Northwestern ranks third in nation in punt returns

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swingman

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I thought punt returns were illegal, but apparently the Wildcats have a rules loophole:

Northwestern ranks third nationally in punt returns this season averaging 18.33 yards per return ... The Wildcats have racked up 220 punt return yards through seven games which is the fifth most in all of college football ... Against Indiana State (9/11), Brandon Joseph and Raymond Niro III combined for 166 punt return yards – the most in program history. Joseph finished with 111 return yards, the sixth most in a game in Northwestern history, and the first NU punt returner to go over 100 yards in a game since Venric Mark had 134 return yards against Syracuse in 2012 ... Joseph’s 65-yard return was the longest by a Wildcat since Venric Mark’s 75-yard return against Penn State in 2012.
 

swingman said:
I thought punt returns were illegal, but apparently the Wildcats have a rules loophole:

Northwestern ranks third nationally in punt returns this season averaging 18.33 yards per return ... The Wildcats have racked up 220 punt return yards through seven games which is the fifth most in all of college football ... Against Indiana State (9/11), Brandon Joseph and Raymond Niro III combined for 166 punt return yards – the most in program history. Joseph finished with 111 return yards, the sixth most in a game in Northwestern history, and the first NU punt returner to go over 100 yards in a game since Venric Mark had 134 return yards against Syracuse in 2012 ... Joseph’s 65-yard return was the longest by a Wildcat since Venric Mark’s 75-yard return against Penn State in 2012.
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So really they dominated the Sycamores and thats all they've done?
 

Wait in one game they got 111 of the 220 yards. That leaves 109 over the other 6 games or 18 yds per game. Gotta find something positive I guess. They have 4 punt returns for 25 yards in B1G play or 1 per game for 6yds on average
 
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MaxyJR1 said:
Wait in one game they got 111 of the 220 yards. That leaves 109 over the other 6 games or 18 yds per game. Gotta find something positive I guess. They have 4 punt returns for 25 yards in B1G play or 1 per game for 6yds on average
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No, you misread that....they got 166 of their 220 in one game. So in their remaining 6 games they had 54 punt return yards total.

So yeah.....that 18 yard average might be just the slightest bit misleading....
 

Against Indiana State:
4 for 166 yards = 41.5 avg

Rest of schedule:
8 for 54 yards = 6.75 avg
 



Though costly, I thought this set a tone. Special Teams need to be big in final 5 games. Down to three RBs limits some options.

 

swingman said:
I thought punt returns were illegal, but apparently the Wildcats have a rules loophole:

Northwestern ranks third nationally in punt returns this season averaging 18.33 yards per return ... The Wildcats have racked up 220 punt return yards through seven games which is the fifth most in all of college football ... Against Indiana State (9/11), Brandon Joseph and Raymond Niro III combined for 166 punt return yards – the most in program history. Joseph finished with 111 return yards, the sixth most in a game in Northwestern history, and the first NU punt returner to go over 100 yards in a game since Venric Mark had 134 return yards against Syracuse in 2012 ... Joseph’s 65-yard return was the longest by a Wildcat since Venric Mark’s 75-yard return against Penn State in 2012.
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How are the Gophers doing on punt returns in 2021?
 




Gophergrandpa said:
Trey Potts returned a few … now we have a sure hands guy in (Annexstad). Don’t think he has a green light. Playing not to make ST mistakes at this point, it seems.
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If I remember correctly I think he returned one against Colorado -- but I can't recall any other returns by him
 

noamfromm said:
If I remember correctly I think he returned one against Colorado -- but I can't recall any other returns by him
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He has returned a couple. In each return he has gotten north-south real quick and doesn’t try to do too much juking. He just takes what they give him. I’m totally fine with a sure hands punt returner who gets north-south. He does seem a bit conservative in trying to figure out which punts to field though.
 





Breakin' The Plane said:
Whatever. My sources say that Fleck doesn't plan on needing to punt.
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Crawford was pretty bored during the Maryland game, enough so that the broadcasters took notice and had some fun with it. Hopefully he is really bored again on Saturday.
 

RogueGopher said:
Still can't believe this was "targeting"...
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Yeah. That hit happens 35 times a week across college football and 31 are nothing, 4 guys get ejected. Makes no sense.

Targeting needs to be a 15 yard penalty. Cheap shot targeting with no realistic “football play” should carry an ejection. Cash man was a tad high. Maybe enough for a 15 yard penalty. Shouldn’t be an ejection: he wasn’t taking a cheap shot
 



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