COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- After earning honorable mention three
consecutive weeks, Tennessee Tech punter Chad Zinchini was named
this week as the Football Championship Subdivision National Punter
of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA).
Zinchini, a senior from Hendersonville, Tenn., who leads the
nation in punting average, kicked four times last Thursday in
Tech's game against UT Martin and averaged 50.2 yards per kick.
Three of his four punts were downed inside the Skyhawks' 20-yard
line including a 61-yard bomb that the Golden Eagles downed inside
the UTM one-yard line.
Not only does Zinchini have the top average in FCS, his mark is the
best in the nation including the Football Bowl Subdivision,
Division II and Division III. The FBS leader is Zac Murphy of Miami
(Ohio) at 47.7 yards per kick.
Through the first seven games this season, Zinchini has punted 41
times and avergaged 48.2 yards per kick. He has downed 13 kicks
inside the 20-yard line, and has crushed 17 kicks of 50-yards more,
including a career-long 70-yard kick at the University of
Wisconsin.
Zinchini and the Golden Eagles will be in Richmond, Ky., Saturday
for a 2 p.m. CDT Ohio Valley Conference contest at Eastern Kentucky
University.