'A Duel Of Punters': How Special Teams May Be Most Important in ASU vs. Baylor
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"People may laugh, but we've got a duel of punters this week." Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham said.
Special teams will likely be no laughing matter for the Sun Devils or the Baylor Bears, come Saturday in Tempe.
Baylor punter Palmer Williams, the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week last week, heads to town to take on Nick McLarty, ASU's Australian punter who shined in the London victory.
Punts can't score you any points, but they surely can stop the opponent from doing so. With two big legs hitting Mountain America Stadium, could special teams decide this Big 12 matchup?
Meet Palmer Williams
It wasn't an offensive or defensive player who earned Baylor's lone conference accolade for the 23-13 win over Colorado. That honor belongs to punter and special teams member Palmer Williams.
Regarded as the best punter in the country by many (including Dillingham in his Monday presser), Williams punted seven times for 353 total yards against Colorado. Four of his punts went for 50+ yards, including one for 63. Williams also had four punts land inside the 20, with three being downed inside the Buffaloes’ 5-yard line.
After being a preseason All-American pick across multiple platforms, Williams earned the Ray Guy Punter of the Week award for his performance in Baylor's loss to Auburn.
The senior punter had three 50+ yard punts and one downed inside the 20 against the Tigers. Safe to say, expect to be backed up in your own territory when Williams is suited up.
Can Nick McLarty Compete At Williams' level?
On the other sideline, it will be Nick McLarty doing the punting for Arizona State.
McLarty enters Tempe after two seasons on the bench for Ohio State. Coming from Melbourne, Australia, where he played Australian Rules Football and rugby, McLarty entered the NCAA with loads of potential.
Some of that potential was shown overseas against Kansas, with the new Sun Devil recording nine punts for 382 yards.
Dillingham gave the Aussie some praise in Monday's press conference.
"(He's been) phenomenal. We had one (punt) where we should have gotten the punt blocked. We had an MA (Missed Assignment), it should have been blocked, and he recognized it," Dillingham said. "He took over, his rugby background, punted it faster, 43-yard, 44-yard punt. Holy cow! That's remarkable. His ability to pin punts in situations around midfield is a game changer."
With the quality start from McLarty and the dominance from Williams, the fourth-year head coach was aware of the upcoming punting matchup.
"Their punter is phenomenal. He's probably the best in the country. Nick, I think, is one of the best in the country," Dillingham said. "I think that's going to be one of the hidden things in this game: the hidden yardage exchanged on punt units."
How Will Arizona State Handle Long-Field Situations?
After two weeks of trying to diagnose ASU's offense, being pinned in their own territory is not the wrench the Sun Devils want thrown into their Saturday game plan.
ASU has not had to deal with true long-field situations through three games, but the small sample size is not favorable.
Arizona State is only one-for-five in terms of scoring drives that started inside their own 24-yard line (That lone scoring drive came against Morgan State).
Shifting back to special teams, will ASU be able to put together their first error-free game from the special teams unit since the Morgan State opener? A muffed punt against Texas A&M and an allowed punt-return touchdown against Kansas stick out like sore thumbs in the Devils' young season.
Against a high-quality special teams unit like Baylor, a perfect game will likely be required from the ASU unit.
Williams and McLarty will partake in their punt-off this Saturday, as Arizona State hosts the Baylor Bears at Mountain America Stadium.
Devil Details:
Who: Arizona State vs. Baylor
When: Saturday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. AZ, 10:30 p.m. EST
Where: Mountain America Stadium (53,599) in Tempe, Arizona
TV/Streaming: ESPN
The Sun Devil Radio Network broadcast will air on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Tim Healey will handle play-by-play alongside former Arizona State quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst, with Kevin Turner reporting from the sideline.
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Dan Allison is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, graduating Cum Laude in Sports Journalism. He currently works for the Rio Rancho Observer and the Albuquerque Journal in New Mexico and has covering high school sports in both New Mexico and Arizona and he is a contributor to High School On SI. He began contributing to Arizona State Sun Devils On SI in 2026.