In the Michigan - Maryland game on November 18, 2023, Michigan blocked a Maryland punt. The ball bounced into the Maryland endzone before the Maryland punter kicked it out of play. The result was two points for Michigan. Does this mean it was counted as a safety? Why did the Maryland punter kick it out of the endzone, and what would've been the scoring outcome if he hadn't? More generally, what are the scoring possibilities when a punt is blocked?
1 Answer
Does this mean it was counted as a safety?
Yes - or more accurately, it's not that it "was counted as a safety", it was a safety. You can see this in (e.g.) the CBS box score for the game:
1st Quarter
[...]
[Michigan] Safety 0:32
MAR punts 0 yards to MAR 18 Center-E.Gough. C.Boivin blocked the kick. Out of bounds. SAFETY.
Coming back to your questions:
Why did the Maryland punter kick it out of the endzone, and what would've been the scoring outcome if he hadn't?
If Michigan had recovered the ball in the endzone, it would have been a touchdown. If the ball had passed out bounds through the endzone without being recovered, it would still have been a safety.
More generally, what are the scoring possibilities when a punt is blocked?
The two most common possibilities by far are the receiving team scoring either a touchdown or a safety. A touchdown for the punting team is possible, but requires the receiving team to first recover the ball then fumble it; in some incredibly unlikely scenarios involving fumbles by both sides, the punting team could I think in theory score a safety.
answered Nov 19 at 8:17
