Sentinel on Special Teams....

The Sentinel comes in with the third story on Falcon football, this one on special teams.  Things are pretty much where we left them last year.

A couple notes.  First, FG kicking has been a big issue.  Stein did OK when he got in last year, but as Coach noted, we only tried short FGs, and elite teams should be pretty much automatic inside 45 yards.  Kyle Burkhardt has left the program, and we have four kickers on the roster, including Stein, redshirt Tate, incoming FR Farinella, and a guy named Ozcypok (I swear) who has never tried a kick in a game.

Also, kickoffs are an issue because Burkhardt did that.  With that in mind, we can assume that if Stein had the leg for that he would have been doing that.  The FGs are going to be back on the 35 again, so if we just want touchbacks, it is hard to believe we need anything besides Farinella, whose recruiting video is OMG!!!  A touch back in HS should be a touchback in college, right?

Same issue hits kickoff returning.  We talk about Boo Boo returning kickoffs and how good he was, but it remains to be seen what kind of role that will have under the new rules.

Punt returning is also increasingly a small part of the game (teams have strategies on how not to have a kick returned--BG had only 20 returns last year on 66 opponent punts)...Eugene Cooper did our returning and he has graduated.   We have a few likely prospects, including Gates and Joplin.  I understand that sometimes you rip a really nice 50 yard return or get a TD and it can really change a game.  I'd be happy with someone who never fumbled.

Finally, in terms of snapping, Cory Johnson will continue to be the long-snapper, and then Clay Rolf is being trained to be the short snapper (for placekicks).  They like his size if he can make the snaps...he's an athlete, I think he probably can figure it out.

Anyway, you know our feelings here.  Special teams are really important and have been lacking at BG.  At a minimum, you want special teams to not give the game away (as we often did during the Brandon era) and you'd love to be able to make a few game changing plays, as elite teams can do.  I think Clawson has made some progress, and if the placekicking can be improved, I think we can be where we need.