In an 8 point game ...

[Pudge]

We have to point out the significant deficiency of our Special Teams as something that has to improve.

And YES HCRE 1.0 had very good specials.

Illinois with booming out-of-the-endzone kickoffs + no major leaks on kick coverage + punts that placed us inside the 15 yard line frequent + the booming leg of the end of half 53 yarder (that would have been good from 65) ... CONTRAST with poor tackling&coverage that gave the Illini field starts beyond their 40 + Luke flubbing a few + some odd Fair Catch ideas + the sheer frequency of the variance of the B1G team playing this. It was unnerving for a second game. It has to get far better; particularly kickoff tackles - need to get to them before the 20 & that means the kick has to be deeper & high.

If we are to Win with some frequency this year, we cannot have this kind of disparity.

 

[huskyrob1]

We have to point out the significant deficiency of our Special Teams as something that has to improve.

And YES HCRE 1.0 had very good specials.

Illinois with booming out-of-the-endzone kickoffs + no major leaks on kick coverage + punts that placed us inside the 15 yard line frequent + the booming leg of the end of half 53 yarder (that would have been good from 65) ... CONTRAST with poor tackling&coverage that gave the Illini field starts beyond their 40 + Luke flubbing a few + some odd Fair Catch ideas + the sheer frequency of the variance of the B1G team playing this. It was unnerving for a second game. It has to get far better; particularly kickoff tackles - need to get to them before the 20 & that means the kick has to be deeper & high.

If we are to Win with some frequency this year, we cannot have this kind of disparity.

Oddly enough, last year IIRC we were a little better at kickoff and punt returns. I recall Tyler Coyle and Keyion Dixon were our guys doing that for the most part. Dixon of course is gone now.

 

[businesslawyer]

We do have to get better, but this is a problem for young teams, because the young ones who should be playing special teams as freshman are instead starting because there is little ahead of them. I don't think this is a scheme issue (like the UNC punting game) -- this is just a problem of the other team throwing out bigger and faster athletes.

But our specialists -- the kickers and returners -- need to be better, save Harris who is still perfect.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Kicking looked awful. They had what 1 touchback? It seemed like every kick of was 10 yards in front of then endzone

 

[gioff2323]

I’d give the kicker maybe another game - he was injured in week 1. If he’s not hitting deeper balls in next game or 2, worry.

 

[businesslawyer]

I’d give the kicker maybe another game - he was injured in week 1. If he’s not hitting deeper balls in next game or 2, worry.

No, we changed kickoff kickers from game 1 to game 2. It was Idenn, who did it last year, in game 1 and Young, the transfer from FIU (or FAU if they're not really the same school) in game 2.

 

[gioff2323]

No, we changed kickoff kickers from game 1 to game 2. It was Idenn, who did it last year, in game 1 and Young, the transfer from FIU (or FAU if they're not really the same school) in game 2.

Sorry, my point was young was “injured” in week 1 and did not dress. Complaining about his lack of a deep ball might be premature 1 week in from an injury. I know we switched, I was merely suggesting we give kid time to heal from whatever kept him out of Wagner game.

 

[Pudge]

No, we changed kickoff kickers from game 1 to game 2. It was Idenn, who did it last year, in game 1 and Young, the transfer from FIU (or FAU if they're not really the same school) in game 2.

FIU and FAU are not the same school.

Florida International U. is the one that had a pedestrian bridge to residential housing collapse killing several. Sure there is a lawsuit somehow in that.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

We were kicking into the wind a lot.
@mikedog10

 

[jdb50]

It seemed like the only one making tackles for us on specials was Swenson #44. There was 10 other players running down the field hoping someone else made the tackle. Our punter and kickoff guy need to up their game. It was a very mediocre showing by them.