Elon, N.C. – Elon University junior punter Jeff Yurk was named the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week, as announced Monday morning by the conference.
 
Yurk took over the FCS national lead in punting average after recording nine punts for an average of 51.6 yards per punt at Hampton Saturday. He had five punts of at least 50 yards, including a 68-yarder, and landed five inside the 20. His season average of 48.9 yards per punt ranks first in all of FCS and second across all levels of FBS Football.
 
On Saturday, he began with a 57-yard first quarter punt that was downed at the 13-yard line. He followed that with a 68-yard boot in the second quarter that was returned from the three-yard line and kept inside the 20. He concluded the half with a 51-yarder that was downed at the six.
 
In the third quarter, Yurk had punts of 66 and 45 yards before a 57-yarder in the fourth quarter that was fair caught at the 2-yard line. He then had showed off his ability to directionally punt, posting a 36-yarder that bounced sideways and out of bounds at the 7-yard line. He finished the game with boots of 45 and 39 yards.
 
With his average of 48.9 yards per punt, Yurk is on pace to break the FCS single-season average (min. of 60 punts in a season) of 48.2 yards per punt, which was set by Northern Arizona's Mark Gould in 2002. Yurk's career average of 43.4 yards per punt is currently tied for No. 18 in FCS history as he continues to raise his average ever closer to the all-time career average of 45.1 yards set by Old Dominion's Jonathan Plisco from 2009-12.
 
Yurk and the Elon Football team will be back in action Saturday as the Phoenix hosts Campbell for Homecoming at 2:00 p.m.