July 25, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Junior punter Blake Gillikin (Atlanta, Ga.) is the latest Nittany Lion to be on a preseason watch list with a bid on the Ray Guy Award list for the nation's top punter.
The Augusta Sports Council created the Ray Guy Award in 2000 to honor Thomson, Georgia native and College and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ray Guy. Among the statistics used to identify the winner is net punting average, number of times punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, total yardage punted, average returned yardage and percentage of punts not returned with particular emphasis placed on net punting average. The winner must display team leadership, self-discipline and have a positive impact on the team's success.
Gillikin is coming off a season in which he garnered second-team All-Big Ten accolades from the coaches and media. He also took home second-team all-conference honors from the Associated Press and was honorable-mention All-America by GPR Punt Ratings. He finished 35th in FBS with a 43.2 punting average and was fourth in FBS in coffin wedge average (89.84) according to GPR Punt Rating. Gillikin also excelled in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten honors while maintaining a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average.
Ten different Nittany Lions have been named to preseason watch lists. They include: junior offensive lineman Ryan Bates â€" Outland Trophy (top interior lineman) senior linebacker Koa Farmer â€" Butkus Award (top linebacker); junior punter Blake Gillikin â€" Ray Guy Award (nation's top punter); junior tight end Jonathan Holland â€" Mackey Award (most outstanding collegiate tight end); junior center Connor McGovern â€" Rimmington Trophy (nation's top center), Outland Trophy (top interior lineman); senior quarterback Trace McSorley â€" Maxwell Award (National Player of the Year), Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top quarterback); junior defensive end Shareef Miller â€" Bednarik Award (National Defensive Player of the Year); junior running back Miles Sanders â€" Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back); senior safety Nick Scott â€" Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; head coach James Franklin â€" Bobby Dodd Trophy (nation's top coach).
The Nittany Lions' home schedule features five Big Ten Conference games, including visits from 2017 Big Ten Championship Game participants Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions open the season against Appalachian State (Sept. 1; 3:30 p.m.) and Kent State (Sept. 15; noon) in non-conference action. In Big Ten play, Penn State welcomes Ohio State (Sept. 29), Michigan State (Oct. 13; 3:30/4 p.m.), Iowa (Oct. 27), Wisconsin (Nov. 10) and Maryland (Nov. 24) to Happy Valley.
More than 6,300 new season tickets have been sold for the 2018 season presented by PSECU. The public single game sale takes place beginning June 26. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.NittanyLionClub.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.