How Are Your Special Teams?

[GeauxTo]

Les Miles is really big on special teams and spends more time with them than most coaches, according to what I have been told. As we all know, LSU has been very inconsistent in kicking extra points the last few years. Coach Miles recently said on one of his speaking engagements that it was embarrassing to miss PATs and that he was going to see to it that it did not continue. Chris Jackson was LSU's kickoff man and punter last season, plus kicked FGs and PATs. I do not believe that one person should have all of those responsibilities and I do not believe that we will see Jackson doing all the kicking in 2005. I do believe that Jackson will be the long field goal kicker and possibly will kick extra points. Colt David (5’10”, 170, S0) from Grapevine, Texas, and Ryan Gaudet (5’6”, 155, JR) from New Orleans Jesuit will also be in the mix in kicking extra points and short field goals. I believe that either Patrick Fisher (6’5”, 245, RSFR) from Hyattsville, MD, or Brady Dalfrey (6’0”, 200, RSFR) from Carencro will do the punting. Fisher was outstanding during Spring practice and the Spring game. As for Brady Dalfrey, I saw him kick in several games at Carencro and he has the strongest leg that I have seen in years.

Skyler Green, Shyrone Carey and Xavier Carter will probably be LSU's three deep men on kick returns. There is also a possibility that Early Doucet, R.J. Jackson, and Trindon Holiday will be the up men on kick returns. Shyrone Carey and Skyler Green will likely be returning punts.
;)

[fernandomike]

"LSU has been very inconsistent in kicking extra points the last few years?" Now, that is funny. My wife once asked me why they don't get rid of them since they are a mere formality. Your Tigers have given me proof that it is actually not. I will have to point it out to her once the season starts unless David or Gaudet succeeds for you guys in the role of extra point specialist.
Oh yeah, our special teams suck too. We make most of our extra points, but the return game leaves much to be desired.

[Jordan]

Not too sure as far as kickers...

Bostick was around 85% on field goals last year (missed just 3, I believe), so he will be greatly missed this year.

Freeland did an okay job on punts, but hopefully will have a good replacement this year. I'm not sure who will be doing the punting this year though??

Christensen is returning for kickoffs again this year, and should do just fine at that end of things.

Prothro and DJ Hall are our two kickoff/punt returners this year. Prothro has shown that he can be very good on returns, and Hall shouldn't be too shabby either.

[GeauxTo]

"LSU has been very inconsistent in kicking extra points the last few years?" Now, that is funny. My wife once asked me why they don't get rid of them since they are a mere formality. Your Tigers have given me proof that it is actually not. I will have to point it out to her once the season starts unless David or Gaudet succeeds for you guys in the role of extra point specialist.
Oh yeah, our special teams suck too. We make most of our extra points, but the return game leaves much to be desired.
It got so bad last year that missing extra points was to be expected. I kept expecting us to find a walk-on who could kick better than that to finish out the season. Our return game, though, is a whole different story.
;)

[supergenius]

Bama's special teams have been a mixed bag the last 2 years. I attribute most of that to having to play either freshman, who are green, or starters who get tired in the 4th. We lost last year's ALL SEC kicker and our punter. Brandon Brooks lost his confidence last year as the return guy but will be given the chance to rebound this year. Tyrone Protho is a firecracker who could take it all the way everytime. I would have to give Bama a pre-season grade of C- until I see the respective units in action.

[fernandomike]

It got so bad last year that missing extra points was to be expected. I kept expecting us to find a walk-on who could kick better than that to finish out the season. Our return game, though, is a whole different story.
;)

Is the extra point specialist a scholarship position? If so, I am pissed that I ran out of eligibility while running up my student loans.

[supergenius]

Is the extra point specialist a scholarship position? If so, I am pissed that I ran out of eligibility while running up my student loans.
Now that is comedy. :D

[Jordan]

Bama's special teams have been a mixed bag the last 2 years. I attribute most of that to having to play either freshman, who are green, or starters who get tired in the 4th. We lost last year's ALL SEC kicker and our punter. Brandon Brooks lost his confidence last year as the return guy but will be given the chance to rebound this year. Tyrone Protho is a firecracker who could take it all the way everytime. I would have to give Bama a pre-season grade of C- until I see the respective units in action.
Yeah, it's coming back to me a little now. Isn't our only returning punter that guy who had the two lousy kicks in the bowl game last year? If so, I hope we've got some good talent coming to walk on. :p

[pc72687]

We have a coaches preseason SEC Pk. Does that count for anything? I never thought he was anything special. Is the rest of the SEC really that bad as far as kickers?

[Jordan]

We have a coaches preseason SEC Pk. Does that count for anything? I never thought he was anything special. Is the rest of the SEC really that bad as far as kickers?
Nobody knows yet... half of 'em graduated. :p

[supergenius]

Yeah, it's coming back to me a little now. Isn't our only returning punter that guy who had the two lousy kicks in the bowl game last year? If so, I hope we've got some good talent coming to walk on. :p
That was Jeff Auhl, I believe, could be wrong.

[supergenius]

Christensen hit a couple of 60 yarders in practice earlier this week. RTR

[Jordan]

Christensen hit a couple of 60 yarders in practice earlier this week. RTR
Field goals? Or kickoffs? I know he had some 60+ yard kickoffs last year, but I've never seen him kick field goal before.

[supergenius]

Field goals? Or kickoffs? I know he had some 60+ yard kickoffs last year, but I've never seen him kick field goal before.
Field Goals!

[Jordan]

Field Goals!
Dang. Wonder how he'd hold up under pressure with the defense out to get him? If he can handle the pressure, he might be getting the nod from Shula to be the starting PK this year.

[supergenius]

He is the leader in the clubhouse. He has a BIG leg, those kicks were indoors, but still impressive. RTR

[scfan5338]

USC's Special Teams are probably the worst Special Team in the Country.

[ColonelKurtz]

Dawgs, like everybody else, needs to do better, but with the SEC's leading punt returner, both place kickers back along with the punter, finding somebody to return the kickoffs is what is needed.

[Spurrierismyhomeboy]

USC's Special Teams are probably the worst Special Team in the Country.
You got that right, we will probably have the most improved special teams in the SEC because we were so bad.

[nooneLT]

our punter sucks atm. jeremy schatz is listed being 1st string, jeff aul 2nd string. both average less than 40 yards a punt. i think we have a walk-on that's supposed to be really good with a strong leg.

[Jordan]

our punter sucks atm. jeremy schatz is listed being 1st string, jeff aul 2nd string. both average less than 40 yards a punt. i think we have a walk-on that's supposed to be really good with a strong leg.
Schatz is still around? I thought he was the one in that bad car accident a year or two ago? If so, how was his recovery?

[BeeDee]

Ole Miss' special teams are IFFY - and that's being optimistic. We lost our All-SEC, All American kicker and our punter as well. Looks like we're gonna depend on true freshmen for those positions.

[pc72687]

Special teams are very important. And something Hotlz left to the walk-ons. Which is why ours is so terrible. Yes Josh Brown is a scholarship player but still. He has yet to live up to his hype.

[nooneLT]

Schatz is still around? I thought he was the one in that bad car accident a year or two ago? If so, how was his recovery?

i dunno, but i'll cry if i have to see 35 yard punts throughout the season.

[HSVTider]

Our kicking is probably gonna stink compared to last year, but we should still be tops in the SEC in punt and kick return yardage. So, hopefully, it'll even out to being "so-so" or maybe Bama's kickers will surprise me.

[WDavE]

Some of these responses make me kind of sad. NOT!

Auburn recruited a kicker in from my home town this last year.

The last two seasons combined Kutch was 52-55 on extra point attempts and 24-33 on field goal attempts with longs of 51 as a junior and 54 as a senior. Also this season Kutch was 100 percent on field goal attempts from inside 49 yards, all but three of his kickoffs were touchbacks and he averaged 43.5 yards per kick as a punter.

I have watched him in practice make three in a row from +60 yards out.....


I coach the head coaches son in baseball.

[uscrebel]

Nobody knows yet... half of 'em graduated. :p

yeah...what he said.

[Volnooga]

For Punting we are replacing one Colquit with another. Dustin's little brother Britton wil be punting...

Our returns desperately need some work..

[OmahaBound]

Special teams are very important. And something Hotlz left to the walk-ons. Which is why ours is so terrible. Yes Josh Brown is a scholarship player but still. He has yet to live up to his hype.

lived up to the hype? no

been a better kicker than we had the previous four seasons? yes.

hopefully succop will be a stud, but either way at least we have a kicker now where we don't expect him to miss everything.

[supergenius]

For Punting we are replacing one Colquit with another. Dustin's little brother Britton wil be punting...

Our returns desperately need some work..
Are you guys cloning up there on the hill?

[Volnooga]

Are you guys cloning up there on the hill?


.It's a UT family.
:D

But If I were to clone one player from the last five years.. It would it would definately be MR "Inside the three" Colquit

[SilverBritches]

Our place kickers suck. Our punter is probably one of the better SEC punters. Our kickoff return sucks. Our punt return was the best in the SEC last year. Our kickoff coverage is very good. Our punt coverage is average.

That pretty much sums it up.

[Jordan]

Special teams are very important. And something Hotlz left to the walk-ons. Which is why ours is so terrible. Yes Josh Brown is a scholarship player but still. He has yet to live up to his hype.
I'd say that probably a majority of NCAA teams like to take walkons for their kickers. Some schools will still offer them a scholarship, usually after a year on the team if they are performing well.

[The Hawg of Honors]

punter- bad
kicker- really bad
coverage- pretty good
returns- o.k.
overall, as long as we don't have to kick the ball, our kicking game should be fine. :D

[pc72687]

I like your style of thinking Hawg of honors. We are in a similar situation. Punt returns consist of fair catching or catching and immediatly being tackled.

[uscrebel]

punter- bad
kicker- really bad
coverage- pretty good
returns- o.k.
overall, as long as we don't have to kick the ball, our kicking game should be fine. :D

This is the funniest thing that I have read all day....
but I feel the same way about the Rebs.