Mar. 31—MORGANTOWN — West Virginia's punting will look different under Rich Rodriguez. Usually, senior punter Oliver Straw catches the ball off to the side, runs a little and gives it a boot, but that won't be the case for his senior season.
Straw is transitioning to the traditional punting, which is straight on and more of a spiral, compared to the end-over-end punt he's used to producing. The Australian punter has enjoyed the shift.
"It's been something that I've wanted to do for a long time, " Straw said. "I've put a lot of work into it this offseason, and something I've gotten really comfortable with now to the point where, I feel like I'm probably at the most dynamic I've been since I've been here."
Straw had success with the roll-out punting. He was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and had a punting average of 43.7, which was tied for sixth in the conference in 2024. It was working.
After Rodriguez evaluated the tape with special teams coordinator Pat Kirkland, they found that traditional-style punting was best to deliver more hang time. Punt returners are getting faster and more elusive, so the best outcome is drawing a fair catch or making sure there is enough time for defenders to contain the return.
"With the ball going up, it kind of floats up a little bit in the air, so obviously giving the protection team a lot more time to cover the football, which is good and eliminates those returns, " Straw said. "You can do it with the end over end, and we were successful doing that, but it's just a different scheme. It's the same objective but different way of doing it for sure."
Straw had to adjust if he wanted to remain the starting punter for the Moutaineers. Rodriguez watched what Straw did during the bowl game against Memphis and was comfortable with what he saw and liked Straw's leg strength.
However, Straw was still nervous about what his new coach would want from his punter.
"There's a possibility that he could have seen my three years here and said, 'We don't want a roll-out punter, '" Straw said. "But he gave me the chance to stick around and show him that I can spiral and fit within this game as well. I think that was a big part of it."
Straw took some time getting used to the traditional style. Instead of partying or taking a rest from football during spring break, Straw went to Nashville, Tennessee, to train with two NFL players, working on spiral punting. He spent more time in the winter just working on his hands and 15-20 minutes every day catching the ball on the JUGS Machine.
"One thing I was really struggling with was my hands, " Straw said. "I wasn't clean enough with my hands to be a successful spiral punter. I was just not catching the ball cleanly enough, getting it to where it needs to be."
It's a big change for Straw. He's been punting a certain way his whole life and now, as a senior, he was asked to completely change his style. Straw accepted the change and has enjoyed the time with his new coach so far.
"I think it's been really good, " Straw said. "They've done a really good job of making sure the culture is clear, and everyone has to stick to the culture in order for it to be successful. I've enjoyed it so far. I think it's going to be successful."
