Provo » A punter's life can be compared to that of an umpire. When you don't notice them, they've done a good job.

BYU's freshman punter, Riley Stephenson, laughed and agreed. He digs BYU out of bad field position and aids the defense by sticking opponents in a hole.

"A lot of it is consistency," Stephenson said. "The punt team has been pretty consistent."

Two items, important for any punter and the coverage team, stand out. BYU hasn't had a punt blocked, while 13 of the 24 kicks have been either fair caught or downed inside the 20-yard line.

"They've been more than solid," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "They've been exceptional. They've been one of the solid parts of our team."

Mendenhall praises Stephenson's temperament as well as his 42.4 punt average.

"You wonder if he has a pulse," Mendenhall said. "He'd be a great card player."

Thanks to BYU's offense, Stephenson and his special team crew hasn't had to punt much this season, 24 times in all compared 45 by Cougar opponents. BYU punted once during its 52-0 win at Wyoming on Saturday.

Despite the lack of work, Stephenson must keep his potent leg stretched. Come third down, he's frequently seen kicking into a net. It's a routine that will continue when BYU travels to New Mexico this week.

"I need to keep my foot warm," he said.

Often, Stephenson's punts are high, rainbow efforts. His foot, after the follow through, is typically higher than his head. Before games, one after another, punts soar majestically, seemingly able to fly as high as the stadium roof.

"He gets good extension," special team coach Patrick Higgins said. "He strikes the ball very well.

"He's an important ingredient, but once the ball goes in the air it is out of his hands."

That's when coverage takes over.

"He's one, if the not the best, punter in the country," said Matt Marshall, a member of the coverage unit. "He kicks it so high, we surround the [returner] and he has nowhere to go."

One game highlight's BYU's exceptional work on special teams. TCU's Jeremy Kerley, arguably the Mountain West Conference's best returner, was held to zero yards on six punts at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

It was one of the few highlight's in an otherwise forgettable loss. Yet, there was nothing new in that performance. BYU has the best punt team statistically in the MWC.

Stephenson's individual success is also not new. As a senior at Pineview High in St. George, he was the No. 2 ranked punter nationally with a 42.1 average.

"All the credit goes to my dad [Curtis]," Stephenson said. "He probably spent more time with me than my mom. Where I'm at is because of him."

Stephenson isn't satisfied, however.

"There's always room for improvement," he said. "I haven't reached a peak in my kicking."

As long as Stephenson keeps performing like he has, will anyone but the coaches notice?

martyr@sltrib.com