‘Man, that 29 is a weapon’

University of Hawaii football player Scott Harding knows his roll.

With a rollout technique and friendly rolls, Harding has emerged as one of the nation’s best punting threats.

"He’s a weapon every time he punts," said Chris Demarest, who coordinates UH’s special teams.

Harding, who is averaging 41.9 yards per punt, is effective in keeping the football away from punt returners.

Of Harding’s 29 punts, five have been returned for a total of 18 yards. The longest return — 14 yards — ended in a lost fumble recovered by the Rainbow Warriors.

Fourteen of Harding’s punts were downed (usually after a favorable roll), eight were fair caught and two bounced out of bounds.

Harding’s net average is 40.9 yards, ranking third among FBS punters.

"After every game, a (special teams) coach comes up to me and says, ‘Man, that (jersey No.) 29 is a weapon,’ " Demarest said.

Harding said: "The main thing is no returns and a good average. We want to win the field position."

Harding had six punts against Colorado State last Saturday. One was a fair catch. Harding averaged 49.2 yards on the five others, with the ball bouncing an average of 20.4 yards before being downed.

Using a rugby-styled approach, Harding rolls out of the pocket before launching a punt. He said he tries to strike the top portion of the football, which creates an end-over-end spin that leads to forward bounces.

"It gives no chance to bounce back at all," Harding said of the technique.

Harding’s line-drive punts often break down sharply, simulating the flight pattern of a baseball split-finger fastball that descends just before home plate. Few punt returners are willing to field a football that wobbles toward the shoelaces.

"The good thing about the way I’m kicking at the moment, (the football) dips late," Harding said."(Returners) think they might get it, but because it drops late, they’re more hesitant to try and catch it.

Harding added: "After I kick it, all I look for is whether the (returner) catches it. If he lets it bounce, I know it’s going to roll. I go to the sideline to see what the yardage is."

Harding, who played professional Australian rules football for six years, volunteered to punt when Alex Dunnachie was suspended for the first three games of the 2012 season. Demarest accepted the request, then retreated to his office to diagram a rollout scheme to take advantage of Harding’s ambidextrous skills.

"I wanted to create another offensive formation on punts," Demarest said. "He allows me to do that."

After initially being tentative, Harding now knows how to hold off long enough to allow the punt coverage to race downfield.

"If I see someone slip through, I can quickly get the ball down," Harding said. "If I’m in trouble, I can pull it, make people miss, and settle down and kick it."

Harding, who also is a slotback and punt returner, said he only works on his punting during practices.

"It’s second nature to me," Harding said of kicking. "I grew up doing this."