Tag: Eddie Czaplicki

Eddie Czaplicki is one of USC’s top players, and that isn’t a good thing

Eddie Czaplicki and Woody Marks are USC’s two best players in 2024. The prominence of a punter is not what anyone wants from a football team.

Who do you want to be the best player on your football team? In an ideal world, it is your superstar quarterback. If not him, then maybe an elite wide receiver, a dominant offensive lineman, or a ball hawk linebacker. Generally, you don’t want the best player on your football team to be the punter, but that has been exactly the case for USC football in 2024. USC punter Eddie Czaplicki has quietly become one of the top punters in the nation.

Czaplicki had yet another effective game on Saturday night against UCLA, averaging 47 yards on his three attempts. Czaplicki’s 48.8 yards per punt are good for first in the Big Ten and third in the country.

That is great for Czaplicki. He deserves every bit of recognition as one of the nation’s top punters. However, the fact that the Trojans’ best player is their punter is not such a good thing for USC.

Generally, if a team is punting enough that their punter is in contention for the Ray Guy Award, that means their offense is not playing very well. For the Trojans, who managed to score just 19 points last night against a bad UCLA team, that is indeed the case.

If more players (and coaches) on USC’s offense had stepped up this season, there would not have been a need or opportunity for Czaplicki to step up as much as he has. But with the Trojans struggling to score, the spotlight has shifted to their punter, who has shined in it.

So give Czaplicki all of his flowers. When USC’s seniors are honored prior to the game against Notre Dame this Saturday, he deserves the loudest cheer of any of them.

For the Trojans, that is a problem.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, Ducks Wire, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

USC’s Eddie Czaplicki makes his mark as nation’s top-ranked punter

Eddie Czaplicki is doing his best for USC this season, but even he would like it if the offense started scoring more than 30 points in Big Ten games.

USC transfer Eddie Czaplicki has quickly established himself as one of the top punters in the nation since coming over from Arizona State. Czaplicki is currently ranked No. 1 in the country with an average of 52.1 yards on his 11 punts this season.

Czaplicki has been a crucial part of USC’s success this season, and he was particularly impressive in the team’s first Big Ten game against Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 21. He recorded a career-high average of 53.1 yards on 7 punts with a long of 60 yards, which is a season-best.

Czaplicki play helped to mitigate a slow start and inconsistent play from the offense in Ann Arbor last Saturday by flipping the field against Michigan. Five of his seven punts were over 50 yards (60 yards, 59 yards, 56 yards, 50 yards, and 57 yards). His ability to consistently boom the ball deep into Michigan territory gave the Trojans excellent field position and helped them navigate a tough first half of the game.

Czaplicki’s performance this season is a continuation of his strong play in 2023, when he averaged 43.3 yards per punt with a long of 57 yards. He has shown tremendous consistency throughout his career, and he is now one of the most reliable punters in the nation.

He is a key part of the Trojans’ special teams unit, and he has played a significant role in their success this season.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, Ducks Wire, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Eddie Czaplicki needs to be ready if USC offense struggles

Eddie Czaplicki hopes to not take the field, but if USC’s offense bogs down, he will be needed.

Senior USC Trojans punter Eddie Czaplicki occupies an uncomfortable but important role on the 2024 Men of Troy. On one hand, USC needs him when called upon. On the other hand, USC doesn’t want him to take the field too many times. The less we see of him, the better. Czaplicki is an intriguing part of USC’s move to the Big Ten Conference, and his place on this team could become more central than many currently appreciate.

Czaplicki was selected to the 2024 Ray Guy Award Watch List. The Ray Guy Award honors the nation’s top collegiate punter. In his collegiate career, he has handled punting and kickoffs duties. He has recorded 139 punts for 6,159 yards (44.3-yard average) with a long of 75 yards and 36 punts going 50 yards or more. He has touchbacks on 43 of his 86 kickoffs (50%).

He transferred to USC in the spring of 2023 from Arizona State and served as USC’s punter in the 2023 season. He averaged 43.3 yards on his 44 punts in 2023, of which 15 pinned opponents inside the 20. He also had 30 kickoffs, totaling 1,906 yards. He appeared in all 13 games.

The thing about Czaplicki is that in a shootout game — which could be USC’s opener versus LSU — the Trojans don’t want him to punt at all. However, when USC gets into a slog in Big Ten play, such as a game at Maryland in mid-October when the offense struggles in a noon start, Czaplicki might make the difference in a 16-13 final score. Czaplicki won’t be needed all the time, but he might be needed if Miller Moss and friends can’t light up the scoreboard. USC’s battles against Michigan and Penn State might also be the kinds of slugfests in which field position turns the tide for the Trojans.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.