buncha fuckin geeds in here man
buncha fuckin geeds in here man
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LINCOLN — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini hopes a new series of drills that isolate positions within a punt return unit will help the Huskers strengthen a major weakness on special teams.
He’s spent time evaluating the punt return unit, which was responsible for two lost fumbles and set a school record for fewest yards per return (3.04) last season.
Taking feedback and advice from outside the program, the coach has his Huskers conducting a separate one-on-one drill for positions across the punt return unit so far this spring. Each Husker has taken part in the drills, aside from returners, linemen and quarterbacks. And the coaches — particularly Pelini — are teaching basic principles to players, while building an archive of practice film they’ll eventually use to fill a depth chart.
“I think it’s a good evaluation tool,” Pelini said. “I think the competition has been really good, as far as our guys’ approach to those drills, and some of the new things that we’re doing there. I think it’s going to help us be further ahead as far as identifying who can do what.”
Pelini has often been the first coach to explain the newest exercise to his players or the first to offer a critique. Most assistants are around the action as well, sharing pointers after every rep.
How to jam. How to turn and run. How to beat an opponent to a spot, and then absorb a hit. They’ve been instructing potential members of the punt coverage unit at the same time, too.
“It’s about identification, getting guys to compete, and finding who fits where as far as our units are concerned,” Pelini said.
The Huskers seemed to have the right mix on kickoff returns last year. Junior Kenny Bell returned a kickoff for a key touchdown against Penn State and ranked 18th nationally in kickoff return average (26.5 yards per attempt).
Nebraska’s average starting field position after kickoffs was the 25.9-yard line, a full yard more than its opponents’ average (24.9). NU had ranked last among league teams in that statistic during Big Ten play in 2012.
But the problems on punt returns persisted throughout the season, and they resulted in a big disadvantage in field position. The Huskers started 31 drives inside their own 20-yard line on punts last year, and 15 of those began inside the 10 (compared with 15 drives inside the 20 and three inside the 10 for opponents).
The issues didn’t center on just one spot.
Sophomore Jordan Westerkamp was the top returner in 2013, and he made some tough catches with opponents closing in. But he also had difficulty at times tracking the football and then securing it, occasionally lunging one way or falling backward when he hauled in the punt.
Pelini said Westerkamp and several other returners — including Ameer Abdullah, Jamal Turner and Brandon Reilly — have fielded twice as many punts in practice as usual for this time of year. They’re getting reps while the rest of the unit is doing the new drills, Pelini said.
And it has helped, Westerkamp said.
“I’ve just gotta keep working at it,” he said. “Every day, just get more consistent, catch as many as I can. Make it so natural, it just becomes so easy.”
But he needs help, too. So often last year, opponents had Westerkamp surrounded before the football hit his hands.
Part of the reason was Pelini’s preference to guard against the fake punt, often preferring to leave 10 members of his first-team defense on the field for the fourth-down kick (instead of the actual punt return unit). Most of the time, those defenders let opposing players sprint by them after the snap.
There are ways to be more aggressive with that “punt safe” unit, Pelini said. He’s considering changes.
“That’s part of having an attitude of how you go about punt safe,” he said. “There are times, I’ve got to admit, I’ve been cautious in some of my approaches there.”
Nebraska is looking to improve at the line of scrimmage in true return situations as well. Pelini said last year that the Huskers were regularly losing the battle in the first 15 to 20 yards downfield.
Junior Andy Janovich was on the return unit. The fullback from Gretna often would line up in the middle of the field, a couple of yards off his man, who’d take off downfield the moment the ball was snapped.
“I have to just try to keep my shoulder square on him as long as I can,” Janovich said. “If I’m able to get him on the release, that’s when I have the most success. Because if they get by me, they’ve got a straight line to the guy.”
Junior Charles Jackson was responsible for the opposing “gunners,” the players on the outside aiming to be the first downfield to cover the return man. Learning the proper footwork was the toughest part for him.
“I just try to ride him, try to ride him as long as I can and give the returner a clear read to try to cut off my back side,” Jackson said.
Film study helps, Jackson said. So do more practice reps.
And that’s what Nebraska is trying to accomplish this spring.
“All those drills that we do all simulate what we would do in an actual game,” Jackson said. “We just work at it, so it’ll be like second nature when we get out there.”arles Jackson was responsible for the opposing “gunners,” the players on the outside aiming to be the first downfield to cover the return man. Learning the proper footwork was the toughest part for him.
“I just try to ride him, try to ride him as long as I can and give the returner a clear read to try to cut off my back side,” Jackson said.
Film study helps, Jackson said. So do more practice reps.
And that’s what Nebraska is trying to accomplish this spring.
“All those drills that we do all simulate what we would do in an actual game,” Jackson said. “We just work at it, so it’ll be like second nature when we get out there.”
