When last seen by the masses, Ragin’ Cajuns kicker Brett Baer was sprinting across the Superdome field, teammates and TV cameramen all chasing after him.

His 50-yard walk-off — make that run-off — field goal had just beaten San Diego State in last December’s ESPN-televised New Orleans Bowl.

It was a storybook ending to a 2011 season for the 9-4 Cajuns in which Baer, a UL junior, was 18-of-20 on field goals and averaged 40.3 yards punting while being recognized as a Lou Groza Award college kicker-of-the-year semifinalist.

But in the case of this kicker, it was hardly all luck.

Baer, in fact, is 25-of-27 all-time on time on field goals since taking over those duties midway through his 2010 sophomore season.

Yet even he is well-aware of just fairy tale the whole year was him and the Cajuns, who were playing in their first postseason game since the 1971 Grantland Rice Bowl.

"I figure if I had half the season that I did last year I would be happy with it," Baer said shortly before now-ongoing spring practice got under way late last month. "But all you can do in the spring is go out and strive to be better."

That sure seemed to work a year ago.

"At the beginning of last spring, and even at the beginning of last season," Baer said, "I would never believed in going 18-for-20 in field goals (and) having over a 40-yard average on punting.

"It was awesome to experience."

Baer, who hadn’t punted for the Cajuns prior to last season, has enjoyed the post-bowl experience almost as much he did all of the in-the-moment.

And there was plenty of that, as an ESPN camera followed him all the way to the opposite-side end zone of the Superdome to capture the celebration of his game-winner against the Aztecss.

His helmet pulled off after time had expired, Baar flashed a wide grin that was captured not only on national cable TV but also by multiple still cameras.

His mug, in other words, became quite familiar to many on campus who might not previously have known the face so often hidden by a mask and massive helmet.

"It’s fun going places and being recognized," said Baer, who also handles extra-point and onside-kick duties for the Cajuns. "That’s for sure. I’ve never had that before."

Before he got the second semester of his junior season into full swing, though, Baer headed home to Brandon, Miss., to enjoy the holidays.

After all he had done in 2011, a year that included 12 regular-season punts of 50-plus yards and another 10 regular-season punts pinned inside the 10-yard line, not to mention a career field-goal percentage of 92.0 that ranked first in the country at the end of the regular season, the task wasn’t hard at all.

It was therapeutic, too, as Baer finally got to rest a weary leg worn down by countless field-goal attempts, PATs, punts and even deep kickoffs in not only games but also day after day after day of practice.

"Just sitting around the house and enjoying some family time — that got everything healed up," he said, "so that’s good."