Punt returns next year

[Foval21]

in certain situations you have to let it go because field position isnt good and it could bounce into the endzone. punt returners tend to average about 5-7 yds per return because they get stuck a lot and they get negatives more than people realize.

cotton is an interesting choice as he could be a lot like sandeman was except more speed. i would like to see bullock there because of his skill set and i think garmon and hill will pass him up this yr (just my opinion).

 

[coralville]

Hyde is the worst return man in the last 10 years. He let dozens of balls hit the ground without even trying to get to them. Try someone else please

 

[DTF]

It shouldn't be as hard as it is for Iowa. Plenty of teams have good return games because they make an EFFORT to be good at it. The hawks KO/KR game sucks too, not just PR, same with the FG unit. You don't need Devin Hester to be effective in the ST department, get a guy who's fast and can catch the freaking ball. You TEACH these things to your players and have them PRACTICE it everyday until you feel OK about having them on the field.

Look at the Bears ST unit, one of the better in the NFL. Is it because they have the league's greatest ST players on their ST unit? No (Hester aside), it's because Dave Toub (genius plays aside) cares about teaching players, most of whom aren't good enough to be starters, how to stay in their lanes and not to hold/block to the back. It's not the players, it's the coaching, and someone needs to make it a priority.

Get somebody who can kick the ball deep on KO's and use a different person to do FG's, I'm so sick of opponents getting the ball at the 35 because the ball is kicked to the 15 and we can't get back on coverage fast enough. God forbid the FG kicker and the KO kicker be different people with different skill sets!

I would bet the 2 aspects Iowa practices the least are the 2 minute offense and anything related to returns.

end rant

 

[RocknRollface]

I'd just be thrilled if KFz went with a punt "returner" as opposed to a punt "catcher"

I would be thrilled if KF wen't with a punt catcher instead of a punt avoider.

 

[RocknRollface]

the other thing is how many chances do punt returners get at a open look catch, most of the time i see 1 maybe 2 gunners on top of the Iowa returner.
so my thought is why not concentrate more on blocking the gunner to give our returners the chance to make the catch to actually return it.

Perhaps you've heard of a fair catch?

Its nearly impossible to block the gunners for more than a second or two. You always have to make the first guy miss.

 

[ajk4st8]

people got spoiled by Dwight, there are not that many out there. that can do what he did. also i understand the fair catch or getting away from the ball to avoid a turnover,
a turnover can flip feild position instantly and is a lot easier to move 30-40 for a score than it is to 65-75 yards.
there are fewer chances for a mistake to happen is a 6-7 play drive vs a 10-12 play drive. i will take the fair catch over a risky catch any day

Wow.. dont remind me of that guy.. What a freak. Not only was he good, but that entire punt return group was an outstanding special teams group.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I know its not a huge part of the game but is it 2 much 2 ask to get a guy back there that can field the football?

Way to many punts went behind Hyde last year. He looked shaky at times... catching the ball behind his head, letting the ball roll thru his legs, avoiding fair catches etc.
Dont get me wrong he did have a few nice returns aswell.

We need a difference maker on special teams. Its been long enough!

Personally, I'd like to see us get more punt BLOCKS, circa 2002-2004, so it really wouldn't MATTER who was back on punt returns. ("Real" blocks, not blocks against Eastern Illinois or that idiotic "punt attempt" by Purdue where our guy blocked it inadvertently, almost).

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

I know landing a speed burner for punt and kick off returns is not easy ... But holy cow, we are really absolutely no threat when it comes to punt and kick off returns ...

 

[HomerChampless]

We aren't going to change Ferentz's philosophy. Or can we?

EDIT: Some say Ferentz does it because he doesn't 'beat himself'.
If you avoid the punt and let it bound another, at least, 20 yards how does that NOT beat yourself? That would be like playing bend-but-don't-break defense against yourself - eventually, since you've got to go a lot further to score, you'll screw up and not score.

2nd EDIT: And besides, some guys are howling for more scoring.

 

[SpiderRico]

Torrey Campbell and BJ Lowery are the two fastest guys on the team and, according to Wilson, both are practicing as punt returners.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

in certain situations you have to let it go because field position isnt good and it could bounce into the endzone. punt returners tend to average about 5-7 yds per return because they get stuck a lot and they get negatives more than people realize.

cotton is an interesting choice as he could be a lot like sandeman was except more speed. i would like to see bullock there because of his skill set and i think garmon and hill will pass him up this yr (just my opinion).

Agree with most everything you said. I am curious as to who they are working with this spring so far. I don't think I'd be upset if Cotton and Bullock both got a shot at it. Bullock is a bit of a slashing tweener and I think Garmon will pass him on rb depth chart. I guess I'm not as sure about Hill but that far down the depth chart won't matter (crossing my fingers on that one)

 

[CP87]

We aren't going to change Ferentz's philosophy. Or can we?

EDIT: Some say Ferentz does it because he doesn't 'beat himself'.
If you avoid the punt and let it bound another, at least, 20 yards how does that NOT beat yourself? That would be like playing bend-but-don't-break defense against yourself - eventually, since you've got to go a lot further to score, you'll screw up and not score.

2nd EDIT: And besides, some guys are howling for more scoring.

Never having observed one of their special teams practices, I cannot say this with certainty. However, I strongly doubt that Hawkeye punt returners are ever coached to get away from balls that they can catch (excluding inside the 10, of course). They are perhaps told to fair-catch anything that is questionable, but I am sure they are taught like every other punt returner from Pee Wee to the pros to not let the ball hit the ground. Typically only bad things can happen for the return team once that occurs.

This is supported by punt returners of year's past. Sandeman was not explosive, but he could get to the ball and he always caught it. Very rarely did he let one bounce. Brodell was also good at this, but with a little more speed to boot.

The problem last year was an inexperienced punt returner. People on this board (and I am sure elsewhere across Hawkland) had been clamoring for the coaches to give Hyde a shot back there after his interception-returns for TD. So in this case, the coaches were doing exactly what many of the people in this thread are advocating: picking a return man on the basis of his open-field skills. However, he had difficulty with some of the nuances of fielding punts, and I think he lost some confidence. He did get better as the season wore on. There is reason to hope that he will be much better this year after a season of live-action returns under his belt.

You could argue that the coaches should have gone away from Hyde last year after his early struggles, but there were just no other options in which they had confidence. McNutt was too integral to the offense to risk on special teams. Davis already had KR duties and offense to worry about. The freshman were probably not strongly considered, right or wrong. I am sure if the coaches had evidence that a better candidate was available, they would have put him out there.

 

[CP87]

If anyone is curious how Iowa stacks up against their Big Ten counterparts in the punt return game, this is how they have fared over the past 5 years (as far back as cfbstats.com goes):

Return average:
1. Wisconsin (11.0)
2. Ohio State (9.8)
3. Indiana (9.2)
4. Iowa (9.1)
...
11. Illinois (4.8; next worse is Purdue at 6.9, no other team below 8.3)

Return TDs:
1. Ohio State (5)
2. Wisconsin (4)
3. Iowa, Mich, Mich St, Penn St. (3)
...
9. Illinois (1)
10. Indiana and NW (0)

Returns/Game (doesn't really speak to the quality of the return team, but still thought it was interesting):
1. Ohio State (2.8)
2. Penn State (2.4)
3. Iowa (2.1)
...
10. Illinois (1.6)
11. Indiana (1.1)

There does not seem to be a glaring, systematic weakness in the return game according to these numbers. The last couple of years Iowa has been middle of the Big Ten in these #s. I am sure the coaches would much prefer to be closer to the top (as they were the previous 3 years), and are taking steps to get there.

 

[PCHawk]

We aren't going to change Ferentz's philosophy. Or can we? EDIT: Some say Ferentz does it because he doesn't 'beat himself'.If you avoid the punt and let it bound another, at least, 20 yards how does that NOT beat yourself? That would be like playing bend-but-don't-break defense against yourself - eventually, since you've got to go a lot further to score, you'll screw up and not score. 2nd EDIT: And besides, some guys are howling for more scoring.

Never having observed one of their special teams practices, I cannot say this with certainty. However, I strongly doubt that Hawkeye punt returners are ever coached to get away from balls that they can catch (excluding inside the 10, of course). They are perhaps told to fair-catch anything that is questionable, but I am sure they are taught like every other punt returner from Pee Wee to the pros to not let the ball hit the ground. Typically only bad things can happen for the return team once that occurs. This is supported by punt returners of year's past. Sandeman was not explosive, but he could get to the ball and he always caught it. Very rarely did he let one bounce. Brodell was also good at this, but with a little more speed to boot.The problem last year was an inexperienced punt returner. People on this board (and I am sure elsewhere across Hawkland) had been clamoring for the coaches to give Hyde a shot back there after his interception-returns for TD. So in this case, the coaches were doing exactly what many of the people in this thread are advocating: picking a return man on the basis of his open-field skills. However, he had difficulty with some of the nuances of fielding punts, and I think he lost some confidence. He did get better as the season wore on. There is reason to hope that he will be much better this year after a season of live-action returns under his belt.You could argue that the coaches should have gone away from Hyde last year after his early struggles, but there were just no other options in which they had confidence. McNutt was too integral to the offense to risk on special teams. Davis already had KR duties and offense to worry about. The freshman were probably not strongly considered, right or wrong. I am sure if the coaches had evidence that a better candidate was available, they would have put him out there.

sandeman rarely let one bounce!?

 

[Foval21]

i would prefer that our starting cbs are not returning punts. to me they are the best to have out on the gunners.

this is why i would prefer someone like a cotton or bullock.

from the presser it sounds like lowery and hyde have practiced returning but i would rather they dont. for the above reason.

 

[CP87]

sandeman rarely let one bounce!?

That is my recollection. It seemed like he did a good job of at least getting to the ball and catching it. I wish there was an easy to access statistic to prove that, because as often than not my recollections are a bit sketchy (ask my wife).

 

[PCHawk]

sandeman rarely let one bounce!?

That is my recollection. It seemed like he did a good job of at least getting to the ball and catching it. I wish there was an easy to access statistic to prove that, because as often than not my recollections are a bit sketchy (ask my wife).

you thought he was good at fielding punts and i thought he was bad at it. more then likely he was somewhere in the middle

 

[PCHawk]

sandeman rarely let one bounce!?

That is my recollection. It seemed like he did a good job of at least getting to the ball and catching it. I wish there was an easy to access statistic to prove that, because as often than not my recollections are a bit sketchy (ask my wife).

as for asking your wife ill have to wait till the next time you're working late. BURN!!!

 

[CP87]

as for asking your wife ill have to wait till the next time you're working late. BURN!!!

walked right into it