Jalen McCleskey’s second muffed punt of the season on Saturday led to a mid-game change at the punt returner position. After the game, head coach Mike Gundy addressed the move and attributed the mishandled punt to windy conditions, but made clear his high expectations of the position no matter the weather.
“It was a little bit of an issue,” Gundy said of the wind. “The one punt that McCleskey bobbled, ball was coming straight down — but he’s got to make that play. We have to be secure in at least possessing the ball.”
With McCleskey’s backup Dillon Stoner out with a hamstring injury, it was true freshman Tylan Wallace who saw his first action fielding punts.