Special Teams Versus ND

[GTNavyNuke]

I'm traveling and on a tablet. I'll do the play by play by Tuesday.

Outside of Butler continuing head case and Rodwell short punts, we were ok I thought.

Our ST (Butker) didn't lose the game but kept us from winning. Shaun Davis is the Fr backup FG kicker.

 

[GTech63]

Need a consistent punter.

 

[Cam]

Since Butker started he seems to have Stephen Hill Syndrome. He can make the ridiculous 50+ yard kicks into the wind, but consistently misses the chip shots at 20-30. He's always been very inconsistent, though if Davis isn't already being given chances maybe he isn't better.

 

[Eli]

Maybe Butker isn't a head case. Maybe he just isn't that good

 

[augustabuzz]

Has anyone noticed that the large majority of his misses occur from the right hash mark?

 

[iceeater1969]

Hard to make final decesion based on performance during wet turf windy game.

However when on my golf game wet tee box and wind no problem. When off _ the littlest think.
I say stay with him

As to punter , we must fix that before fsu CLEMSON

 

[Blumpkin Souffle]

Simple solution: don't punt

 

[ybeenormal]

Rodwell can boot em far in warm ups but in game time he's terrible. It's ok to shank one every now and then but when it happens 3x a game something's wrong. Don't know what to say about butker

 

[FatPat]

Windy yes- wet turf- give me a break!!
Turf drains, fields are sloped, there is more under that carpet then fiber and tire bits. Snaps were right on - holds were true- Wind was consistant from north goal to south- Kickers are fickled!!!! They generally are soccer players first then start kicking in football. They are the only ones that can work themselves out of their worst enemy--which is their own minds. He will get it- has all the tools.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Windy yes- wet turf- give me a break!!
Turf drains, fields are sloped, there is more under that carpet then fiber and tire bits. Snaps were right on - holds were true- Wind was consistant from north goal to south- Kickers are fickled!!!! They generally are soccer players first then start kicking in football. They are the only ones that can work themselves out of their worst enemy--which is their own minds. He will get it- has all the tools.

Both teams had to play on the same wet turf, so we can't blame that. That being said, however, our game is not ideal for an artificial turf, and our players DID slip a lot. Perhaps we should consider a different kind of shoe before we play up there again, whenever that is.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

First, let me say that doing these stats was painful. I generally like to suppress painful memories. But it is what it is. The game was embarrassing and disappointing given the build-up but it is done. Time to move on. But first, here is a visit back to the scene, then in next post I'll comment:

 

[GTNavyNuke]

We did a lot right on ST. Golden had some nice returns (good blocking too). Butker had a few TBs. Rodwell had some good punts to go with the bad ones. Well that is being nice, he had 3 bad punts and 4 good ones.

We had a two point conversion, but I don’t call that a ST play since it’s really an O play for 3 yards with the first string O. You can call it ST if you want. It was a good play. I still believe we should go for 2 every time we score in the first 3 quarters and then let the situation decide in the fourth quarter. Our O is built for 2 point conversions.

But 10 years from now all I will probably remember about the game is that ND had a great defense and Butker couldn’t kick a FG to keep us in it. Butker had the same problem last year. I would replace him for short punts based on last year and this game. Last year he was 11 for 18 (108th in CFB). Here were his 6 misses and a block:
Woffard – 31 yard, don’t know hash
Tulane – 34 yard, right hash
VT – 30 yard right hash
Duke – 52 yard missed
Pitt – 37 yard, wind maybe a factor
Clemson – 48 yard
UGAg – blocked

CPJ’s loss of confidence in Butker was shown at 6:37 in the 3rd when CPJ went for it on the 32 on 4th and 16. That would have been a 49 yard attempt and well within Butker’s capability. We were only down 9 (7-16) so a FG would have made it a one score game. It was a toss up call but CPJ knows better Butker’s mind state better so I think CPJ was 98% likely to be right.

I hoped Butker had exorcised the demons at the UGAg game; now he has more demons. I expect CPJ to work around his short FG problems somehow.

Oh well, time to dismember Fluke. If we have a similar day, I’m taking a sabbatical.

 

[FatPat]

Great write up navy- do not know how we can do it - especially being a team game - as special teams are: but think about 4 things, The snap, the blocking, the hold, then the kick! Both missed field goals 3 of 4 were A's - the end product of that effort was an F? ND missed a EP, just rambling with rambling thoughts-- Thank you for your special teams insights- These guys will win us some games this year.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

[QInvesting in hypnosis for kickers would probably pay great dividends.UOTE="FatPat, post: 179049, member: 1529"]Great write up navy- do not know how we can do it - especially being a team game - as special teams are: but think about 4 things, The snap, the blocking, the hold, then the kick! Both missed field goals 3 of 4 were A's - the end product of that effort was an F? ND missed a EP, just rambling with rambling thoughts-- Thank you for your special teams insights- These guys will win us some games this year.[/QUOTE]

I agree on the FGs that were missed 3 of 4 parts were A's. And on most every play if one important person out of 6 or more doesn't do his job, the play fails. Happens on O or D and is what makes it so hard to defend against our O. But a thimbleful of **** in a barrel of 50 years old scotch makes a barrel-full of ****.