Maryland's Barnard takes punting to an art form.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

MIAMI _ Brooks Barnard deals in real estate, plus or minus. He booms punts for a living, always trying to extend them for extra yardage to change the flow of a game. He hates the ones that bounce backward, costing precious ground.

``I view punting as an art form,'' Barnard said. ``Not everyone can do it, or do it well. I seek to make that one perfect punt that makes a difference to my team each time I touch the field. It's just the way I am.''

The University of Maryland punter takes his job seriously, even if the competition does not.

A few University of Florida players indicated last weekend that Maryland's offense could be in for such a long evening Wednesday night in the 68th Orange Bowl that Barnard might be the Terrapins' star player.

Regardless of the score, the Ray Guy Award finalist as the nation's top punter might play that role.

Barnard, a 6-2, 182-pound junior, finished seventh in the nation in punting, averaging 44.5 yards. He placed 17 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, helping Maryland rank fourth in the nation in net punting.

A year ago, Barnard ranked fourth nationally with a school-record 44.7 average. That average sparked interest by NFL Hall of Famer Ray Guy, who invited Barnard to his summer camp to workout.