Special Teams Review - UCF 2020

[GTNavyNuke]

Here my opinion on how we did yesterday. Feel free to disagree as some is opinion.

Overall grade C-. Our punting was phenomenal. Our KOs were deep and Gibbs had a great KO return. Blocked 27-yard FG due to low kick continued our truly dismal kicking.

To Collins credit, he benched Kelly and then Stewart made next two EPs with high kicks that couldn’t be blocked easily. But our lack of place-kicking prowess results in distorting our 4th down play calling. I watched the Miami kicker make a 56-yard FG with 10 yards to spare last night. Miami will win games with a kicker like that (we did with Butker) and we will lose games unless we can reliably make FG kicks within 45 yards.

One improvement in the UCF game was Gibbs returning. I still like fair catching KOs inside the 10-15 based on opponent but Gibbs can make things happen and did on his first return of 70 yards. In reality, Gibbs makes a difference any time he got the ball and was a lot of our total offense rushing (66 yards) and catching (60 yards). But Gibbs fumbled another KO fortunately in the end zone which he downed for a TB and then had a return to only the 19. UCF fair caught or let ball go into EZ on every KO. I think that is generally a better coaching decision. Given UCF has a pretty good record with less ranked recruited talent, I think they are well coached.

 

[slugboy]

I was so glad that the fumbled kickoff was a touchback instead of a safety. Gibbs stepped out, but the ball never crossed the goal line. It was still too close for comfort.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I was so glad that the fumbled kickoff was a touchback instead of a safety. Gibbs stepped out, but the ball never crossed the goal line. It was still too close for comfort.

Yeah, PTSD from the two times I think we have done just that in the last decade (CPJ coach). Gibbs probably doesn't even know that history.

 

[stech81]

I was so glad that the fumbled kickoff was a touchback instead of a safety. Gibbs stepped out, but the ball never crossed the goal line. It was still too close for comfort.

way too close for comfort.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

Or maybe unlike Orwin (not taking a shot just pointing out his action), Gibbs knows the rules of the position he is playing. He obviously knows that as long as the ball doesn’t cross that it’s a touchback regardless of his body.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

No one else wants to talk about the on sides kick to start the second half? I thought it was a good call (not good result) and said so in chat at the time.

 

[slugboy]

I also think the onsides was a good call—not a surprising one, though. I’m not sure if it was a good choice of onside kick strategy, but you’re really playing with fire, there.

The rolling hop-style of onsides at least has some unpredictability and you can’t fair catch (since it’s already hit the ground).

 

[Southpawmac]

I don't mind the onside call but our normal kicker needs to be able to execute it. Our normal kickoff guy is left footed and when I saw Stewart (right footed) in there to kickoff, I knew it was coming.

 

[LongforDodd]

Here my opinion on how we did yesterday. Feel free to disagree as some is opinion.

Overall grade C-. Our punting was phenomenal. Our KOs were deep and Gibbs had a great KO return. Blocked 27-yard FG due to low kick continued our truly dismal kicking.

To Collins credit, he benched Kelly and then Stewart made next two EPs with high kicks that couldn’t be blocked easily. But our lack of place-kicking prowess results in distorting our 4th down play calling. I watched the Miami kicker make a 56-yard FG with 10 yards to spare last night. Miami will win games with a kicker like that (we did with Butker) and we will lose games unless we can reliably make FG kicks within 45 yards.

One improvement in the UCF game was Gibbs returning. I still like fair catching KOs inside the 10-15 based on opponent but Gibbs can make things happen and did on his first return of 70 yards. In reality, Gibbs makes a difference any time he got the ball and was a lot of our total offense rushing (66 yards) and catching (60 yards). But Gibbs fumbled another KO fortunately in the end zone which he downed for a TB and then had a return to only the 19. UCF fair caught or let ball go into EZ on every KO. I think that is generally a better coaching decision. Given UCF has a pretty good record with less ranked recruited talent, I think they are well coached.

View attachment 9076

Doesn’t help when the blocker blocks from the backfield, again. x3

 

[WreckinGT]

Or maybe unlike Orwin (not taking a shot just pointing out his action), Gibbs knows the rules of the position he is playing. He obviously knows that as long as the ball doesn’t cross that it’s a touchback regardless of his body.

Not every boneheaded play means the player doesn’t know the rules of football. Nice troll attempt though.

 

[RonJohn]

Doesn’t help when the blocker blocks from the backfield, again. x3

Only one of the blocked kicks was fully the fault of the line. For an XP or a FG less than 30 yards, the ball should be lifted well over the hands of the defensive line. Even if the d-line gets some push, the ball should be rising at a high angle that they can't reach. The XP in the FSU game was the exception. Number 11 was several steps behind the line and directly in front of the kick. Overall, the kicks haven't been high enough. The kicks by Stewart had better elevation.

 

[Spalding Jacket]

We needed to have Kelly kick the onsides there
like he does the field goals. Those line drives would bounce off UCF’s players right back to us.

 

[LongforDodd]

Only one of the blocked kicks was fully the fault of the line. For an XP or a FG less than 30 yards, the ball should be lifted well over the hands of the defensive line. Even if the d-line gets some push, the ball should be rising at a high angle that they can't reach. The XP in the FSU game was the exception. Number 11 was several steps behind the line and directly in front of the kick. Overall, the kicks haven't been high enough. The kicks by Stewart had better elevation.

After the FSU game Geoff, during his radio show on 680 last week, said one kick was low and the others were "on him". The low one he referred to was the one that was blocked by the guy who did not penetrate the LOS. Two other kicks were blocked by perhaps the same guy who made it through the LOS and not by a small margin. I think it was understood that the team did not do much PK practice leading up to FSU and I think this is what Geoff was referring to. Is your disagreement is with Geoff?

The blocked kick Saturday was made by another guy who made into the backfield. Keep defenders out of the backfield and the kicker has much, much better chance of making it.

 

[RonJohn]

After the FSU game Geoff, during his radio show on 680 last week, said one kick was low and the others were "on him". The low one he referred to was the one that was blocked by the guy who did not penetrate the LOS. Two other kicks were blocked by perhaps the same guy who made it through the LOS and not by a small margin. I think it was understood that the team did not do much PK practice leading up to FSU and I think this is what Geoff was referring to. Is your disagreement is with Geoff?

The blocked kick Saturday was made by another guy who made into the backfield. Keep defenders out of the backfield and the kicker has much, much better chance of making it.

Do I often disagree with "coach speak"? The answer to that would be yes. I reviewed the kicks in the FSU game before responding. There were three blocked kicks. On the XP, number 11 was fully in the backfield and standing directly in front of the kick. There was nothing the kicker could have done about that one. On one of the kicks, the defender had not penetrated the line, he just held his arms up. The ball hit him just above his helmet. That only leaves one kick for disagreement. On that kick, the defender did get just behind the line. The ball would have been just above the outstretched hands of a defender standing at the LOS. I am not saying that the kick would not have been good if that defender had not gotten behind the line. What I am saying is that on very short kicks, the ball should be kicked extremely high to avoid such things. That kicker has not gotten good rise on any kick. Even the made 32 yard FG just barely cleared the defenders hands.

I am not trying to trash the kicker. I think I suggested in the chat during the FSU game that maybe he just isn't used to kicking off of the ground. They use tees in high school. Hitting the ball an extra inch above where you should will cause a lot lower trajectory on the ball. I am just pointing out that he isn't getting enough lift on the ball.

If you watch good kickers warm up, they will start almost immediately under the goal and put enormous loft on the ball. As they back up, they put less and less loft to get more distance. Could it be that he isn't tuned in to kicking short FGs because the coaches haven't practiced with defenders and he hasn't had to put loft on the ball in practice? Maybe. But that doesn't mitigate my statement that he is kicking the ball far too low.

 

[g0lftime]

We still don't know the range of these guys. Butker just won a game by having over 50 yard range. Where do we have to be with our current group. Could be a game winner. Ask Miami about kickers from last year's game.