Kicking duel Dalfrey

• By SCOTT RABALAIS AND JASON RUSSELL
• Advocate sportswriters
• Published: Aug 9, 2008 - Page: 8C - UPDATED: 12:05am

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It was generally expected going into last season that punter Patrick Fisher would have trouble following in the cleat steps of his predecessor, Chris Jackson.

All Fisher did was go out and average 44.5 yards per punt in 2007 to garner All-SEC honors.

Now the pressure of trying to replace the surprisingly proficient Fisher has fallen on the shoulder pads — and strong legs — of junior Brady Dalfrey and sophomore Josh Jasper.

“There’s always pressure to follow somebody,” Dalfrey said Friday at LSU’s local media day.

“Anybody coming up has pressure to follow Patty. It’s going to be a challenge to do as well as he did.”

Considering how keen the competition is, Jasper is hedging his bets for playing time.

He’s also in the mix for kickoff duties with Drew Alleman, Andrew Crutchfield and returning All-SEC place-kicker Colt David.

“Brady’s got a good strong leg and is a very good punter,” Jasper said. “But anything could happen.”

LSU coach Les Miles seemed to establish Dalfrey as the favorite at punter.

“Brady’s got the liveliest leg,” Miles said. “He knocks the tar out of it. Josh Jasper is a guy who can come in and compete as well.”

The Tigers still have the same punt protection scheme as last year, though.

In LSU football parlance, the formation with three upbacks between punter and deep snapper is called the shield formation.

Tigers fans call it “punt ugly,” a name that Jasper takes some offense to.