BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Football punter Cole Maynard was named one of Ray's 8 for Week 6 by the Ray Guy Award on Monday.
The Ray Guy Award honors the nation's top collegiate punter in the FBS, and the Ray's 8 list recognizes the top punting performances each week throughout the season. Maynard was one of 15 players included on the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List released earlier this summer, and also was on the Ray's 8 list following Week 1. He was one of only five non-Power Conference players included when the Watch List was released.
Maynard punted three times in WKU's 27-24 win at Delaware on Friday, totaling 138 yards – an average of 46 yards per punt. Maynard had one punt of 50-plus yards and two downed inside the 20-yard line. On his final attempt, Maynard punted 52 yards and had the ball downed at the Delaware 5-yard line, setting up a long drive for the Fightin' Blue Hens with 54 seconds remaining to potentially tie or win the game that was ultimately unsuccessful.
Maynard has now punted 1,256 yards on 25 attempts this season – an average of 50.24 yards per punt – with 14 traveling 50-plus yards and eight downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt of the season was a 71 yarder in the opener against Sam Houston. Maynard's 50.24 average is the best in the nation, and he is the only player in the country averaging over 50 yards per punt. The WKU record for average yard per punt in a season is 45.9 by John Haggerty in 2019.
WKU improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in CUSA play with the win over Delaware – the team's second road CUSA win in six days. It marks the program's first 5-1 start since the 2015 season.
The complete list of candidates for the Ray Guy Award will be released Nov. 5, and in mid-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the 10 semifinalists. A national body of FBS sports information directors, media representatives and previous Ray Guy Award winners will vote for the top three finalists to be announced in late November. After the finalists are named, the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation's top punter. The winner will be announced live during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN in December 2025.
WKU Football will return home to face FIU on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be nationally televised on ESPNU. Prior to the game, Blanco Brown will perform a free pregame concert on South Lawn beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT. Tickets to the game can be purchased HERE.
For all the latest on WKU Football, follow @WKUFootball on Twitter and Instagram, and like the WKU Football Facebook page.
Western Kentucky University Athletics
- Champions Climb Here
- WKU Athletics
- Athletic Director
- Academic Services
- Annual Report
- Athletic Communications
- Athletic Hall of Fame
- Athletic Training
- Big Red
- CLIMB Program - NIL
- Compliance
- Facilities
- Financial Reports
- For Students
- Student Employment
- Forms/Requests
- Book Big Red
- Donation Requests
- Site Feedback
- For Fans
- Hilltopper Highlights
- Gameday Promotions
- Alumni Tailgates
- Big Red's Rascals
- Basketball Gameday
- Football Gameday
- Mobile Tickets
- Travel Center
- Tickets
- Give
