Photo by: Charles Wainwright
Sunday Sidebar: Estime Excels in Return Game
10/2/2016 2:30:00 PM | Football
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Some players are born with skills that help them excel in areas where others do not. For senior receiver Brisly Estime, his speed and elusiveness have allowed him to become one of Syracuse University's all-time greatest punt returners.
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An All-ACC selection as a return specialist last season, Estime brought back three punts for 128 yards against Notre Dame yesterday. His average of 42.7 yards per return was the second-best, single-game mark in Syracuse history (min. 3 returns) behind only Greg Allen's 43 yards per return against Penn State in 1969. The 128 punt return yards rank fourth on the SU record list and were the most for an Orange return man since 1986.Â
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Late in the second quarter, Estime dodged tackle after tackle and brought a Tyler Newsome punt back 74 yards to the Irish 14-yard line, setting up the Orange's fourth touchdown. The runback equaled his career long previously established against Rhode Island in 2015. In the third quarter, Estime ran one back for 38 yards and another for 16 yards.Â
"I think Brisly is a good punt returner and that's the reason why he's still back there," Orange head coach Dino Babers said. "That's the reason why we gave him opportunities. This was a game that we felt we needed to have him back there if we were going to have a chance to win."
Estime is the FBS active career leader in punt return average (19.0) and he is second in that category in Syracuse history behind Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little (19.7). Estime's season mark of 21.9 yards per return is currently the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference and second-best in the country. This after a 2015 season in which he finished second nationally in punt return average (18.1), including a pair of runbacks for touchdowns.
"I think he's dynamic, and obviously he showed it again today," Babers said.
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For complete coverage of Syracuse and Syracuse football, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange & Syracuse Football), Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseFootball), Instagram (@Cusepics, @CuseFootball) and watch exclusive video content on Cuse TV.
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An All-ACC selection as a return specialist last season, Estime brought back three punts for 128 yards against Notre Dame yesterday. His average of 42.7 yards per return was the second-best, single-game mark in Syracuse history (min. 3 returns) behind only Greg Allen's 43 yards per return against Penn State in 1969. The 128 punt return yards rank fourth on the SU record list and were the most for an Orange return man since 1986.Â
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Late in the second quarter, Estime dodged tackle after tackle and brought a Tyler Newsome punt back 74 yards to the Irish 14-yard line, setting up the Orange's fourth touchdown. The runback equaled his career long previously established against Rhode Island in 2015. In the third quarter, Estime ran one back for 38 yards and another for 16 yards.Â
"I think Brisly is a good punt returner and that's the reason why he's still back there," Orange head coach Dino Babers said. "That's the reason why we gave him opportunities. This was a game that we felt we needed to have him back there if we were going to have a chance to win."
Estime is the FBS active career leader in punt return average (19.0) and he is second in that category in Syracuse history behind Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little (19.7). Estime's season mark of 21.9 yards per return is currently the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference and second-best in the country. This after a 2015 season in which he finished second nationally in punt return average (18.1), including a pair of runbacks for touchdowns.
"I think he's dynamic, and obviously he showed it again today," Babers said.
Â
For complete coverage of Syracuse and Syracuse football, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange & Syracuse Football), Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseFootball), Instagram (@Cusepics, @CuseFootball) and watch exclusive video content on Cuse TV.
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