Chris Gulla didn’t know that he was starting until Friday.
Which in most cases is a fairly alarming thing to learn just some 24-hours prior to playing the game.
But for Gulla he has been biding his time, practicing like he was the starter so when the time finally came he would be ready.
“It’s just an example of a guy who kept preparing and waiting for his number to be called and did a great job,” James Franklin said after the game.
““We talk to our guys all the time about preparing to be the starter and he did that,” he said. “He’s out there Friday morning on his own punting on the field. He’s just a guy waiting for his number to be called, really proud of him.”
In a normal circumstance there would have been the pressure to perform well but little else. Except on Saturday night the stakes were just a bit higher, beyond want to kick the ball well, Gulla was going to be punting to one of the nation’s best return men. No pressure, but in 24-hours you’ve gone from a backup to one of the keys to the game.
That didn’t seem to phase Gulla though, his first punt downed just feet from the endzone, all five of his punts landing inside the 20, a long of 52 yards and an average of 41. If he was nervous he sure didn’t show it. And in return, Janarion Grant had a night of just -1 punt return yards.
Just about perfect.
“I really felt confident in my preparation,” Gulla said. “I changed my mental aspect, treated every day like game day for the past month and a half, and I think just changing that practice really helped me succeed on the field.”
The question now will be if Gulla can come close to replicating his Saturday night performance. Penn State’s punting issues have never been so much about having the abilities as much as it has been an issue of consistency.
If that happens, Penn State might have a weapon on their hands.
“Of all the coaches I personally ever met, Coach Franklin is the most involved in the special teams,” Gulla said. “Even before practice, he’s doing extra things…That’s had a huge impact on all of us.”
