Special Teams - the Elephant in the Room

Special Teams Concern(s) for Penn State? (multiple answers Ok)

  • Special Teams will be flawless.

    Votes: 3 8.8%

  • Missed Field Goal (Extra Point)

    Votes: 20 58.8%

  • Long run back on Kick-off coverage

    Votes: 20 58.8%

  • Short Punt giving a Short Field

    Votes: 14 41.2%

  • Fumble on Kick-off/Punt

    Votes: 3 8.8%
  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .
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Rescooter

Rescooter

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Having been to several games this year, I've seen our biggest weakness has been our special teams. I don't want to point out any individuals, but the inconsistancy has me nervous. I'm concerned it could cost us a game as we go in to November. Thoughts on Special Teams?
 


Our kicking game is not very good. Lantz is maybe the best of the 3 people who kick the ball. Kickoff specialist is not special, the punter is not special.

I think our kick coverage is below average. Our punt coverage is good.

Elite holders though.
 

It's a problem, not as big as say offense or defense, but I worry that a one off bad here or there may break us vs a good team.
 

You forgot Kickoff out of bounds...
 


PSU special teams are among the best they have ever had.
 

The last one I'm not too worried about, but the other 3 concern me. Also, I haven't been counting, but it feels like there have been a lot of kickoffs out of bounds.
 

Kicking game could absolutely lose us this game. Going to need the place kicker and punter to have their best game to date.

Not worried about the kick offs.
 

Our kickoff coverage is atrocious, and we apparently don't have a kicker that can consistently kick the ball deep into the end zone to prevent returns without risking the ball going out of bounds. That is by far my biggest concern with the special teams unit, as we want to make Penn State and the other tough teams we face drive long distances to score.

The rest of the special teams unit has been pretty mediocre, but it is less of a concern based on how this season has played out.
 



BeerFueledFF said:
Our kickoff coverage is atrocious, and we apparently don't have a kicker that can consistently kick the ball deep into the end zone to prevent returns without risking the ball going out of bounds. That is by far my biggest concern with the special teams unit, as we want to make Penn State and the other tough teams we face drive long distances to score.

The rest of the special teams unit has been pretty mediocre, but it is less of a concern based on how this season has played out.
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There was a game the Gophers fair caught every kickoff to guarantee starting on the 25. I wonder if our kicker can employ a similar strategy. Higher, slightly shorter kickoffs.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
There was a game the Gophers fair caught every kickoff to guarantee starting on the 25. I wonder if our kicker can employ a similar strategy. Higher, slightly shorter kickoffs.
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The kicking has been so on and off that there's really not pattern to indicate to me that they .. could pick what is going to happen.
 

Kick it so they can't return it. Please...
 

Trying to recall the biggest special team play that has cost Minnesota a game this year.
 



highwayman said:
Trying to recall the biggest special team play that has cost Minnesota a game this year.
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It came very close to happening against South Dakota State when a kickoff return TD was called back. It almost cost them the Georgia Southern game with the FG block TD. A flubbed onside kick coverage gave Purdue life in a game where they were getting wrecked.

The Gophers have been able to paper over these sorts of things by destroying teams the last few games but in close contests there's not going to be margin for these mistakes, and they might need to pull out a big special teams play of their own.
 

I have never liked the returns aspect of football. Would like to take them out of the game.

Field goals/PATs - should either be makes or misses, they should not be able to be returned for points. PAT miss, no points, FG miss, turns the ball over.
Kickoff - out of bounds, penalty, out the back or rolls into the endzone, touchback at the 25, catch the ball you get it at the spot of the catch (no returning, no tackling allowed), if the catch is fumbled it is live, otherwise you take a gamble and get the ball where it stops rolling
Punt - out of bounds, get the ball there, out the back or rolls into the endzone, touchback at the 25, catch the ball you get it at the spot of the catch (no returning, no tackling allowed), if the catch is fumbled it is live, otherwise you take a gamble and get the ball where it stops rolling
 

This game, I'd just as soon kick off and punt out of bounds every time.
 

MnplsGopher said:
I have never liked the returns aspect of football. Would like to take them out of the game.

Field goals/PATs - should either be makes or misses, they should not be able to be returned for points. PAT miss, no points, FG miss, turns the ball over.
Kickoff - out of bounds, penalty, out the back or rolls into the endzone, touchback at the 25, catch the ball you get it at the spot of the catch (no returning, no tackling allowed), if the catch is fumbled it is live, otherwise you take a gamble and get the ball where it stops rolling
Punt - out of bounds, get the ball there, out the back or rolls into the endzone, touchback at the 25, catch the ball you get it at the spot of the catch (no returning, no tackling allowed), if the catch is fumbled it is live, otherwise you take a gamble and get the ball where it stops rolling
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I couldn't disagree more on the first point. The potential for blocked and returned field goals and extra points are instrumental to the game historically. The Chicago Bears under Lovie Smith feasted on this kind of thing. The risk of getting a kick blocked and returned goes into the tactics of fielding a kicking team.
 

Panthadad2 said:
I couldn't disagree more on the first point. The potential for blocked and returned field goals and extra points are instrumental to the game historically. The Chicago Bears under Lovie Smith feasted on this kind of thing. The risk of getting a kick blocked and returned goes into the tactics of fielding a kicking team.
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I'm sorry, I messed up on the blocks part of it. Yes, they should be allowed to be blocked. You are correct.

I meant only that they can't be returned for points.
 

MnplsGopher said:
I'm sorry, I messed up on the blocks part of it. Yes, they should be allowed to be blocked. You are correct.

I meant only that they can't be returned for points.
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I like that blocked kicks can be returned. It makes the coach think about whether to field all huge blockers in the o-line and ends, or leave some athletic blockers in to potentially run down a returned block/fumble. I just watched a far superior St. John's team lose to Concordia-Moorhead this weekend because of their atrocious kicking game - which included a blocked extra point returned for a 2 point score.
 

Panthadad2 said:
I like that blocked kicks can be returned. It makes the coach think about whether to field all huge blockers in the o-line and ends, or leave some athletic blockers in to potentially run down a returned block/fumble. I just watched a far superior St. John's team lose to Concordia-Moorhead this weekend because of their atrocious kicking game - which included a blocked extra point returned for a 2 point score.
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Fair enough. It doesn't happen often.

I would settle for taking kickoff returns and punt returns out of it. But there are many people who enjoy those, I don't deny.
 


Hollinsanity said:
People worry too much about special teams. The worst special teams unit in the country is 1 ppg worse than the best:

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...ankings-week-10-getting-ready-monster-week-11
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That's an average though. That means we can have games where special teams is a wash or even when we're better than our opponents and games when special teams costs us 3 or 7 points. It's less likely that happens than it doesn't but that's still a chance and even if special teams costs us 3 points that makes this game hard to win.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
That's an average though. That means we can have games where special teams is a wash or even when we're better than our opponents and games when special teams costs us 3 or 7 points. It's less likely that happens than it doesn't but that's still a chance and even if special teams costs us 3 points that makes this game hard to win.
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Special teams can really come into play in a close game where field position or those 1-3 points really matter. It is certainly a concern because our special teams have not been great this year but it is what it is and hopefully it won't end up hurting us.
 

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