TEXAS BOWL: ARKANSAS VS. TEXAS

Ambidextrous punter gives foes runaround

Arkansas punter Sam Irwin-Hill, center, rolls out for yardage Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, after faking a punt in the third quarter against Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
Arkansas punter Sam Irwin-Hill, center, rolls out for yardage Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, after faking a punt in the third quarter against Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Sam Irwin-Hill has been much more than a solid punter from Down Under for the Arkansas football team.

Irwin-Hill has helped make fourth downs fun during Bret Bielema's first two seasons with his variety of punting styles and a brand of athleticism that has allowed the Razorbacks to convert fake punts into big plays.

Sam Irwin-Hill glance

POSITION Punter

HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-2, 209

CLASS Senior

HIGH SCHOOL Bendigo, Australia

LAST STOP City College of San Fransisco

AGE 24 (Oct. 10, 1990)

NOTEWORTHY Ambidextrous punter can kick traditional or rugby-style with either foot. … Named special teams player of the week after averaging 40.5 yards on 6 punts and punting 3 inside the 20-yard line in a 30-0 victory over Ole Miss. … Put all 5 punts inside the 20, and 3 inside the 10, while averaging 41.2 yards at Missouri. … Averaged 44.3 yards per punt in 2013 to rank third in the SEC and 13th in the nation. … The Razorbacks were fifth nationally in net punting in 2013 (40.2 average) in 2013. … Has converted four fake punts in his career, including a 51-yard touchdown run vs. Texas A&M this year. … Named SEC special teams player of the week last year vs. South Carolina, when he punted four times for 214 yards, including a 79-yarder that tied for the second-longest punt in the FBS.

Irwin-Hill most notable fake was one that turned into 51-yard tackle-breaking touchdown run just before halftime against Texas A&M this year.

But Irwin-Hill also passed or ran for three other fourth-down conversions in his two seasons, including a 23-yard run to convert a fourth-and-9 in the third quarter of the regular-season finale at Missouri.

"It's definitely been fun, but at the same time it's an absolute privilege," Irwin-Hill said. "And it shows that the coach has confidence in you and your ability to make those other plays and not just punt the ball. So I love coach for doing it and him trusting in myself to be able to execute those plays."

Deep snapper Alan D'Appollonio, who caught a 24-yard pass on fourth down from Irwin-Hill at Rutgers last season and also caught a touchdown pass from 340-pound lineman Sebastian Tretola on a fake field goal this year, likes the idea that Arkansas' special teams are known for pulling off special plays.

"I'm sure for the opposing team's special teams coordinator, it's a nightmare with Sam being able to kick with both feet, running for a touchdown, throwing the ball to me, now Tretola throwing the ball," D'Appollonio said after his 6-yard touchdown against Alabama-Birmingham.

Texas coaches would be wise to expect something tricky from the Razorbacks' kicking game in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29.

Irwin-Hill's 2-of-2 conversion rate on fakes has been better than last season, when he converted 2 of 5 fourth-down tries when Bielema took more gambles with less-efficient units on both sides of the ball.

Irwin-Hill's background in Australian Rules Football back home paid big dividends during his years as a punter in the States at City College of San Francisco and with the Razorbacks.

"He's a very gifted athlete," Bielema said. "I go back to when I saw his film. He's a good athlete, can punt right- and left-legged."

Irwin-Hill, who signed with Arkansas over Miami in the summer of 2013, has been able to display all his skills with a football in Fayetteville.

"When I came in here I wanted my product to be a very versatile sort of punter," Irwin-Hill said. "Not just have the traditional style, but be able to kick left and right footed, and also be able to pass the ball, run the ball.

"Coming from a sport, Australian Rules, I had the ability to be able to do that. I wanted to make it evident to the coaches that I had. To be able to get someone like Coach Bielema, it's very coincidental, but at the same time it worked out really, really well. He's obviously not traditional and he looks for uncommon people, and I felt I fit myself like right in there. Really happy with where it's come and the way people think of me as not a traditional punter."

Irwin-Hill's season as a punter -- he ranks 79th nationally with a 40.1-yard average -- has had its ups and downs after he ranked 13th nationally and third in the SEC with a 44.3-yard average in 2013. After Irwin-Hill struggled to get big punts and quality hang time for a few games in a row, Bielema gave Toby Baker a shot with one punt against Alabama-Birmingham. The Blazers returned the 36-yard punt 35 yards to set up a field goal and Irwin-Hill came back to boot punts the rest of the season.

"Everyone has their rough patches, but having it in a game, that's obviously now what you want to have happen," Irwin-Hill said. "I came back out and I sat down and tried to figure a few things out. It might have been the wake-up call I needed."

Irwin-Hill said better tape study and focusing on fundamentals like a consistent ball drop helped him finish the year on a strong note. He was named SEC special teams player of the week against Ole Miss, then had his best game the following week when he put all five of his punts inside the 20-yard line, and three inside the 10, at Missouri and averaged 41.2 yards per punt.

Bielema said he purposefully didn't call for rugby-style punts this year to allow Irwin-Hill to put together a resume' as a traditional punter for NFL scouts.

However, the bowl game could be fair game for more rugby punts, or possibly anything, from Irwin-Hill.

"I never rugby-ed him this year, but he can do it and has done it," Bielema said. "Might be a little something for the bowl game."

Sports on 12/16/2014

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