decorated career that includes All-America honors last season as well as the Ray Guy Award. With 54 seconds left in a 24-24 tie, Butler failed to pin the Razorbacks deep, producing instead a 31-yard punt from Georgia’s 42-yard line.