It's not that there aren't punts within the 35, it's that the punt has to be returnable: "Any kicks that go into the end zone or out of bounds will be marked at the 35-yard line or wherever the ball went out of bounds, whichever is better for the receiving team."
I think most of their rule changes are pretty good.
The kickoff change accomplishes both making the play safer, and encouraging returns.
I like killing the kick PAT, and the yardage-based options to go for 1, 2 or 3 are fun (although I can't imagine anyone going for 1 given that it's only 1 yard closer than going for 2).
The running clock is fantastic, football games are excrutiatingly long (and SU is among the worst when it comes to that).
And I like the liberalized ineligible player downfield change.
A few of the rules are gimmicky, but on the whole I like what they're trying to do. Faster pace games with more exciting plays, while not compromising player safety.