2022 Fall Camp Notes - Special Teams

Mavric said:
This is true.

But most of the problem this year (and probably last year) is the defense doesn't get off the field fast enough.  When they are punting from mid-field they can lob a punt with extra hang time to force fair catches.
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That is a very good point.  Average punt for ND was 27 yards.  If you have a punter that's good at hang time, it doesn't give the returner a chance to return it.

 
And returns from deep in your own territory are more risky (turnovers).  And punting from mid field is risky to block the kick and risky to retreat for a return due to having to defend against a possible fake punt.  
 

It’s complicated by our failure to get 3 & outs inside the opponents’ 35.  And once the field position gets against NU, our punters in years past have not managed to switch that with a big kick and sometimes punt would go awry and make it worse.  Field position. Time of possession, place kicking. Turnovers.  Lack of a control of line of scrimmage.  Dependence on passing - sacks, incompletions.  
 

All of these and more have gone against Neb the past four or more years.  Result:  losses piling up.  All of these are basic football fundamentals.  Poor blocks. Poor tackling.  Add in some ify game management.  Too many recruiting misses.    3-9 records should be expected frankly.  Stats can show the games are ‘close’ but tell tale indicators of core team wide issues.  They explain most of the losses and wins too.  Nebraska has not played winning football against most teams.  

 
Special teams is no longer losing games. That could change, of course, but STs is ‘fixed’ generally speaking, based on two early games.  FG kicking is still suspect but the rest of STs is improved.   You should not count on STs to win games but perhaps two or three games a year it can be a difference maker.  
 

Prior years, STs could be expected to be a net negative via critical errors, field position negatives, etc.  Preseason thinking was our STs had to be better and hope was that it would be ‘average’, not a hindrance.   So far, this has come true.  
 

Early season STs grade = B-   Passing and winnable contribution, imo.   

 
I just realized it was Franke who missed the FG in the NW game. 
 

Assuming they used him because it was so long. 

 
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BigRedBuster said:
I edited my post at the same time you posted this. The site autorefreshes so fast I have to type on sentence then post. Then go edit. 
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Yes, yes it most certainly do that, and then we have to do that   :throw

As for Special Teams, there have been some average stuff (which is good), and maybe 1 blunders??  I think we are fine so far.  

 
84HuskerLaw said:
Special teams is no longer losing games. That could change, of course, but STs is ‘fixed’ generally speaking, based on two early games.  FG kicking is still suspect but the rest of STs is improved.   You should not count on STs to win games but perhaps two or three games a year it can be a difference maker.  
 

Prior years, STs could be expected to be a net negative via critical errors, field position negatives, etc.  Preseason thinking was our STs had to be better and hope was that it would be ‘average’, not a hindrance.   So far, this has come true.  
 

Early season STs grade = B-   Passing and winnable contribution, imo.   
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We're 1/3 with Field Goals. One of the misses was "acceptable in that it happened at the end of the half and was about a 55+ yard field goal. The other miss was corrected and was the first kick in front of 80k fans by the kicker (unless he kicked for Fordham last year in Memorial).

 
Yea. 1 of 3 on FGs is suspect.  2 kicks from 55 is understandable as I said ( suspect).  But couple shorter as I recall   Maybe 2 / 5 on the year roughly.  
 

i feel like the FGs will come around but we’ve thot that about a lot of things about the teams for 10 years only to be disappointed.  

 
whateveritis1224 said:
We're 1/3 with Field Goals. One of the misses was "acceptable in that it happened at the end of the half and was about a 55+ yard field goal. The other miss was corrected and was the first kick in front of 80k fans by the kicker (unless he kicked for Fordham last year in Memorial).
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He played for Furman, not Fordham, prior to transferring here.

 
I feel like every season has a few ST plays that were season spoilers.  This year was the on-side. Who knows if the game outcome changes if 1. Kicker kicked it away from someone or 2. It was never called at all. 
 

Might have sealed the fate of HCSF. And that’s how I will remember his tenure should it end sooner rather than later- by poor clock management and poor ST play 

 
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