With one game remaining in the regular season of the the NCAA’s Atlantic Coast Football Conferene Dylan Joyce’s University of Miami Hurricanes are unbeaten.
The team plays at the same venue as NFL team Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and has won nine straight games since the season started on September 1.
Ironically, only last month an actual hurricane (Milton) tore through the state of Florida with winds of almost 200km/h.
Miami Hurricanes are ranked fourth in the NCAA, behind Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes — firmly on track to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
Included in the 9-0 run was the Howard Schnellenberger trophy, named after the legendary coach who spent 15 years as head coach of the two schools between 1979-1994 — including the 1983 national championship at University of Miami.
Joyce has punted on 17 occasions this season, for 753 yards, on the back of his 43 punt-1882 freshman season for the college.
The former Kyabram, Tongala and Moama footballer punted on four occasions (for 178 yards) in the team’s latest win against Duke University — a 53-31 result where he had a longest punt of 50 yards.
It is only the second time he has punted for more than 100 yards this season for the unbeaten college team, which has rarely had to call on his services due to its dominant season.
Joyce and his team face Wake Forest, which has a 4-4 record, in the final game on November 23.
· Mackenzie Ryan’s University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) Warhawks have now lost their last two games, after winning five of their first six.
The results have meant Ryan has had a prominent role, having punted on 40 occasions in the eight games of his first US College football season.
He has punted for 1580 yards, with a longest of 59 yards.
In the Sun Belt Conference’s west division ULM is now fourth with a 5-3 record, while another Kyabram punter’s college sits on top.
Nathan Torney and the University of Louisiana Lafayette’s Ragin Cajuns are on top with a 7-1 record.
Like Joyce, the success of the Ragin Cajuns has meant Torney has punted on just 15 occasions (for 573 yards, with a longest of 50 yards) this season.