The past three seasons brought a new and potent weapon to the LSU football program.
It was a firearm — or leg — that made a habit of pinning opponents deep in their own territory, setting up opportunities for the Tigers’ defense to impact the outcome of the contest.
But in 2013, that weapon has cooled down.
Since 2010, the LSU punting game has been a key asset, ranking in the top five in the Southeastern Conference every year for average yards per punt.
Former Tiger starter Brad Wing averaged 43.4 and 44.6 yards per punt in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
But Wing’s successor, Australian sophomore Jamie Keehn, hasn’t seen the same success in his first season as a starter.
Through nine games this season, Keehn has averaged 38.9 yards per punt, ranking him No. 13 out of 14 SEC punters.
Keehn said he has seen the numbers, but he isn’t overly concerned about the lack of production so far this year.
“It’s always a growing process,” Keehn said. “It’s been good and it’s been bad at the same time. The numbers probably don’t look the best, but we’ve had a lot of [punts] inside the 20 and hardly any return yards, which is a good thing. It’s a work in progress. We’re getting there.”
Keehn, who did not play high school football, said adjusting to the rush of the game on the field has been one of the primary challenges of punting at the collegiate level.
He said he could punt a 70- yarder with ease during practice, but the situation is different when defenders are bearing down and looking for a block.
The Miners Rest native espe- cially struggled early in the season, with several shanked punts giving opponents solid field positions.
He said there was only one way to mentally battle through the punt- ing struggle.
“Everyone kicks a bad ball,” Keehn said. “It happens. You look at the film and see what you did wrong, work on it that week, go at it over the weekend and try to improve. Your next punt is the best punt. You’re going to be remembered by your next punt.”
The rest of the 2013 campaign will be a learning experience for Keehn.
Last season, sophomore long snapper Reid Ferguson had the opportunity to work with both Keehn and Wing, and he saw the progression of both of them during the season.
“Jamie’s ability is up there with Brad,” Ferguson said. “Like everything, it just takes hard work. As far as differences go, they’re just different personalities. Jamie likes to kick a lot of balls at practice, while Brad liked to keep things under control. They each have a different mindset.”
Ferguson has high hopes for the player he currently snaps the ball to.
“As last season progressed, [Keehn] was obviously getting better, but this season he’s really improved,” Ferguson said. “He can be one of the best punters to ever come to LSU.”
“Everyone kicks a bad ball. It happens. You look at the film and see what you did wrong, work on it that week, go at it over the weekend and try to improve.”