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In Sunday’s season opener in Green Bay, Wisconsin sophomore punter Sean West delivered a single play that flipped field position and led directly to the Badgers’ only first-half touchdown. The punt, which caromed inside the goal line before rolling out at the one-foot mark, proved decisive in the opening 30 minutes.
How the punt played out
Wisconsin trailed No. 4 Notre Dame 10-3 and faced fourth down at its own 29 when West booted the ball deep. The kick sailed over senior returner Jordan Faison, who appeared to let it go, expecting a touchback.
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Instead the ball landed near the five-yard line, bounced to the two, then spun toward the sideline. It rolled for nearly four seconds before coming to rest out of bounds at the one-foot line. The result left Notre Dame pinned painfully close to its own end zone.
Immediate payoff for the Badgers
Pinned near their goal, Notre Dame’s field position gave Wisconsin a short field. The Badgers required just two plays to cover 48 yards.
The drive ended with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Colton Joseph to Malachi Coleman, tying the game and turning West’s punt into a clear momentum swing. At halftime Notre Dame led 13-10.
West’s growing reputation
The punt added to an already notable résumé for West. Last season he averaged 47.7 yards on 25 punts, dropping 11 inside the 20 and booting 14 over 50 yards.
West has also become known for unconventional plays. He once converted a 20-yard run for a first down against No. 1 Ohio State and completed a 24-yard pass on a fake punt in Wisconsin’s upset of No. 24 Washington. That passing performance made him the first punter or kicker since 2000 to lead an FBS team in single-game passing yards.
After Sunday’s punt West celebrated with an imaginary golf swing before teammates surrounded him on the field.
