Question about our kickoff return team...

[CadaverDawg]

How can we improve our kickoff returns? Our starting field position when returning a kickoff is never good it seems like. Even when we catch it at the 2 or 3 yard line, the defenders are all over our return guys by the time they hit the 12 or 13 yard line. I feel like kick return and defensive kick return are our only 2 major disappointments right now. Thoughts?

ETA: Not bitching, just curious on ways to make it better

 

[ScoobaDawg]

Fire the Special Teams Coach.. *** NM

nm

 

[GTAdawg]

How can we improve our kickoff returns? Our starting field position when returning a kickoff is never good it seems like. Even when we catch it at the 2 or 3 yard line, the defenders are all over our return guys by the time they hit the 12 or 13 yard line. I feel like kick return and defensive kick return are our only 2 major disappointments right now. Thoughts?

ETA: Not bitching, just curious on ways to make it better

This is definitely the weakest part of our game and could prove to be the reason we lose to teams like Alabama and LSU. Teams like tht feed on the big play in special teams...completely turns the game around. We're fortunate that last night we are just head and shoulders above UT.

 

[ALdawg.sixpack]

For starters I would like to see someone back there besides Perkins. I don't like seeing our starting tailback on kickoff return for a number of reasons: injury, fatigue, etc.

Not to mention that I think his return style doesn't fit what you should look for in a kickoff returner. Perkins has great lateral agility and is great at making defenders miss, but really to hit a big kickoff return you need someone who hits the seam in a sprint, not being shifty. Yes, I know Perkins may be one of our fastest players, but when I watch him return the ball he looks like he is cutting and looking for a hole like a RB would do--my personal opinion is that you have to find a seam and just hit it full speed. Who would that be on our team? Not a clue.

 

[was21]

Why he continues to do this is a mystery to me...maybe Jackieass Sherrill advised him to do it. It needs to be fixed and it IS broke.

 

[OleYeller]

That's because they have really fast players on their kickoff teams, and their kicker kicks the ball really high

 

[Todd4State]

Maybe it's an issue of who is on the unit

Maybe we should change some guys up. I'd like to see Whitley on it if he isn't already. He might kill someone running full speed as a gunner.

I hope Jackie is a consultant for us on special teams. I realize that there are limits on how many coaches we can have and all of that. I would be all for Jackie being a special teams coach except I don't think he would want to do any recruiting and with his past issues with the NCAA, it's probably best to steer clear of him as an actual member of our staff.

That said, I would really like Dan to give up the special teams act and let someone like Sallach do it or whomever. What we're doing isn't working as well as it should.

We've given up two KO's for TD's and it took us three or four games to make a field goal. I'm sorry- that's unacceptable.

 

[CadaverDawg]

Maybe we should change some guys up. I'd like to see Whitley on it if he isn't already. He might kill someone running full speed as a gunner.

I hope Jackie is a consultant for us on special teams. I realize that there are limits on how many coaches we can have and all of that. I would be all for Jackie being a special teams coach except I don't think he would want to do any recruiting and with his past issues with the NCAA, it's probably best to steer clear of him as an actual member of our staff.

That said, I would really like Dan to give up the special teams act and let someone like Sallach do it or whomever. What we're doing isn't working as well as it should.

We've given up two KO's for TD's and it took us three or four games to make a field goal. I'm sorry- that's unacceptable.

Completely agree Todd. Also, I think we should give some young guys that are trying to prove they are playmakers a shot at returning....guys like Heavens, Ricco Sanders, Cedric Jiles, or even Robert Johnson. Some of those guys aren't speed demons, but it's more about hitting the seam and hitting it hard, and running north and south. It would also benefit us to put some thicker blockers out there instead of back up receivers and corners.