Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | PUNT | YDS | AVG | LONG | IN20 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-20vs Oregon State | 3 | 127 | 42.3 | 50 | 2 | |
| Wk 3 | L 26-28@ Texas Tech | 4 | 180 | 45.0 | 57 | 2 | |
| Total | 7 | 307 | 43.6 | 57 | 4 |
#91
Liam Dougherty
Junior punter for Houston. From Geelong, VIC — one of 83 Australians punting in FBS this season.
6′2″ · 205 lb · Geelong, VIC · St. Joseph's College
The numbers
43.9
yards per punt · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 punts, 45 avg, at Texas Tech
Inside the 20 · 57%
0%field median 33%60%
4 of his 7 punts died inside the 20. The field median is about one in three, among 134 FBS punters with 5+ punts this season.
The story
Junior punter for Houston. From Geelong, VIC — one of 83 Australians punting in FBS this season.
- Signed with Houston in 2024.
Liam Dougherty
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane. Liam Dougherty has played for two head coaches in three seasons at Houston. His first career honor landed in 2024: Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
202412 games
- Signed with Houstonout of ProKick Australia
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Houston
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Houston
Coaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Game log
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +4 punts, +2 punts inside the 20.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Houston4-8HC: Dana Holgorsen · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2025Houston10-3HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
2026Houston2-1HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
How he plays
Play style
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
Houston carries two punters; Dougherty has taken all seven punts.
The battery
Houston’s specialists
- #47Anthony SaragusaLong snapper · Jr.
- #64Jack Carson WentzLong snapper · Sr.
- #64Jack Carson-WentzLong snapper · Sr.
- #69Weston EdwardsLong snapper · Jr.
- #91Liam DoughertyPunter · Jr.7 punts · 43.9 avg · 4 inside the 20
- #62Jack RaneyPunter · Sr.
- #49Jonathan DimasKicker · Jr.4 of 4 on field goals
- #94Evan NoelKicker · So.
- #96Zac YoakamKicker · Sr.
Where he came from
From Geelong, VIC — one of 83 Australians punting in FBS this season.
DNA match
Player DNA
Steady
Handles the punting job without giving the return man a lane.
P
His 2025 production profile sits closest to George Caratan’s 2023 season.
Matches George on
In-20 rate
Class year
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Nathan Totten's sophomore season at Marshall (2025).
80%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Nathan on
Class year
In-20 rate
Yards / punt
Player DNA
Players who play like Liam Dougherty
Background
As a Sophomore (2025) Appeared in all 13 games 74.2 punt grade ranked fifth in the Big 12 18 punts inside the 20-yard line ranked sixth in the Big 12 4.07 seconds hangtime ranked eighth in the Big 12 44.1 yards per punt ranked sixth in the Big 12 50+ yard punt in 10 of 13 games Season-high four…
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology