HUNTINGTON - With quiet determination, Kase Whitehead has punted, punted, punted his way through Marshall's preseason camp.

He has been called a "meathead," which in a football setting is a little different from how Archie Bunker referred to his son-in-law in a sitcom of another era. Coming from a strength coach, that is a term of endearment, a sign that the player knows his way to the weight room and puts in more than an honest day's work.

And remember, this is a punter, not a defensive tackle. Whitehead's work ethic has drawn the envy of many teammates, not to mention his fellow specialists.

"I'll be in the cold tub 15 minutes, in the shower another five minutes and then get more ice," said place-kicker Tyler Warner. "That's probably a half-hour total, and he's still out there kicking. My leg's about ready to fall off, and I can't believe he's still out there doing what he's doing."

Whitehead, the 5-foot-10, 181-pound sophomore from Maryville, Tenn., has been a man on a mission since last season. He was pretty pleased with his ability to put punts in the right spots - he landed 24 inside the opponents' 20-yard line, 27 ended in a fair catch, and only 12 of 63 were returned, for just 5.2 yards a pop at that.

But there are times where good old raw power and distance are needed, and Whitehead wants to improve on his 38.7-yard average.

"My goal is 46.7, what I had my senior year [in high school]," Whitehead said. "I'm looking to beat that."

That's an 8-yard hike, regardless of how many times Whitehead is called on to deliver a 30-yard pooch punt to pin foes in the "coffin corner." He has not only hit coach Mike Cochran's training program with a vengeance, but he re-examined his stroke.

So far, the results seem to be positive. He will get a better chance to show his stuff today, as the Herd conducts a special-teams scrimmage in the second of two practices today.

Whitehead also has assumed the first-string holding duties on place-kicks, with the departure of longtime holder Emmanuel Spann. It isn't a new role by any means - Spann was a wide receiver, so when special-teams portions of practice ended, Spann had other work and Whitehead took a lot of snaps.

Thus, he and Sean McClellan, the fifth-year long snapper, have had plenty of time for bonding, special-teams style. Suffice it to say, nobody really expects a snap to hit the ground this fall.

"In a way, that's really awesome. In another way, it's my last year with him," Whitehead said. "He's grown to be one of my best friends and we're from the same area, Tennessee, Knoxville. He really helps me out, on the field, off the field, in the weight room, he pushes me."

After eight-plus years of long snapping in high school and college, McClellan has an idea of a good kick - not just by trajectory, but by sound as well. He sees Whitehead's efforts paying off.

"I think he's finally matured, physically and mentally," McClellan said.

McClellan and Whitehead also work closely with place-kickers Craig Ratanamorn and Warner, both of whom experienced the jagged peaks and treacherous valleys of the business last fall. The two combined to go 10-of-16 in field goals and 30-of-31 in extra points, but some of the misses were daggers in the Thundering Herd's side, especially in losses to Alabama-Birmingham and East Carolina, for example.

HUNTINGTON - With quiet determination, Kase Whitehead has punted, punted, punted his way through Marshall's preseason camp.

He has been called a "meathead," which in a football setting is a little different from how Archie Bunker referred to his son-in-law in a sitcom of another era. Coming from a strength coach, that is a term of endearment, a sign that the player knows his way to the weight room and puts in more than an honest day's work.

And remember, this is a punter, not a defensive tackle. Whitehead's work ethic has drawn the envy of many teammates, not to mention his fellow specialists.

"I'll be in the cold tub 15 minutes, in the shower another five minutes and then get more ice," said place-kicker Tyler Warner. "That's probably a half-hour total, and he's still out there kicking. My leg's about ready to fall off, and I can't believe he's still out there doing what he's doing."

Whitehead, the 5-foot-10, 181-pound sophomore from Maryville, Tenn., has been a man on a mission since last season. He was pretty pleased with his ability to put punts in the right spots - he landed 24 inside the opponents' 20-yard line, 27 ended in a fair catch, and only 12 of 63 were returned, for just 5.2 yards a pop at that.

But there are times where good old raw power and distance are needed, and Whitehead wants to improve on his 38.7-yard average.

"My goal is 46.7, what I had my senior year [in high school]," Whitehead said. "I'm looking to beat that."

That's an 8-yard hike, regardless of how many times Whitehead is called on to deliver a 30-yard pooch punt to pin foes in the "coffin corner." He has not only hit coach Mike Cochran's training program with a vengeance, but he re-examined his stroke.

So far, the results seem to be positive. He will get a better chance to show his stuff today, as the Herd conducts a special-teams scrimmage in the second of two practices today.

Whitehead also has assumed the first-string holding duties on place-kicks, with the departure of longtime holder Emmanuel Spann. It isn't a new role by any means - Spann was a wide receiver, so when special-teams portions of practice ended, Spann had other work and Whitehead took a lot of snaps.

Thus, he and Sean McClellan, the fifth-year long snapper, have had plenty of time for bonding, special-teams style. Suffice it to say, nobody really expects a snap to hit the ground this fall.

"In a way, that's really awesome. In another way, it's my last year with him," Whitehead said. "He's grown to be one of my best friends and we're from the same area, Tennessee, Knoxville. He really helps me out, on the field, off the field, in the weight room, he pushes me."

After eight-plus years of long snapping in high school and college, McClellan has an idea of a good kick - not just by trajectory, but by sound as well. He sees Whitehead's efforts paying off.

"I think he's finally matured, physically and mentally," McClellan said.

McClellan and Whitehead also work closely with place-kickers Craig Ratanamorn and Warner, both of whom experienced the jagged peaks and treacherous valleys of the business last fall. The two combined to go 10-of-16 in field goals and 30-of-31 in extra points, but some of the misses were daggers in the Thundering Herd's side, especially in losses to Alabama-Birmingham and East Carolina, for example.

"They don't say much, but you can look at their face and tell that it's killing them," Whitehead said.

Ratanamorn and Warner seem to have been sharper in camp - especially Ratanamorn, who has regained the top spot after Warner took a slight advantage in spring. Most of Ratanamorn's misses last season were by slim margins, leaving him to correct his technique, which is more rigid than that of a goal kick in his previous life as a soccer goalie.

"Just straining myself a lot more; trying to stay straighter," Ratanamorn said. "Little things matter the most when it comes to the kicking game - things like my arm swing, if my head's down. I've just got to keep my form straight, and everything should be good."

Warner sees a difference, as he tries to keep his own kicks on the straight line, and as he pushes Ratanamorn for kickoff duty.

"He's seems to be caring a lot more about the team, as far as getting his consistency," Warner said. "He knows he has the leg to go to the next level; we all know he has the leg to go to the next level. He just needs to get his consistency down, and his technique, and he'll be just fine.

"We keep supporting each other throughout the season. Last year, we were competing all year, so there was a little bit of head games. But between both of us, whether I kick or whether he kicks, we'll support each other all the way."

Briefly

"He struggled at times. We're going to have to do more of that [working him with the first unit]," said coach Mark Snyder. "He was good and bad. One thing about Press - he knows how to run our offense; he can get us into the right plays and things. He's just got to have more poise and patience back there, when he's dropping back to pass."

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.