2021
• Season average of 44.4 yards per punt ranked second in the MAC.
• Punted just one time in NIU’s last two games, unleashing a 57-yard boot in the MAC Championship Game (12-4).
• Utilized five times versus Western Michigan (11-23) and averaged 48.4 yards per punt with two inside the 20-yard line.
• Booted two punts for a 53-yard average at Buffalo (11-17).
• Averaged 46.5 yards per punt on two punts against Ball State (11-10).
• Tallied five punts, including a long of 48 yards, at Kent State (11-3).
• Added two punts for a 39.0-yard average at Central Michigan (10-23), dropping one inside the 20.
• Garnered MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week honors following NIU’s 22-21 win at Georgia Tech (9-4) in the 2021 season opener, placing two of his seven punts inside the 20-yard line.
• Tallied a game-high 52-yard punt, one of four punts over 50 yards against the Yellowjackets.
• Averaged a season-high 48.3 yards on seven punts at Michigan (9-18).
• Added four punts for a 44.5-yard average against Maine (9-25), including a season-long 65-yard punt.
• In addition to punting, served as the holder for all placekicks, including three game-winning field goals
• Academic All-MAC honoree.
2020
• Handled the punting duties for the fourth straight season.
• Finished second in the MAC with 31 punts.
• Finished seventh in the MAC with a 42.2-yard average.
• Tied for third in the MAC with seven punts inside the 20.
• Had four punts of over 50 yards.
• Booted a season-long 60-yard punt against Eastern Michigan (12-12).
• Academic All-MAC honoree.
2019
• NIU’s all-time leading punter with a 41.4-yard per punt career average.
• Averaged 40 yards or more per punt in 10 games, including a career-best 43.0 yards on 65 punts.
• Landed 19 punts inside the 20-yard line, including a season-high four against Western Michigan (11-26).
• Boomed a 57-yard punt at Nebraska (9-14), one of a career-high 16 punts of 50 yards or more on the year.
• Recorded five kickoffs for a 61.0-yard average, both career highs, all against Illinois State (8-31).
• Tallied eight punts, a season-high, versus Illinois State.
• Named third team All-MAC by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
• Earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 45 yards on seven punts at Central Michigan (11-2).
• Garnered MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week following a career-best 50.3-yard average against Western Michigan.
• Booted a season-long 63-yard punt against Western Michigan with five of seven punts traveling 50 yards or more.
• Recorded just three touchbacks on 65 punts with 16 fair catches.
• Academic All-MAC selection.
2018
• Averaged 40.4 yards per punt in 2018 and has a 40.8 mark for his career, second at NIU all-time.
• Broke his own school records with 86 punts for 3,473 yards.
• Named to the All-MAC team selected by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
• All-time, 60-of-166 punts have pinned opponents inside their 20, including 32-of-86 (37.2%) this year.
• Had six punts for a career-high 47.2 yard average at Iowa with a long of 53 and two inside the 20.
• Landed three of his four punts versus Buffalo inside the 20 to earn the game’s Special Teams MVP Award.
• Booted a season-long 62-yard punt at WMU.
• Totaled a 47-yard average on three punts in the Boca Raton Bowl game.
• MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week vs. BYU as his punts forced BYU to start at its 10, five and one-yard lines.
• Averaged 46.8 yards on nine kicks with three 50 yarders and six of 47 or more in Provo.
• Kicked a season-low three times vs. Toledo for a 43.3-yard average.
• Punted four times at Akron for a 39.8 yard average with a 57-yard punt.
• Five of seven punts vs. Ohio landed inside the 20.
• Punted six times for a 41.0-yard average at Ball State.
• Kicked eight times for a 46-yard average, with four inside the 20 and a 57-yard punt vs. Utah.
• Also served as NIU’s holder on placekicks.
2017
• Averaged 41.2 yards per punt on a school-record 83 punts in 2017.
• 28 of his 83 punts forced opponents to start inside their 20-yard line, 23 were fair caught and 12 went for 50 yards or more.
• Had punts downed at or inside the 10-yard line 17 times.
• Hit season-long boot of 70 yards in the last regular season game at Central Michigan (11-24).
• Named MAC West Specialist of the Week vs. San Diego State (9-30) after helping the Huskies control field position with four of eight punts inside the 20.
• Twice punted 10 times in a game - versus Eastern Michigan (10-26) and Central Michigan (11-24).
• Punted for a season-high 46.4-yard average on eight kicks at Nebraska (9-16).
• Recorded eight games with a punting average of 40 yards or more.
High School
• Excelled as a punter for the Lafayette Lancers averaging 39.23 yards during his senior season and recording an average of more than 50 yards in two games.
• First-team all-state, all-district, all-metro, all-state and all-state academic selection after his senior season. Kicked eight field goals, making his longest from 40 yards out.
• Recorded a personal best long punt of 67 yards.
• Earned Scholar Athlete Awards for his freshman, sophomore and junior years by keeping at least a 3.6 GPA.
• Member of the National Honor Society.
Personal
• Born May 24, 1999 in St. Louis, Mo.
• Son of Tara and Matt Ference Sr.
• Earned his marketing degree in May 2020 and his MBA in May 2021.
Ference's Single Game Career Highs
Punts: 10 (2x) CMU, 11-24-17
Yards: 439, CMU, 11-24-17
Best Average: 50.3, Western Michigan, 11-26-19
Long Punt: 70, CMU, 11-24-17
