Oregon State had to know it wasn’t its day last Sept. 10 against Wisconsin the moment that Johnny Hekker’s second punt left his right foot.
Implementing a rugby-style kick, the senior from Bothell, WA, had the ball glance off the side of his cleat and head straight directly to his right, toward the Wisconsin sideline. When the side judge came to a stop, he had measured out a punt of minus-4 yards.
QB Russell Wilson found TE Jacob Pedersen for a 17-yard TD pass three plays later to put Wisconsin up 7–0 en route to a 35–0 shutout. Oregon State will try and exact revenge this Saturday against the No. 13 Badgers in Corvallis.
And don’t feel too bad for Hekker. He’ll likely start the 2012 season as the St. Louis Rams’ starting punter. Johnny Hekker profile
