The Missouri Tigers are coming off their bye week and preparing for a rivalry matchup against Arkansas on Saturday. There is plenty to reflect on from the Tigers’ first half of the season. For the special teams unit, punter Brunno Reus knows what he needs to do to prepare for the upcoming SEC matchup.

When reflecting on his performance this season, Reus told reporters Tuesday that he has been pleased with his production, particularly the strong start he got off to. However, the punter has identified areas for improvement as the season has progressed.

“I think I started very strong for my first year. The first three games, I started really strong,” Reus said. “I feel like I had a one-back punt against A&M, and by the end of the game, I feel like I faced what was going wrong with my drop.”

Mechanics have been a major focus for Reus during Missouri’s bye week as the Tigers look to maintain consistency on special teams. One area he identified for improvement is his drop, which has become less reliable and caused the ball’s nose to point upward. As a result, Reus has occasionally struck the ball with the side of his foot.

“A lot of the things I focused on was my drop on my punt,” Reus said. “I feel like it was inconsistent throughout after the three weeks. My nose was coming up, and I tend to hit out of the side of my foot.”

Beyond that, Reus explained that shorter punts have presented some of his biggest challenges, particularly when trying to pin opponents deep in their own territory. Several factors come into play when attempting to execute those punts consistently.

“Whenever the shorter punts are the most difficult ones for me, in my opinion,” Reus said. “Whenever it starts getting to my own 40, I tend to just hit it end over end. But sometimes, the wind is different up there than it is at eye level.”

Beyond the physical mechanics of punting, Reus emphasized the importance of communication between him and kicker Blake Craig. The two regularly share what they have learned throughout the season to help each other improve.

“Yeah, we definitely talk about techniques,” Reus said. “We don't really talk about the crowd because we try not to focus on the crowd. He takes some of the things I learn about kicking, and then I take some of the things he learns about kicking, and we try to make each other better.”

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