Tyler Gaus

Tyler Gaus

Player Profile

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
San Diego, California
High School:
Valhalla HS
Height / Weight:
6-1 / 211
Position:
Punter
Birthdate:
10/12/1983
Experience:
3L
Pronunciation:
Rhymes with Toss

NEW MEXICO:

Fourth-year starter who has developed into one of the most underrated punters in the Mountain West...ranked 12th in the nation at his position by The Sporting News and was a watch list selection for the Ray Guy Award entering the 2005 season...has mastered the lost art of the "coffin corner" kick, dropping punts inside the 20-yard line 81 times in his career with just 21 rolling into the end zone...has landed an incredible 19 punts on or inside the 10-yard line over the past two years...does an excellent job of directional kicking and using hang-time, allowing his coverage team to get down the field to limit return yardage...40.2-yard average on 262 career punts (47 games)...punt attempts are the most in UNM history and No. 1 among NCAA active players...was placed on scholarship before the 2003 season after beginning his career as a walk-on...earned third team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News as a true freshman in 2002...two-time Academic All-MWC honoree.

2005 (SENIOR):
Turning in yet another solid season, averaging 40.1 yards on 38 punts (T4th MWC), including a career-long of 74...also had a 67-yard boot at UTEP...has landed 10 balls inside the 20-yard line, including 5 inside the 5, and forced 9 fair catches...excluding 2 blocks, opponents have returned just 8 of his punts this year (21%), among the fewest in the MWC...at Wyoming...For the second straight week punted 4 times for an average of 43.8 yards...started slow, but blasted a career-long 74-yard punt in the air to get the Lobos out of a hole on their own 26-yard line...Wyoming's ensuing drive ended in an INT which set up the Lobos' go-ahead FG...vs. BYU...Punted 4 times for an average of 43.8 yards...had a long of 53...broke Ron Keller's UNM career-punts record with a 39-yard kick to the BYU 10-yard line in the 3rd quarter...at UTEP...Turned in one of the best games of his career in front of a hostile road crowd...averaged 52.2 yards on his 4 punts and launched a career-long 67-yarder in the fourth quarter that just trickled into the end zone...dropped two punts inside the 20...the first went 54 yards before landing at the UTEP 2 and the second was a 41-yarder that was downed at the 4...the Miners were forced to punt right back to the Lobos on each of their ensuing drives...only low point of the night came when he had his third quarter punt blocked into the end zone for a UTEP TD...vs. UNLV...Fine performance in the season-opener vs. UNLV...averaged 42.3 yards on his 6 kicks, dropping two at the UNLV 4-yard line...also forced two fair catches.

2004 (JUNIOR):
Averaged 40.3 yards on 74 punts, including a career-long of 62 yards...downed 25 kicks inside the 20-yard line, including 13 on or inside the 10, with just 3 attempts rolling into the end zone for touchbacks...continued to do a fine job kicking within his coverage as opponents averaged just 8.0 yards per return (excluding 27 yards in 2 blocked punt returns vs. WSU and UNLV), and called for 14 fair catches...vs. Wyoming...Excellent performance in a defensive, field position game...punted 7 times for a 41.7-yard average and landed 3 balls inside the 15, including two inside the 10...second punt died at the 7, allowing UNM to notch a safety 3 plays later...helped seal the Lobo victory in the 4th quarter with a perfect "coffin corner" punt, angling a 46-yard punt out of bounds at the UW 1 yard line...at BYU...Punted 6 times for a solid average of 42.7 yards, including a long of 54 on his first attempt...came up big once again with the game on the line in the 4th quarter...dropped a 43-yard punt on the BYU 3-yard line, forcing the Cougars to march 97 yards with 2:23 remaining for a potential game-tying TD...BYU got as far as its own 45 before fumbling...at UNLV...Averaged 41.6 yards on 8 punts and matched a career-high by sending 4 inside the 20-yard line, including 3 inside the 10, en route to earning MWC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career...booted a 53-yard punt to the UNLV 6-yard line late in the 4th quarter, forcing the Rebels to go 94 yards for a potential game-winning TD...UNLV's last drive ended 12 plays later with a fumble at the UNM 41...at New Mexico State...Averaged 46 yards on his only 3 punts, all of which landed inside the 20...helped turn the tide of the game with his first punt of the night, a career-long 62-yarder into the wind that landed on the NMSU 10-yard line...the Aggies punted the ball back 4 plays later and UNM scored on its ensuing possession...stuck his next kick at the 3-yard line and dropped the final ball on the 10...vs. Texas Tech...Quietly had the best game of his career...shattered his previous best by averaging 53.8 yards on 5 punts...landed two inside the 20, including one that rolled and died on the Texas Tech 2-yard line with 5:35 left in the game...Tech was eventually forced to punt, setting the stage for the Lobos' game-winning drive...hang time on his first punt (53 yards) allowed Marcus Smith to quickly pounce on a muffed catch by the Red Raiders' return man.

2003 (SOPHOMORE):
Was a bit inconsistent in his second season, but showed flashes of brilliance as well...had 71 punts, averaging 39.4 yards per kick, with 22 landing inside the 20, and a long of 60 yards...did a nice job of kicking with his coverage as UNM opponents called for 9 fair catches and had just one long return all year (a 75-yard runback by UNLV's Tremaine Kirkland)...opponents averaged just 5.1 yards on the other 30 returns...Wyoming...Solid effort in blizzard-like conditions...pinned the potent Cowboy offense inside its own 20 on all 3 punts...dropped a 32-yard kick on the Wyoming 6-yard line to open the 4th quarter...the Lobo defense notched a safety two plays later...Colorado State...Enjoyed his best statistical game of the year, averaging 45.2 yards on 4 punts, including 1 inside the 20...helped his coverage team limit MWC punt return leader Dexter Wynn to just 16 yards on 3 returns, including a muffed attempt to set up a UNM TD...Utah...Turned in one of his best performances as a Lobo, averaging 45 yards on 4 punts...averaged 47.7 yards on his last 3 kicks of the day...dropped the ball inside the 5-yard line twice, including a career-high-tying 60-yard boot which died on the 4-yard line...Utah State...Four punts for an average of 41.2 yards...made what Rocky Long later called one of the best plays of the night when he uncorked a kick of 57 yards from deep in his own endzone to keep the Aggies out of scoring range late in the 3rd quarter...UNM went on to score on its next posession to put the game away...New Mexico State...Averaged 41.0 yards on 8 punts, including a long of 57 yards...placed two kicks inside the 20...allowed the Aggies just two returns for one yard...the hang time on his 45-yard kick in late in the 3rd quarter allowed deep snapper Martin Lovato to get down field and make a big hit to force the Aggie returner to fumble...UNM scored 3 plays later to take a 24-14 lead...Washington State...Rebounded from a slow start to average 42.5 yards on 8 punts, including 3 inside the 20...averaged 46.2 yards on his 6 punts after the first quarter with a season-long of 57 yards...prevented a sure Cougar TD in the 2nd quarter when he gathered a low, bouncing snap, shedded a pair of tacklers, and squeezed off an 8-yard kick...the Lobo D then held WSU to a field goal on the ensuing posession...helped the UNM punt coverage team hold speedy returner Sammy Moore to just 13 yards on 4 returns (3.3 avg.)

2002 (TRUE FRESHMAN):
Won the punting duties after trying out in fall camp...40.5-yard average on 79 punts on the season, including a long of 60 yards...helped the weekly field position battle with 24 punts inside the 20-yard line...also did a fine job kicking within his coverage as opponents averaged just 6.4 yards per punt return during the regular season...New Mexico's 37.0 net punting average during the regular season was 2nd in the MWC and 17th in the country...Wyoming...Only forced to punt twice (season-low), both in the first half...made the most of his chances though, finishing with a season-high 49-yard average on both kicks...sent first punt inside the UW 10-yard line and kicked the next one 56 yards...Colorado State...Had his first punt blocked, resulting in a safety for CSU...rebounded nicely though, finishing with a 45.8-yard average on 6 punts, including one which was downed on the CSU 4-yard line early in the fourth quarter...helped the Lobo defense keep the Rams in their own end of the field for much of the second half...BYU...Solid game, averaging 43 yards on 8 punts...helped the Lobo defense tremendously by pinning BYU inside their 20-yard line a season-high 4 times...Utah...Excellent performance with an average of 44 yards on 8 punts...put one kick inside the 20 and boomed a season-long kick of 60 yards...UNLV...9 punts for an average of 38.7...pinned the Rebels on their own 1 yard line with a 34-yard punt with 2:33 left in the game...UNM would put the game out of reach with a safety 3 plays later...N.C. State...Solid effort in his collegiate debut, averaging 42.3 yards on 6 punts against one of the nation's best punt blocking units...knocked three kicks inside the 20, and 2 inside the 11

HIGH SCHOOL:

A 2002 graduate of Valhalla HS in El Cajon, Calif., a suburb of San Diego...first team all-league punter and honorable mention at tight end...lettered in soccer as well...honor roll student

PERSONAL:

Born Oct. 12, 1983, in La Mesa, Calif....age is 21...full name is Richard Tyler Gaus...son of Mark Gaus and Marta Davis...has three sisters: Kristy (15), Amanda (7) and Cali (5)...enjoys fishing...majoring in General Management.

CAREER HIGHS:

Punts: 14, vs. Utah (10/1/04).
Average: 53.8 (5 att.), vs. Texas Tech (9/11/04).
Long: 67 yards, at UTEP (9/24/05).
Inside 20: 4, at BYU (11/16/02)/at UNLV (10/16/04).

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