UW Looks to Return to Punt-Return Prominence
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While others viewed fourth down as little more than a change of possession, the University of Washington football team welcomed it as a serious change of pace. It was a magical way to put points on the board.
The record book will show the Huskies once did this better than anyone else in the history of the college game after turning Dante Pettis loose for 9 touchdowns on punt returns — setting an NCAA record in 2014-17.
However, over the past four seasons, the UW has either let the call roll, called for a fair catch or not gone anywhere fun It has just one punt runback that found the end zone, on an 88-yarder by Aaron Fuller against BYU in 2019.
That was 25 games and three seasons ago, far too long for the Huskies to go without their creative brand of special-teams play.
From Beno Bryant to Steve Bramwell to Mark Lee, UW returners always have been adept at finding an open crease, zipping through it and bringing the fans out of their seats as they each sprinted across the goal line.
Counting returns and blocked-punt recoveries combined, the UW has scored 61 times on punts in program annals (see the list below).
Hugh McElhenny went 100 yards on a punt return to put up points against USC in 1951 when his coach wanted him to let the ball bounce harmlessly into the UW end zone. There's always been an attitude of just try and stop us.
Beno Bryant ran back four punts for Husky touchdowns.
UW photo
Bryant went the distance with punts four times for the Huskies. Lee did this on three occasions in 1979 alone. Eventual Washington state senator George Fleming ran back three for scores in his career, including one against Wisconsin in the 1960 Rose Bowl. John Cherberg, a future Washington lieutenant governor and 1950s UW coach, broke one during the depression.
In 2021, the Huskies didn't come close to putting one in the end zone on a punt return. Michigan transfer Giles Jackson handled a dozen of these kicks with a long return of 21 yards, sharing this duty with the since departed Trent McDuffie.
As the Huskies lined up in punt coverage during the recently conducted spring practice, but didn't hit anyone for safety reasons, UC Davis transfer Jordan Perryman and Jackson alternately caught all the balls.
Jackson, of course, returned kickoffs 95 and 97 yards for touchdowns in two seasons in the Big Ten, Husky followers were disappointed the team didn't take advantage of him more.
Giles Jackson had 95- and 97-yard kickoff returns for TDs at Michigan.
Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
Perryman didn't handle any punts for his Big Sky team, but he returned 35 kickoffs in 2019 with a long of 20 yards, so he's capable.
However, Kalen DeBoer's new UW coaching staff seems bent on using Jackson and his fleet feet as much as possible at wide receiver, kickoff returner and as the main punt man.
There's no reason why young Giles can't do a poor man's imitation of Pettis and get people in Husky Stadium up on their feet again on fourth down.
Tomorrow: Husky interception returns.
UW PUNT RETURN TDS
100 — Hugh McElhenny, 1951, USC
92 — Steve Bramwell, 1963, Oregon State
91 — Joe Jarzynka, 1998, California
89 — Dante Pettis, 2015, Oregon State
88 — Aaron Fuller 2019, BYU
88 — John Cherberg, 1932, Stanford
87 — Charles Frederick, 2001, Idaho
86 — Charles Frederick, 2003, Oregon State
83 — Ernie Steele, 1940, Washington State
82 — Beno Bryant, 1990, Arizona State
80 — Harry Tiedemann, 1949, Utah
78 — Calvin Jones, 1971, California
77 — Dante Pettis, 2017, Fresno State
76 — Dante Pettis, 2015, Boise State
73 — Nesby Glasgow, 1977, Stanford
72 — Martin Wyatt, 1961, California
71 — Danny Greene, 1983, USC
71 — Anthony Allen, 1981, Stanford
70 — Beno Bryant, 1990, Arizona
70 — Bill Cahill, 1971, Illinois
70 — Jack Nugent, 1951, Oregon
68 — Dante Pettis, 2016, Rutgers
67 — Dante Pettis, 2017, Montana
67 — Dave Janoski, 1996, Arizona State
67 — Steve Bramwell, 1964, Baylor
66 — Andre Riley, 1986, Bowling Green
66 — Harvey Blanks, 1968, Wisconsin
65 — Ken Gardner, 1980, Oregon
65 — George Fleming, 1960, USC
64 — Dante Pettis, 2017, Oregon
64 — Mark Lee, 1979, California
63 — Demouy Williams, 1987, Washington State
62 — Mark Lee, 1979, UCLA
61 — Dante Pettis, 2017, Rutgers
59 — George Fleming, 1960, Stanford
58 — Dante Pettis, 2016, Utah
57 — Danny Green, 1983, Penn State
57 — Calvin Jones, 1972, Illinois
57 — Steve Crook, 1953, USC
53 — Beno Bryant, 1991, Kansas State
53 — Mark Lee, 1979, Oregon
53 — George Fleming, 1960, Wisconsin
52 — Beno Bryant, 1990, San Jose State
51 — Don Heinrich, 1952, Oregon State
42 — Ron Milus, 1984, Oregon
32 — Tommie Smith, 1989, USC
22 — Chris Stevens, 2006, Washington State
22 — Jeff Leeland, 1978, Stanford
21 — Chris O'Connor, 1980, Arizona
21 — Marshall Dallas, 1947, Stanford
20 — Greg Brooks, 1976, Oregon State
15 — Vince Newsome, 1981, Oregon
15 — Steve Lipe, 1975, Stanford
10 — Willie Galoia, 1976, Washington State
7 — Bill Albrecht, 1971, UC Santa Barbara
4 — Mark Jones, 1989, Oregon State
4 — Mike Rohrbach, 1975, Stanford
3 — Steve Lipe, 1973, Syracuse
2 — Jesse Callier, 2011, Washington State
0 — Tony Zackery, 1986, Ohio State
0 — Mike Gaffney, 1984, Oregon
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