Serna still Riley's pick as punter.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

CORVALLIS - Instead of analyzing scoring productivity that puts Alexis Serna among the best kickers in Pac-10 history, the media dissects the punting yardage average that doesn't even get the Oregon State senior listed in conference statistics this week.

Rather than consider a streak of successful Serna extra points that extends back to 2004, it's the woeful series of punts in recent games that put him in the spotlight.

What are the Beavers to do?

On Thursday, OSU coach Mike Riley said that he had decided to stick with Serna as his punter. That came after three days of competition from true freshman Kyle Harper that failed to convince the coach that he needed to relieve Serna for OSU's game Saturday at Reser Stadium against Arizona.

`I want to do what's the best thing to do for the team and for that individual,' Riley said earlier in the week, adding then that he didn't want punting to be too much of an additional load on Serna, who as a kicker is `an elite guy, who does what he does as well as anybody in the country.'

Riley's decision to leave Serna holding both assignments was what the senior kicker wanted. After all, he volunteered to punt, and hasn't asked out despite recent struggles.

`It's not a burden at all,' Serna insisted. `It's something for the team, so I don't look at it as a bad thing. I've just got to go out there and do what I know I can do.'

Serna is averaging 33.1 yards on his 27 punts this season, with the lowest-ranked punter who is listed in Pac-10 statistics at 35.4 yards. Since two blocked punts don't count against Serna's personal average, OSU's punting average is 30.8 yards.

In net punting, which deducts returns, the Beavers are averaging 27.7 yards. That ranks OSU 116th in the nation, out of 119 teams.

Is it any wonder Riley decided to throw the position open this week?

`He can do better,' Riley said of Serna. `It's like anything else, practicing is not going into the game and doing it.'

The fact is, Serna didn't practice punting until the summer, when it became apparent that Kyle Loomis might not return for his sophomore season after showing such promise in 2006. Based on this being a one-season event, maybe the numbers aren't so bad.

`If the coach is satisfied with what I'm doing, I'm satisfied,' Serna said. `Every person wants to go out there and do well, but knowing I'm just stepping in, I'm trying to do the best that I can for my team.'

In averaging 28.9 yards on five punts against UCLA, Serna had only one punt longer than 31 yards, and that was the 51-yard kick in the fourth quarter.

`You have to thank God for that one,' Serna said. `He gave me the opportunity to do that. It kind of felt like I got in a groove right there. ... I've got to take the positives. I had a bad day, but my last punt that I actually got off was the best one of the day.'

Note the wording `got off,' significant because his next attempt to punt was blocked. That's two blocked punts this season, when the Beavers often went a year without one.

`It's just mental errors that happen, and we can learn from it,' Serna said. `I can't do anything about the blocks, I just have to go out there and do my job. I can't see what's coming or what's going to happen.'

The other issue with Serna punting is what it's done to his kicking. Or has it?

`It hasn't had an impact,' Serna said. `I think I'm doing well on kicking.'

Serna has extended his streak of successful extra points to 119, 20 short of the league record. He hasn't missed an extra-point attempt since that first game of his college career at LSU. Maybe it's why he won't give up on the punting; a lesser kicker might never have been able to come back from that abysmal start at LSU, since it cost the Beavers what would have been a momentous victory.

In field goals this season, Serna has made three of his five attempts. That's fewer attempts than seven other kickers in the Pac-10, and his average of one attempt per game is well below the past two seasons, when he had 28 attempts in 11 games in 2005 and 29 attempts in 14 games last year.

After consecutive seasons of scoring in triple digits, Serna was within 98 points of catching John Lee as the Pac-10's all-time leading scorer. That now seems out of reach, with Serna's point total at 22 through five games, but he should reach the Pac-10's career top 10 for scoring.

The numbers are down for Serna because of OSU offensive struggles, in particular turnovers. And there was one field-goal attempt and three extra points given to backup kicker Justin Kahut in the rout of Idaho State.

Still, there is concern for Riley that punting has taken away from Serna's kicking.

`He's an elite player at what he does, and I'm concerned about that,' Riley said. `I want him to maintain that. I don't want him to have another burden' with punting.

Which it isn't, Serna has said repeatedly. `It's a matter of being focused on every single kick, and every single punt,' he said.

As for practicing too much or not enough being an issue, Serna disputes that, too.

`It's not a big deal,' he said of double duty. `I'm physically all right ... I feel as good as I can ever feel during a season. I'm not taking too many kicks, I'm not taking too few kicks. I've kind of gotten into a routine.

`I know when to stop, I know when I'm feeling tired. I know my limits so I'm not going to push myself to where I'm injured or messing with the team because I'm out with an injury.'

O S U f o o t b a l l

POINTS IN THE PAC-10

OSU senior Alexis Serna is moving up the list of top career scorers in conference history.

Player, school (years) Total

1. John Lee, UCLA (1982-85) 390

*4. Ken Simonton, OSU (1998-2001) 366

10. Ryan Killeen, USC (2002-04) 330

tie, Skip Hicks, UCLA (1993-97) 330

12. Charles White, USC (1976-79) 320

13. Quin Rodriguez, USC (1987-90) 317

14. Jared Siegel, Oregon (2001-04) 315

15. Anthony Davis, USC (1972-74) 314

tie, Alexis Serna, OSU (2004-07) 314

* denotes OSU record

ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE

1 p.m. Saturday, Reser Stadium. TV: None. Radio: KKNX-AM (840). More OSU football coverage at www.registerguard.com/blogs

POINTS IN THE PAC-10

OSU senior Alexis Serna is moving up the list of top career scorers in conference history.

Player, school (years) Total

1. John Lee, UCLA (1982-85) ... 390

*4. Ken Simonton, OSU (1998-2001) ... 366

10. Ryan Killeen, USC (2002-04) ... 330

tie, Skip Hicks, UCLA (1993-97) ... 330

12. Charles White, USC (1976-79) ... 320

13. Quin Rodriguez, USC (1987-90) ... 317

14. Jared Siegel, Oregon (2001-04) ... 315

15. Anthony Davis, USC (1972-74) ... 314

tie, Alexis Serna, OSU (2004-07) ... 314

* denotes OSU record