West Virginia’s Oliver Straw punts during a Big 12 Conference football game against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.
West Virginia’s Oliver Straw punts during a Big 12 Conference football game against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.
MORGANTOWN — West Virginia punter Oliver Straw performed at a high level in 2023, and it wasn’t just his average (43 yards per kick) that made him such an effective special teams weapon for the Mountaineers.
He was the king of placement, connecting on just two touchbacks while putting 19 of his 42 punts inside the 20-yard line, and also had eight boots of 50 yards or more.
Add in the 21 fair catches he forced, and opponents had the chance to return just 12 punts on the season. They managed a minuscule 5 total yards on those chances, for an average of less than half a yard per return.
It becomes, then, all the more remarkable that Straw compiled those numbers while battling the effects of a knee injury, sustained when he suffered his only bad play of 2023 — a blocked punt in the fourth quarter against Pitt.
“I copped a hit to the knee,†Straw said, in the vernacular of his native Australia. “As the season went on, it became clear to me that something was loose and floating around.â€
That wasn’t the first time Straw had problems with his knee. Those began a decade ago, and culminated in a 2016 surgery on that joint to correct what he described as a bone degenerative disorder. The repair apparently held until last year’s Pitt game, but he was able to battle through it until he again went under the knife at season’s end.
“There were two loose bodies that I had removed,†he said. “I wore a knee brace in the spring, but I am not wearing a brace now in the fall camp, and I’ve rebuilt my leg strength and am confident in my ankle and my knee.
“It’s been a big difference,†he continued, describing the lack of worry he has now in trying to work around the injury. “It’s been beneficial. I’ve revamped my body, and I was able to put an emphasis on my strength. I have been able to hit the ball further than I ever have. It’s been a process to regain confidence, and to get myself back to the place where I felt normal again.â€
Straw didn’t have to change his technique in response to the injury, which was probably a good thing, as he recorded a near carbon-copy of his 2022 numbers (42.5 average, 18 punts inside the 20, 24 fair catches, two touchbacks) despite the knee issues. That helped him avoid any potential stress problems that can come from compensating for an injury, and put him right back on the same path and technique growth that he has taken so quickly to in the American game.
“The Australian football background plays a big part, being that we have to kick to different places and hit them as a target. It’s definitely something that has transferred over,†he said in comparing and contrasting the two sports. “It has definitely become more of a feel thing with the American footballs, and something that I pride myself on, being able to put the ball on a certain spot.â€
Straw’s kicks often don’t look like the traditional punts of the American game, as he sometimes produces low liners or bouncers that move away from returners to get to desired spots. He can also hang the ball high and roll to either side of the field to avoid pressure and help shape coverage. Those changes have been significant across the college game, and Straw notes that there’s a method to producing good results, which can take different combinations of distance, hang time and accuracy.
“As long as you have two of those three checked off, you are in a pretty good area,†he said. “You are aiming for all three, but perfection is a hard thing to achieve as a specialist.â€
Straw might not have been spot-on perfect on every kick last year, but he was definitely in the neighborhood, and there’s no question that another performance which mirrors that of his first two seasons at WVU would give the Mountaineers a leg up in the punt game.
