Iowa Special Teams Ranked #1 in Country
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Blackhawk33
Well-Known Member
Isn't Murray still competing for the starting job?
DexterMorgan
Well-Known Member
This bandwagon press for Iowa is setting us up for a letdown - bigtime. Special teams? Last I observed we routinely kick the ball off to the 15 yard line and flip coins on who is going to attempt field goals. Our coverage is generally good and punting is obviously very good. Punt returns are average and kickoff returns are somewhat above average. What changes this year? Same guys for the most part. We did have a big block last year via Clayborn but we don't routinely block punts like past years. #1 DL, #2 secondary (!!) and #1 special teams. Expectations are dangerously high and I hope the players are oblivious but that is not realistic.
HawkeyeNinja
Member
My take:
The kicking is mediocre.
The punting is phenomenal. Donahue has to be top 5 in the country.
The coverage is excellent. We might have short kickoffs but hardly ever give up good returns. Ditto for punts since Donahue gets such good hangtime.
The return game should be better this year. Last year they used about 10 or 12 different returners because of injuries. DJK, Chaney, Keenan Davis and maybe Cotton should field a good group of kick returners. Sandeman was a good punt returner last year (compared to what we usually have) but was dinged up. He's no Tim Dwight but he consistently does well as PR and I'd be happy to have him there for a full season.
The kicking is mediocre.
The punting is phenomenal. Donahue has to be top 5 in the country.
The coverage is excellent. We might have short kickoffs but hardly ever give up good returns. Ditto for punts since Donahue gets such good hangtime.
The return game should be better this year. Last year they used about 10 or 12 different returners because of injuries. DJK, Chaney, Keenan Davis and maybe Cotton should field a good group of kick returners. Sandeman was a good punt returner last year (compared to what we usually have) but was dinged up. He's no Tim Dwight but he consistently does well as PR and I'd be happy to have him there for a full season.
lukestylez
Well-Known Member
We had plenty of nice special teams plays last year. DJK's 99yd return against tOSU, the outstanding punting of Ryan Donahue and the hard hits on returners we laid out. Yeah we don't have Tim Dwight taking every 3rd return to the house but definitely have great special teams unit.
sergeanthulka
Well-Known Member
I'm going to go ahead & say it.
Ryan Donahue is overrated. He was about 5th best in the B10 last year, imo. Still way too inconsistent to warrant the kind of accolades he gets, imo.
Ryan Donahue is overrated. He was about 5th best in the B10 last year, imo. Still way too inconsistent to warrant the kind of accolades he gets, imo.
IATrainMaster101
Well-Known Member
2 game winning blocked field goals (all be it the first one with an error), 1 Blocked punt for a game turning TD on national TV, the best punter in the country, One Kick return for a game turning TD on national TV, one of the lowest punt return yards totals allowed last year, and a returning kicker who is stil remembered for his big kick vs PSU 2 years ago.
i understand where the Media is getting lofty rankings. I'm not saying Iowa is #1 but when you put the whole picture together, Iowa will probably have excellent special teams this season with perhaps the exception of just average or slightly better FG kicking.
i understand where the Media is getting lofty rankings. I'm not saying Iowa is #1 but when you put the whole picture together, Iowa will probably have excellent special teams this season with perhaps the exception of just average or slightly better FG kicking.
hawkeyescott
Well-Known Member
I will say it as well and I agree with you. He was ranked 43rd in net punting last year because of his inconsistency.
Iowa should not be #1, here is there rankings from last year:
Kickoff yardage against 9th
Punt return yardage against 21st
Kickoff return yardage gained 38th
Punt return yardage gained 78th
Murray was 19/26 and was 22nd in accuracy
Donahue was 43rd in net punting.
How many times did he punt on a short field and pin the opponent inside the 20? That stat is not accounted for in net punting. He does shank one occassionally but not that often. He deserves the recognition in my opinion. And to say he was only the 5th best punter in the Big Ten last year is silly.
The placekicking is much too inconsistent to warrant the #1 ranking for special teams. Also, every kickoff is received at the 10-15 yard line. That has to improve.
OnLookin08
Well-Known Member
Good, because that allows me to say this:
You don't get it then. Ferentz is one of the more conservative coaches in the country. He'd rather punt on a short field and pin them in the twenty then go on fourth down and risk giving them a short field. This will lower your net yards dramatically, along with occasionally out kicking your coverage. If you can't appreciate what Donahue does then I don't think you quite get what good special team are about. There are tons of punters that can boom the ball down field. However, there aren't many that can do that, directionally kick it, get the punt off efficeintly to avoid being blocked, and not simply kick the ball as far as they can every time some some of them do.
My thoughts.
hawkinaclownhouse
Well-Known Member
Per www.kicking.com -- Donahue punted 61 times last season -- 27 of those were downed inside the 20 yard line (44+% of his punts). Only 5 touchbacks -- one of those on a 62 yard punt.
For his career just under 38% of his punts have been downed inside the 20.
Against Arizona last year he punted 5 times, averaged 51 per punt, net punting 50.2. When he isn't pinning people deep he can bomb it with the best of them.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
I can only recall two or three shanks in his career. He had one in 2007 (the 12 yarder after I believe booting a 60+ yarder on the previous punt). And the one he had last year, if you saw the replays, or were at the game, the wind gusted BIG time right as he caught the ball. When he dropped it, the wind pushed it just a little bit and he hit it off the side of his foot. That kind of thing happens to the best of them.
He can boom them with anyone out there. But I'd just as soon have him pin guys inside the 10, which is what Ferentz goes for. If you honestly believe he's overrated, then you have no idea what a good punter looks like.
He can boom them with anyone out there. But I'd just as soon have him pin guys inside the 10, which is what Ferentz goes for. If you honestly believe he's overrated, then you have no idea what a good punter looks like.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
Stats Do tell the story. You just have to know which stats to look at, and how to interpet them.
HawkfaninWA
Well-Known Member
I don't have to look at any stats. Donahue is one of the few punters I have enjoyed watching. He consistently pinned people deep last year. I'm glad he's back there.
As far as #1 ranking?, that seems a little far fetched at this point though.
As far as #1 ranking?, that seems a little far fetched at this point though.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
If we had a Nate Kaeding kicking field goals, we'd be #1 for sure. Our coverage teams are rock solid, Donahue is the best punter in the country, and the return game is at least decent. But if the kicking game doesn't improve from last year, we don't really deserve that ranking.
Hawkeyes1982x
Well-Known Member
Agree! Pinning people back and giving them a long field to work with is key. That is how we win.
