Let's talk punt returns

[Palatine]

Marshall had a nice one yesterday, led to their only TD. But I digress.

In 2015, UConn returned 5 punts during the entire season. This was was an NCAA low for FBS. No other team was in single digits. They were dead last, 127th to be precise.

They returned those 5 punts for a total of 2 yards. That right, 2 yards (.40 per return). Dead last again.

There is only one reason for these numbers. Diaco coaches scared. My guess is that he thinks any put we don't fumble is great return.

For a coach that depends on his defense to carry his team and the for his offense to take advantage of opportunities as they are presented, this approach to punt returns basically ensures that they lose the field position battle every game. That his offense is constantly in a hole.

Maturity will not fix this problem. Unless it is the maturation of the coach. He has to have more confidence in his team. He has to believe if there is a mistake, they will overcome it. And he has to give his players the chance to make a play. It sure appears that when it comes to punt returns - he doesn't even try.

 

[huskymedic]

Maturity will not fix this problem.

No, but more playmakers w/ technique, vision and speed will. Who specifically should have been back there after Lemelle went down?

 

[sdhusky]

It sure appears that when it comes to punt returns - he doesn't even try.

It's almost like he thinks there are bigger issues.

Personally, if you told me in August we would be bowling and last in punt returns, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.

 

[whaler11]

The only real question is how long does the temper tantrum last and how many new threads are we gifted as part of it.

I miss the good old days when me and Jimmy were the ones ruining the Boneyard.

 

[Palatine]

So you guys are good with the punt return game?

 

[uconnfan68]

So you guys are good with the punt return game?

No, Larry Taylor and Nick Williams spoiled us. But they aren't coming back.

 

[huskymedic]

So you guys are good with the punt return game?

No, but I don't agree that it's because of the reasons you listed.

You also avoided answering the question... Who on the current team should have been back there? Lemelle was the lesser of the evils but not stellar before he was injured. This is not a plug and play position as you make it out to be.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This is peak Boneyard. Ignore the obvious problem and just blame the coaches.

 

[CTMike]

There is another reason, but no convincing ol football mastermind Pal over there.

We lack sufficient depth to excel in special teams- it's the area of the game most dependent on depth. We aren't there yet, but there are signs that it's building. Hopefully it's better next year.

 

[FDNY99]

Marshall had a nice one yesterday, led to their only TD. But I digress.

In 2015, UConn returned 5 punts during the entire season. This was was an NCAA low for FBS. No other team was in single digits. They were dead last, 127th to be precise.

They returned those 5 punts for a total of 2 yards. That right, 2 yards (.40 per return). Dead last again.

There is only one reason for these numbers. Diaco coaches scared. My guess is that he thinks any put we don't fumble is great return.

For a coach that depends on his defense to carry his team and the for his offense to take advantage of opportunities as they are presented, this approach to punt returns basically ensures that they lose the field position battle every game. That his offense is constantly in a hole.

Maturity will not fix this problem. Unless it is the maturation of the coach. He has to have more confidence in his team. He has to believe if there is a mistake, they will overcome it. And he has to give his players the chance to make a play. It sure appears that when it comes to punt returns - he doesn't even try.

Pal we get it...you hate Diaco...you long for the return of the days when your BFF's Paul P and George D were roaming the sidelines.

 

[kcc1442]

I agree. But not sure how to assess or whose fault it is. I mean we could be much better here. And some games are won in the special teams phase of the game. It's also not just the lack of return but sometimes the lack of catch when we let the ball roll to our 4 yard line pinning us deep. However, two years is a small sample size in the fact that I don't know if Diaco, or maybe its the special teams coordinators, fault for teaching that philosophy or whether its something more akin to watching numerous dropped punts in practice. Maybe he just doesn't have a reliable punt returner yet. Remains to be seen.

 

[whaler11]

So you guys are good with the punt return game?

Solid conclusion.

We already have been down this road. In 2005-2006 UConn's specials sucked.

We went round and round on the topic and the posters who hang out with the parents told us it was Edsall -he couldn't coach specials - he didn't even try to coach the kickers so on and so forth.

Turned out it was the players as UConn rode Specials to the Fiesta.

Vitale is just this season's version of Sanchez. When the roster is fixed - punt returns will be fixed.

 

[SubbaBub]

Special teams are stuck in 2 -10 vintage. Last season, the entire squad looked incapable of playing organized football. This season most of the units passed that test to the tune of 6 wins which included one nice one (UH), one decent one against a non-bowl team (ECU), and a lot of well yeah they should beaten that team if they have a pulse (Nova, Army, UCF, Tulane) They also lost to every other bowl eligible team played and one to a non-bowl Missouri in which they only needed to score 10 points to win.

The obvious point is there needs to be improvement in the OL and the passing game. There need to be improvement at LB and QB pressure. We also need to get more out of the passing game, regardless of the quality of OL play. Many times yesterday, the line gave the QB enough time to throw or even throw it away and neither happened. This is partially a function of battle fatigue but that can't be used as an excuse.

Lastly, to the point of the thread. Our entire special teams game plan consists of defending against the fake and not turning the ball over on returns. This means no blocking, no catching, just let the ball be downed or roll into the endzone. This is not acceptable and will prevent beating evenly matched teams or inferior teams that make ST plays or force turnovers. I believe it the adage that in order to win you need to win two of the three phases, offense, defense, and special teams. Turnovers count too, but you can't count on that year to year. This year we had a good margin, any less and we would have stayed home again. We can't pass on one third of the game.

 

[SubbaBub]

Solid conclusion.

We already have been down this road. In 2005-2006 UConn's specials sucked.

We went round and round on the topic and the posters who hang out with the parents told us it was Edsall -he couldn't coach specials - he didn't even try to coach the kickers so on and so forth.

Turned out it was the players as UConn rode Specials to the Fiesta.

Vitale is just this season's version of Sanchez. When the roster is fixed - punt returns will be fixed.

So in year 3, we can expect this to be fixed? I think that is all anyone is saying.

 

[whaler11]

So in year 3, we can expect this to be fixed? I think that is all anyone is saying.

You can expect whatever you like. They don't actually impact what happens.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Special teams need to improve. KO coverage was okay, punt coverage was well above average.

KO returns is below average and punt returns is unacceptable.

No way UConn should have been this poor for the whole season. Yes, this is a failure on the coaching staff to identify any one individual capable of catching and returning a kick. I will not be convinced that UConn has less talent than every D1 team.

If someone wants to make the case that special teams coaching has finite hours and wanted to concentrate on certain areas and the staff decided punt returns wasn't going to be improved, I'll listen. It's a viable argument that they decided not fumbling and not letting the ball bounce was all they had time to practice this year.

I don't believe that there wasn't anyone on the team with the talent to return punts.

 

[noeynox]

@Palatine , does have a point. On a team with 105 players, there isn't a single one he can trust returning punts? I get the OP is the one the board loves to hate but his overall point is a good one. Your playing bend but don't break defense and conservative offense. A punt return once a while would be nice to possibly give our bend but dont' break offense a better chance at points. Diaco does seem to be terrified of turnovers to the point of paralysis sometimes. I'm hopeful that he is improving the team in increments and soon this will be fixed as well.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I think if anyone else had posted this thread, there would be widespread consensus.

Yes, the fact that we never return punts is embarrassing. It hurts us on the field (literally, in field position) and it's another aspect of the coaching (in addition to the constant timeouts and delays-of-game) that makes us look small-time.

 

[FDNY99]

I think if anyone else had posted this thread, there would be widespread consensus.

Yes, the fact that we never return punts is embarrassing. It hurts us on the field (literally, in field position) and it's another aspect of the coaching (in addition to the constant timeouts and delays-of-game) that makes us look small-time.

You're still here?

 

[Husky68]

I think if anyone else had posted this thread, there would be widespread consensus.

Yes, the fact that we never return punts is embarrassing. It hurts us on the field (literally, in field position) and it's another aspect of the coaching (in addition to the constant timeouts and delays-of-game) that makes us look small-time.

Agree. And the lack of punt return attempts doesn't even consider the period of games where UConn didn't even attempt to field punts and lost many yards of field position due to letting the ball roll. For a team that is vastly under average in offensive yards gained per game, bad field position just makes the conservative offensive play calling result in more and more weight on the defense.

 

[pnow15]

If memory serves me, when Miami went 17-0, they had their two safeties fair catching about every punt. Not committing a penalty and not letting the ball bounce might actually be more effective than the occasional long return.

 

[BlueDogs]

It's a function of coaching and emphasizing low risk, no mistake football. It's part of the bend don't break, don't throw to middle of the field, short swing passes and screens approach. It's a great approach to reach .500 since turnover ratios have high correlations with win/losses. Of course, low risk means low returns (no pun intended).

 

[huskymedic]

I don't believe that there wasn't anyone on the team with the talent to return punts.

On a team with 105 players, there isn't a single one he can trust returning punts?

... but who? (I don't have the answer either).

We saw that next man up was Vitale. If there was someone who had the chance to excel, I just have a real hard time believing we didn't see them in game action (unless it's an issue about protecting the future roster - meaning not burning a redshirt).

I don't think anyone is arguing that this aspect of the team needs significant improvement...

 

[noeynox]

... but who? (I don't have the answer either).

We saw that next man up was Vitale. If there was someone who had the chance to excel, I just have a real hard time believing we didn't see them in game action (unless it's an issue about protecting the future roster - meaning not burning a redshirt).

I don't think anyone is arguing that this aspect of the team needs significant improvement...

It would be a guess on anyone's part. One of the CBs? I don't know, but a huge, huge part of the problem was that they weren't setting up punt returns at all. Many times we were in a shell defensive alignment with a returner back. Simply put, our punt return game consisted of having a man back there to sometimes catch the ball.

 

[formerlurker]

I miss the good old days when me and Jimmy were the ones ruining the Boneyard.