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UCF P Atticus Bertrams Hitting Best Stride in 3 Years
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- UCF P Atticus Bertrams Hitting Best Stride in 3 Years
(Mike Watters/Imagn Images)
Atticus Bertrams is having a career season for the UCF Knights and is impressing, hitting his best stride in three years.
Bertrams has punted 15 times this season and is averaging a career-best 48.3 yards per punt. That eclipses his previous high of 45.3 yards as a sophomore for the Wisconsin Badgers .
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He's emerged as the best UCF punter since the program joined the Big 12 in 2023. Bertrams' best surpasses Anthony Venneri 's 40.6 yards last season and Mitch McCarthy's, a fellow Australian, 44.1 yards in 2024 and 41.2 yards in 2023.
The senior's approach has been simple: not overthinking every punt when he's on the field.
"Stop putting pressure on yourself; leave it all out there," Bertrams said during Monday's media availability . "I think I've done a good job of doing that this year, and playing free."
Punts can carry a negative connotation, signaling the team didn't do much to get a first down and extend the drive into scoring position. UCF struggled to extend drives last season, and Venneri averaged four punts per game, including a season-high seven in the Space Game loss to the Houston Cougars .
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Bertram trails slightly at 3.75 punts per game, with a season-high six in Week 2's loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers .
What often goes unnoticed is how often a punt falls into the opponent's 20-yard line. It's a testament to the punter's leg strength and puts the defense in a favorable field position.
Three of Bertrams' punts landed in Pittsburgh's 20-yard line, and two of those drives ended with UCF's defense forcing a punt.
The Knights forced a quick three-and-out in the first quarter and tricked the Panthers into a false start in the second quarter, leading to another punt.
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Drives like that show how Bertrams' role is also key to UCF's success throughout the season.
Pittsburgh scored a field goal on its second drive following Bertrams' second punt landing in the 20. Quarterback Mason Heintschel completed two 17-yard passes to wide receivers Bryce Yates and Malik Knights in an 18-play drive.
The senior's legs may work overtime over the next three weeks, as the Knights gear up for the toughest stretch of conference play. They will play three ranked teams: No. 20 Houston, No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 10 BYU.
More punts could create more opportunities for the defense to get early stops in favorable field position and alleviate pressure on the offense.
Bertrams is an underrated contributor, and his impact may not be flashy, but his leg strength is valuable for the Knights.
