Fixing the Dawgs’ ‘scary’ special teams
If Blair Walsh was rushing his kicks, why didn't anyone on the coaching staff notice it? (Associated Press)
Along with the lack of experienced depth in the secondary and the rebuilding project on the offensive line, the aspect of Mark Richt’s Bulldogs causing the most offseason apprehension among fans is special teams, where Georgia will be starting brand-new kickers and trying to turn around last year’s dismal performance.
Plus, doing all of that without the benefit of a special teams coach or coordinator, as Richt stubbornly sticks to the Bobby Bowden model of going without one.
That’s a decision that many have questioned, and the topic came up again over the weekend thanks to a report out of Minnesota, where the Vikings are betting they can fix what was wrong with placekicker Blair Walsh during his disappointing senior season at UGA.
The Vikes’ special teams coordinator, Mike Priefer, told 1500espn.com that after working with Walsh and studying film of last season, he’s figured out how the ex-Bulldog went from one of the nation’s most reliable PKs to making only 21 of 35 field goal attempts.
“He was rushing every kick,” Priefer said. “Every kick he missed, he hit them well, but he was much too fast with his get off time. I don’t know if that was what he was coached to do, maybe that’s what he wanted to do.”
That last bit sounds somewhat like an indictment of Georgia’s special teams coaching … or, more accurately, lack of special teams coaching.
Whether Priefer has nailed it remains to be seen — and there’s still the suspicion that most of Walsh’s problem last season was between his ears — but there’s no doubt Richt’s staff was clueless about how to help their placekicker get back on track, basically leaving it up to the kid to fix himself.
Hopefully, incoming freshman placekicker Marshall Morgan and punter Collin Barber won’t arrive in Athens with any hitches in their mechanics that need diagnosing, because it appears Richt’s staff wouldn’t be able to help them much.
Of course, they weren’t much better at improving any other aspect of special teams play last season, which Richt himself summed up rather generously as “mostly average to scary.”
More scary than average, as the numbers show: Georgia ranked 116th out of 120 teams last year in punt return defense and merely 88th in kickoff return defense, allowing two kickoffs to be returned for touchdowns and another long return by Florida that set up a field goal.
It's off to the races for the Honey Badger against Georgia. (Associated Press)
At least it’s good to know that John Lilly, the assistant coach who oversees Georgia’s punt coverage unit, is still haunted by his team’s performance against LSU in the SEC championship game, where Tyrann Mathieu returned one punt 62 yards for a touchdown and another punt 42 yards to set up a score as the Dawgs quickly lost control of the game in the second half.
“You think about that game every day and what happened there,” Lilly recently told the Athens Banner Herald.
Lilly recognizes that coaching is a big part of special teams play: “We’ve got to do a great job of coaching it,” he told the ABH. “We’ve got to give them a great plan and scheme that fits our personnel and then we’ve got to get the right guys on there and then motivate them. Then, at the moment of truth, we’ve got to make the plays when they’re there to be made.”
He reiterated what Richt has indicated several times, that it’s “all hands on deck,” as the head coach put it, and that starters and other high-profile players need to take the place of the many walk-ons that have populated Georgia’s coverage teams in recent years.
Said Lilly: “You’ve got to put guys in the right place and I do think from a personnel standpoint, I think you’re going to see guys across classes. You’ll see everything from a true freshman to seniors out there. You’ll see everything from a high-draft pick to a guy that might be one in two or three years but hadn’t done it yet. We’ve got to do — I’ve got to do — a great job of motivating them and getting it done. The punter’s got to do a great job of putting the ball where we want it and how we want it there, and I think we’ll be very good again.”
Richt, at least, is talking the talk about special teams … finally. As he put it a few months ago, “If we’ve got to put a bunch of starters on defense on some specials or starters at wide receiver or whatever you’ve got to do — tailback, I don’t care what position. We’ve got to get the best guys out there and understand how crucial it is.”
And he said after spring practice that Georgia most likely will have more live kicking reps in fall practice than in the past because of breaking in a new punter and placekicker. “They need to be under pressure as much as possible and it’s hard to create that pressure unless you’re doing some live situations. But we also just need to see for our own eyes can a guy make a tackle out in the open. Drills are great, but when it gets down to it, you have to have that sensation of being able to corral a guy out there when you’re covering a punt or covering a kick. You need to have your punts rushed full speed to make sure there’s no problems.”
But as David Ching of ESPN’s Dawg Nation noted, “Georgia’s unsightly return defense average doesn’t even include other disasters for the punt team. South Carolina defensive lineman Melvin Ingram rumbled 68 yards for a touchdown on a fake punt, providing points that made a huge difference in the Gamecocks’ 45-42 win. And Vanderbilt nearly pulled off a massive upset a few weeks later when the Commodores blocked a Drew Butler punt in the closing seconds, with Butler’s touchdown-saving tackle being all that preserved the Bulldogs’ 33-28 win.”
Spending more time in practice on live kicks and getting more starters out on the field for kick coverage definitely sounds like a good idea, but beyond that I’d like to see a heightened sense of awareness on the part of both the players and the coaching staff. Last year Georgia was a sucker for a fake punt (not for the first time under Richt). And against LSU you watched the Dawgs punt with a true sense of foreboding because they didn’t seem to know how to counter the Tigers’ return game.
I’d like to see some variation in how the Dawgs approach punting — for instance, on occasion using the rugby kicks that so many teams used to good advantage against us last year. They’re tough to return, and in the SEC championship game, it certainly would have made more sense to kick those, or at the very least squibbers that are hard to pick up, to try and keep the Honey Badger from breaking a long return. Instead, we kicked it right to him and depended on our obviously suspect coverage.
In order for the Dawgs to have a chance of living up to the high preseason expectations that have been placed on this team, there’s going to have to be a major turnaround on special teams. Yes, on-field execution is a key, and that’s on the players up to a point. But coaching is a big part of college football, and the approach taken with Walsh and the punting game last year certainly isn’t going to get it done.
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337 comments Add your comment
AltamahaDawg
June 26th, 2012
12:53 pm
We gave up 2 TD on punts in 2011, which was the only one in 5 yrs ,
so not sure that screams “systemic issues” as much as problems with that squad.
And 2 td On KO’s (which so did Alabama FWIW).
Did leave some points on the FG misses, but the large majority of those were 45+ yrd, which no other kicker attempted nearly as many as Walsh.
T-Dawg
June 26th, 2012
12:58 pm
Belin did a good job with special teams… what did he do that made such a difference?
Dawg Haus
June 26th, 2012
12:59 pm
Boykin was clearly the difference maker on special teams last year. Has anybody heard anything new on a potential kick returner for 2012? I know Damian Swann’s name was mentioned a good bit and I’ve heard some chatter about trying to make Malcolm Mitchell the next Boykin, but I haven’t heard anything definitive.
SlotRec
June 26th, 2012
1:00 pm
If I am Spurrier or Muschamp or Mizzou, I actually GAMEPLAN to beat UGA with Special Teams, it’s THAT bad. Teams will be spending a lot of time this off season GAMEPLANNING to take adntage of UGA’s ANEMIC Special Teams emphasis.
It’s part of the formula for beating UGA that teams like SC & LSU exploited.
The SECRET is OUT:
UGA doesn’t emphasize special teams, doesn’t practice much, and doesn’t hit hard when they do practice, and you can beat them if you win that phase.
DawginLex
June 26th, 2012
1:01 pm
i think Brandon Smith wants in the mix and possibly Mitchell
DawginLex
June 26th, 2012
1:03 pm
SlotRec
June 26th, 2012
1:00 pm
If I am Spurrier or Muschamp or Mizzou, I actually GAMEPLAN to beat UGA with Special Teams, it’s THAT bad. Teams will be spending a lot of time this off season GAMEPLANNING to take adntage of UGA’s ANEMIC Special Teams emphasis.
It’s part of the formula for beating UGA that teams like SC & LSU exploited.
The SECRET is OUT:
UGA doesn’t emphasize special teams, doesn’t practice much, and doesn’t hit hard when they do practice, and you can beat them if you win that phase.
*******************
You are at practice? Did you take pictures to share to show us or video to show us how we don’t hit in practice?
Dawg Haus
June 26th, 2012
1:04 pm
Branden Smith wouldn’t be a bad choice, Lex. If he can get some consistency going with his returns, his speed would leave opposing players in the dust.
dap01
June 26th, 2012
1:04 pm
I love UGA and I love CMR but the Dawgs have for the past few years had to most poorly prepared special team leadership and coaching in the nation. There are highschool teams that have a better grasp on special teams than UGA.
CMR needs to quit trying to do things the same yet expecting different results.
Wake up CMR, work on special teams as much as you worked on that new contract.
SlotRec
June 26th, 2012
1:07 pm
Richt’s admitted too many drills, not enough enough contact or real live situations. All to protect against injury.
SSIgator
June 26th, 2012
1:12 pm
“no doubt Richt’s staff was clueless”
You gotta love articles about UGA football. Even in the mountains of trash that is written about it, one sometimes finds an accurate assessment that cuts to the heart of the matter.
Holy Guacamole
June 26th, 2012
1:15 pm
I agree that special teams last year were attrocious. However, most of the games we lost last year were lost in the second half either through being out coached ( not adjusting) or more probably, lack of depth and turnovers.
hornblowermg
June 26th, 2012
1:16 pm
let’s hear it for Hutson Mason. don’t forget cmr’s stubbornness about his decision not to start his best qb instead of his favorite qb.
DawginLex
June 26th, 2012
1:21 pm
hornblowermg
What are you going to do during the season this year while Murray racks up wins and stats and Mason redshirts?
What are you going to do next year when murray plays again and Mason sits?
What are you going to do in 2014, when Mason has his chance and Lemay beats him out?
SSIgator
June 26th, 2012
1:24 pm
“because it appears Richt’s staff wouldn’t be able to help them much”
Another straight to the point, honest comment. And exactly why is it that Richt is being paid over $3,000,000 a year as head coach?
SSIgator
June 26th, 2012
1:26 pm
“Richt, at least, is talking the talk”
Oops, I just found the answer to my own question.
fix the broken record
June 26th, 2012
1:26 pm
mark richt needs a special teams coach…no he don’t he’s GREAT…no he isn’t he’s terrible….shut up he is GREAT…..no he isn’t….blah blah blah
keith
June 26th, 2012
1:27 pm
Why don’t CMR coach special teams himself if we can’t add a coach and he doesn’t want to give up a position coach.
Dogs are loaded at QB @Hornblower
June 26th, 2012
1:27 pm
Here we have Murray, preseason all SEC by many who cover college football for a living, and one of top 2 QBs in SEC selected by SEC coaches such as Saban, Spurrier, Miles, etc., and called by one pro scout one of top 25 pro prospects in country at any position, and yet Richt has a better QB on the bench?
Who knew? Of course, given the choice of going by the UGA coaching staff, the people mentioned above, or a poster on the internet, I am having a tough time of who to believe.
Think I will go with Hornblower, he has probably developed some Heisman winners and a couple of pro bowl QBs.
Flo-Ri-Duh
June 26th, 2012
1:32 pm
UGA needs a special teams coach – not a patchwork committee. Time for Richt to realize if it doesn’t work – fix it.
Flo-Ri-Duh
June 26th, 2012
1:33 pm
Murray won’t be on special teams and is not in this discussion.
Stick to the subject.
Big Albany Dawg
June 26th, 2012
1:36 pm
Thru the uprights on kickoffs. Out of bounds on punts (angled of course).
Michael
June 26th, 2012
1:45 pm
Just hope we have some kickers that are better than the G Day game.
Never seen such poor kicking.
old dog
June 26th, 2012
1:45 pm
@Holy,
By the second half, most other teams adjusted after they realized we were kinda weak in two kinds of blocking: run-blocking and pass-blocking! (lol) This was not as much getting out coached as it was getting out manned. Took several teams awhile to figure out our o-line was lacking. After they did, though, it was on. Hopefully we adjust this year. Hard to call a game (Bobo and Murray) when you are running for your life. Not all the o-lines fault, but they sure did NOT show up for the big games.
Chris Mike
June 26th, 2012
1:47 pm
Georgia will be good in the return game. Just put K. Marshall back their and lets see that 4.3 speed in the open field since Bobo will not show it in the offense. Kicking im not worried about , because Ga always have good kickers. Now lets get to the tackling on special teams, hmm I got it let most of your players be guys he actually play on defense. This is the Mike shannon way. Your best players on the field all the time. Just expressing how I sit every week and watch guys that is a walk on trying to tackle an al al-american on LSU.
Contractor
June 26th, 2012
1:55 pm
How are fans just now getting worried about Special Teams? I was worried two years ago when we started missing routine kicks that lost Georgia football games. I am actually breathing a sigh of relief that Walsh is gone and the team gets another kicker in there with a fresh slate. Walsh had a heck of a leg, but it got mental with him the last couple of years, and I am feeling better about a new leg than I would if Walsh was returning.
Just wondering
June 26th, 2012
1:56 pm
Would Jimmy Carter be upset with UGA, if they employ “drone” hitting on the opposing team?
7576DAWG
June 26th, 2012
1:57 pm
Belin not only did a great job as linebacker coach he was great with Special Teams and that effort should have made him one of the highest paid coaches an the staff. If that had happened he would probably still be at Georgia and we would have won 2 to 4 more games last year and the games that were close that we won wouldn’t have been close.
As smart as CMR is I can’t believe he doesn’t see the need for a special teams coach knowing how many games in the last 20 years have been won or lost by no more than 3 points.
Dawg Haus
June 26th, 2012
1:57 pm
Morgan seems to be the real deal at kicker. I’m not too worried about the position for 2012.
Dr. Don
June 26th, 2012
1:59 pm
Hey, the same coaches you are criticizing made Walsh the BEST kicker in the country for the three previous years. No mention of that.
Special teams is NOT 1/3 of the game. Out of 150+ plays there are not 50 punts and kick-offs. Some games there aren’t ANY punts. More like 10%. Still need to make that 10% as good as we possibly can. Not sure what the reasoning is for splitting up the coaching duties. Seems like accountability would be better if there were one guy to took at after the game.
Alphare
June 26th, 2012
2:00 pm
Bill,
can you pass my name to CMR that I can serve as his special team coach?
Guaranteed to be better than some of his current coaches or 50% off no questions asked.
7576DAWG
June 26th, 2012
2:00 pm
With the many rule changes that go into affect in 2012 I hope that means more kick off’s will not be run out of the end zone since a touch back will start on the 25 yard line.
nate from detroit
June 26th, 2012
2:02 pm
While I can’t defend our special teams play last year, Bill you reference the lack of knowing how to defend LSU’s punt returns. Go watch a replay of the game and on the 2 long returns there were 4 obvious blocks in the back that weren’t called and we know that honey toker flipped the ball out of bounds through the side of the end zone before he crossed the goal line. How do you defend those things happening? I’m no Oliver Stone but there was no way we were going to win that game. If we had won and if LSU had been knocked out of the BS championship can you imagine the money that would have been lost to the SEC. Follow the money boys!
WDE
June 26th, 2012
2:03 pm
@hornblowermg CMR’s favorite QB is the BEST QB…troll on..
Lakedawg
June 26th, 2012
2:04 pm
Sickgator—Son youneed to worry about your own coach muschomp blowing games. CMR will be around long after that jerl is gone.
Folks Blair Walsh will not make throught he year at pro level, will be basket case by 3rd game.
Coach is well aware that Dawgs could have been 12-2 last year without poor special teams. Both kickers will be better in critical situations than last years two. Plus word out of Athens is Coach Lilly and Olivadotti both will be devoting much more time to improve these units, plus better athletes on field. There is a reason for recruiting these 4.3 40 type players.
Jonkdawg
June 26th, 2012
2:07 pm
I believe we need SSIgator to be Uga head coach, please send in your resume..and let us know if you have done so.
RedWhiner
June 26th, 2012
2:12 pm
The South Carolina game was lost from Murray’s pick 6, and fumble for td, those 14 points were the difference.
The LSU game was lost from Murray’s 3 turnovers.
And special teams didn’t play a big role in the other 2 losses, Murray did in the Mich St loss with his 3 turnover game.
Richt’s right on special teams, ignore them, they don’t matter.
But Richt is wrong on Murray, bench him, because he’s the reason we’re 0-9 vs. the last 9 teams that finished top 25.
BromoDawg
June 26th, 2012
2:12 pm
What ever happened to kicking to the coffin corner in football? Can’t run back a punt that flies out of bounds at the 5 yard line or so.
Contractor
June 26th, 2012
2:17 pm
RedWhiner,
The South Carolina game was lost by the field goal that went 50 yards wide left. The turnover didn’t help, but the missed field goal were points within grasp, not a freak fumble returned for a touchdown.
RedWhiner
June 26th, 2012
2:18 pm
Richt used to be able to get by with bad special teams in the “Pre Murray” era.
But in the “Murray era”, with Murray being able to be counted on for 20 turnovers and 35 sacks a season, thise 50+ negative plays from the QB position in the “Murray era–aka “The Lost Years”, all bets are off.
Murray is a 1 man wrecking ball.
Charles
June 26th, 2012
2:19 pm
So, Bill…who do you propose we fire in order to hire this special teams coach?
RedWhiner
June 26th, 2012
2:21 pm
Murray cost us 14 in the South Carolina game with his 2 turnovers for td’s. No special teams gaffes compared to the 2 td’s Murray” The 1 man wrecking ball” Murray handed to South Carolina.
My pals are starting to wonder if Murray is paid by Vegas guys, because he gives so many games away.
DawginLex
June 26th, 2012
2:25 pm
SSI is no candidate to be head coach. You see, she is carrying a huge grudge against Richt. Notice how she always references him being a bartender in Miami? Well, guess who was in the bar all the time and he never would pay her any attention? SSI
Still mad she is not the watergirl
Dawg Haus
June 26th, 2012
2:26 pm
RedWhiner, I believe special teams had a say in the USCe loss, as well. Remember that touchdown on the fake punt?
Alphare
June 26th, 2012
2:27 pm
UGA doesn’t have much of a running game. As a result, it has to depend on Murray’s arm. Murray can show flash of brilliance, but overall he is a little more than average QB.
DawginLex
June 26th, 2012
2:27 pm
redwhiner
Football is a team game. No one player loses a game.
Get some new material to go along with your 200 blog handles. We have read it all before.
You and your buddies need to go have a tickle pile
BP85
June 26th, 2012
2:27 pm
We’ve been getting caught w/our pants down on fake punts all the way back to the Sugar Bowl game against West Virginia w/regard to out punt return team.
Also, we need more guys that are hungry, playmakers like Blake Sailors on punt and kick-off coverage. Blake S. is in on every play unless he’s double-teamed, held or tackled. That’s what you get w/speed and desire.
DawginLex
June 26th, 2012
2:28 pm
alphare
UGA averaged 181 yards per game rushing which was 3rd in the SEC with 1 running back.
A lot of this blog spew is inaccurate and needs to be questioned and corrected with facts.
RedWhiner
June 26th, 2012
2:28 pm
Murray lost the South Carolina game by handing them 14 points. UGA was fravored to win that one.
Vegas made a lot of money off Murray’s 2 td gifts.
RedWhiner
June 26th, 2012
2:32 pm
If you want to make some bucks, lay it all on South Carolina.
Remember, Aaron “The 1 man wrecking ball” Murray, is 0-9 vs. teams that finish top 25.
Murray always finds a way to lose when UGA is favored in a big game.
It’s the safest bet in Wall St.
Contractor
June 26th, 2012
2:32 pm
RedWhiner,
I think you are spot on that Aaron Murray has caused a lot of trouble in his years under center with his careless decisions and ball handling. It’s not all of his fault though with the line Georgia has fielded and the non production of his backs and receivers in recent years. I believe he has had some amazing moments as well and has put us in place to win games.
The reason I fault the Special Teams for the South Carolina loss was because Walsh shanked the ball worse than any of our golf shots with a minimal rush and the rest of the line blocked like they were supposed to, he just missed it. I also fault Bobo’s crappy conservative play calling where he loves to sit on three and seven point leads against teams that have the ability to score at any second. But I am still chalking up the South Carolina loss on Special Teams, and I feel they lost us more games than Murray, especially considering the percentage of time they each control the ball. Murray does way more with the responsibility on his shoulders than Walsh ever did. Entire offense for Murray, kickoffs and field goals for Walsh.