He runs downfield on a mission, the importance of pinning an opponent deep — and the joy of helping it happen himself — high on his mind.

UL football coach Mark Hudspeth watches sophomore Hunter Stover do it, and can’t help but the see the inner linebacker oozing out of his backup kickoff specialist.

"He is really a weapon," Hudspeth said of Stover, a Notre Dame High product who actually came to UL as a linebacker/kicker but now — after surgeries to repair ACL tears in both of his knees — is solely a kicker.

"Even in our kickoff return scheme, we never scheme it up for anybody to block the kicker. You just don’t do that.

"(Yet) he’s running down right now scot-free," Hudspeth added, "and just absolutely making tackle after tackle."

Senior Brett Baer, UL’s Lou Groza Award-candidate field-goal kicker/PAT kicker/punter, has handled the bulk of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ kickoff duties this season with seven touchbacks on 25 kicks.

But Stover has kicked off 14 times, averaging 62.5 yards out of a possible 65 and producing four touchbacks.

Stover also been in on a UL special teams-high five total tackles, including three solo stops — two of which came in the Cajuns’ 41-13 win over Tulane last Saturday.

That means he’s in on a tackle every other time he kicks and an opponent attempts a return. And usually it’s closer to the end zone than midfield.

"I’m the last person everybody expects to make a tackle — but it’s fun to be out there, and get my licks in while I can," said Stover, who celebrates with unabashed enthusiasm when he makes a tackle.

"When we do a good job, everybody’s all fired up," he added. "They (teammates) don’t really need to tell you ‘Good job.’ We know when we do a good job."

UL’s kickoff team, which ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference behind Florida Atlantic in both average yards per kick (61.5) and net average (43.1) so far this season, isn’t the only Cajun specialty unit doing well in 2012.

"Our kickoff and punt coverages right now are playing just lights out," said Hudspeth, who doubles as UL’s special teams coach.

He wasn’t pleased with every facet, however, especially after the Cajun field-goal unit went 2-for-4 against Tulane.

Baer, one of the most-accurate kickers in college football history and the nation’s leader in makes this season at 2.4 per game, uncharacteristically missed one from 41 yards and had another blocked from 27.

The block especially bothered Hudspeth.

"A big disappointment," he said.

"We’ve got to do a lot better job with our protections," the Cajun coach added. "You can’t just take those for granted, and just sort of step inside half-hearted."

Suffice it to say field-goal kicking has been a point of emphasis as the Cajuns, who are idle Saturday, prepare to play North Texas on Tuesday night.

Coverage teams, however, are not a concern.

Baer leads the Sun Belt in punts with an average of 43.1 yards this season — including 48.0 yards on two punts against Tulane.

And the Cajuns so far have managed to prevent the big one when it comes to both opponent punt and kickoff returns.

"We want to play great defense. Right now, we’re playing pretty good defense — but the thing that’s helping us is our kickoff coverage," Hudspeth said. "We’re not giving them the ball at midfield on a big kickoff return. We’re making them have to drive the distance if they do score."

"That’s the first play of defense, we like to think," Stover added. "I mean, we always take kickoff team pretty serious. We definitely take pride in our special teams."

Stover, though, is especially proud of his ability to make a stop.

Hudspeth has taken notice, too.

"I told (defensive coordinator Greg) Stewart, ‘I don’t know if it’s gonna be embarrassing, or how it’s gonna look, but if he (Stover) keeps making tackles like that, we might move our kicker to linebacker,’ " Hudspeth said.

The Cajun coach wasn’t serious.

Or was he?

When Stover first tore an ACL, it happened during a preseason practice while he was working as a backup linebacker under the old Cajun staff of ex-coach Rickey Bustle.

When Hudspeth replaced Bustle after the 2010 season, Stover — who tore the other ACL running after a kickoff a game last season — had to call an assistant coach to find out if he should report with linebackers, kickers or both.

He was told his linebacking days were done.

And he still thinks they are. Yet every time he makes a big tackle, some can’t help but wonder.

"You never know," Stover said with a little laugh and a sly smile. "I mean, if he (Hudspeth) threw me out there I wouldn’t refuse it. But I don’t think he would."