Luke Pawlak was one of the University of Toledo’s top returning players this season.
A reliable placekicker can act as a safety valve on a roster with a new starting quarterback, running back, and all five offensive linemen.
But the senior from Northview suffered a leg injury early in preseason camp, creating tension and urgency for special teams coordinator Stanton Weber.
The Rockets have a next-man-up mentality, but who was the next man?
“You’re assessing the entire room, and you’re sort of waiting for this young freshman to maybe stumble a little,” Weber said. “But he came in with a very aggressive mentality of believing in himself and competing, and he never [stumbled].”
The freshman is Dylan Cunanan, a walk-on from Phoenix. He introduced himself to teammates during a fully-padded Saturday scrimmage by drilling a 51-yard field goal.
“Coach Candle wasn’t necessarily familiar with the rest of the room quite yet because there were just a bunch of young guys who were competing,” Weber said. “And he asked, ‘Hey, can this kid hit it?’ I said, ‘Let’s give him a shot.’ And in front of the whole team, he just blasted it through. It was good from much more [than 51 yards]. The Maxen Hooks of the world looked at this kid like, ‘OK, you can play.’ From then on, the team has had a trust in him that’s been cool.”
It grew immensely during Saturday’s 30-20 win over Miami, as Cunanan put together a historic performance, becoming the first UT kicker to make two 47-plus-yard field goals in the same game.
Cunanan was 3 for 3, connecting from 48, 47, and 21 yards, solidifying Toledo’s kicking game, an often overlooked element.
“Those are two long field goals,” Candle said. “He’s a freshman. He’s had some moments where he’s been really good, and there are others that he hasn’t been good. Improvement and the consistent want to be good, I think that’s all we’re really looking for. I don’t have a play on fourth-and-11 from the whatever-yard line. So kick the 47-yard field goal, and he makes it.
“That’s part of the game. You’ve got to be able to supplement your offense, and he’s done a good job. We didn’t go into the year wishing that Luke got hurt. My gosh, it’s a tough break for Luke. Luke’s an all-conference player. Some good player goes down, somebody’s got to step up. And this kid has been a bright spot since we lost Luke.”
Reaching this point wasn’t inevitable or even likely. In the season opener, Cunanan missed the first field goal attempt of his career, but it was a forgivable 51 yards. The second miss, however, caused some consternation — 35 yards.
In 2023, Pawlak only missed three field goals the entire season, and he was perfect from 35 yards. Athlon and Phil Steele had Pawlak on their second-team preseason All-MAC list.
Suddenly, it appeared as if the Rockets had a significant hole in their ability to score points.
“You know they’re knocking on the door, because they’re good enough and they’ve done it in practice,” Weber said. “But there is a challenge to prove to yourself that you can go do it when the bullets are flying. And that’s with any position.”
Cunanan hasn’t missed since Week 1, which includes a 41-yarder at Mississippi State. He was already named MAC West special teams player of the week once, an honor that he should win again this week.
The 5-foot-9, 168-pound four-year soccer player was a first-team all-region punter and second-team all-region kicker at Sunnyslope High School, where he set the school record with a 52-yard field goal. His brother, Kyle, is the kicker at Charlotte.
“In practice, if he would have a bad day — which happened every once in a while — he’d stay late,” Sunnyslope coach Sam Jacobs said. “He was focused and he’d keep going until he felt comfortable with where he was at and would fight back from any little mistakes. He had that real bulldog determination of, ‘I’m not leaving today until I’ve got this thing fixed.’”
Chris Sailer Kicking, the leading producer of college kickers, rated Cunanan as a 4.5-star (out of six) recruit, describing him as an “excellent high school kicking prospect.”
“He is a great-looking athlete with a live leg,” Cunanan’s Chris Sailer Kicking bio says. “He gets the ball up well and has 50+ yard range. …He is a competitor who does well under pressure. Dylan has a bright future with continued hard work.”
The future is now.
First Published October 6, 2024, 9:40 p.m.
