With kicking situation settled by Journell’s return, Hokies aim to solve other special teams issues
Virginia Tech had one of its major issues solved when kicker Cody Journell was allowed back on the team last week, but questions persist about other facets of the Hokies’ special teams.
Beamer addressed a few of those issues at the ACC Kickoff last weekend. Specifically, why the team hasn’t blocked so many punts and kicks recently.
Once a calling card for the Hokies — you may have heard a reference or twenty about “Beamerball” during every TV telecast — blocks have been in decline lately. Virginia Tech had one block last year (a punt against Appalachian State that was recovered for a touchdown), matching its lowest total in the Beamer era.
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In fact, the Hokies haven’t recently approached their peak in 1998, when they blocked 12 punts, field goals and extra points. Beamer thinks part of the reason is the rising popularity of the three-man personal protector formation has made it more difficult to get to punts, although he added that should open up more opportunities in returns.
“Going to a three-man shield back there, those three guys are not usually great cover guys,” Beamer said. “So in effect, if you block the seven guys up front and get the thing started, then you’ll get some return yardage in there.”
True enough, Virginia Tech had strong numbers in the punt return game, even if it didn’t take one back for a touchdown. When healthy, Jayron Hosley was tops in the ACC’s best, averaging 12.7 yards per return. The Hokies ranked 30th nationally in punt returns, with a 10.8-yard average.
That number is consistent with what Tech has had in returns in recent years (12.4 in 2010, 10.8 in 2010), but still lower than the team’s hey-day from 1997 to 2003, when the Hokies never averaged fewer than 11.7 yards per return. The team peaked with an 18.2-yard average in 2000, boosted by All-American Andre Davis, who had a 22-yard average and returned three returns for touchdowns.
Beamer was encouraged by the return abilities of Kyshoen Jarrett and Dyrell Roberts in the spring. The former returned a punt for a touchdown in a scrimmage and the latter is the school’s all-time kick return leader, so Tech has some weapons.
The punting game, a thorn in the Hokies’ side last year and something that was bailed out by now-departed receiver Danny Coale by the end of last season, is another issue to watch this August. Tech ranked 108th nationally in net punting last year and last in the ACC.
Michael Branthover, Scott Demler and Ethan Keyserling rotated reps in the spring, although none was impressive enough to seize hold of the job. Beamer sounded optimistic about an incoming freshman like preferred walk-ons A.J. Hughes of Terre Haute, Ind., and Hunter Windmuller of Oakton getting into the mix.
“I think we’ve got a couple of freshmen coming in that are going to get a great opportunity to punt for us. I’m just looking for consistency,” Beamer said. “If you’re a good punter and a consistent punter and you’ve got good fundamentals, there’s no reason why you can’t carry that over from a practice to a game.”
Would Beamer have any hesitation using a true freshman punter to start the year?
“Not if he’s the best one we’ve got,” he said.
July 25, 2012 - 10:26 AM
If teams are employing the 3-man shield, how come teams can’t counter it by having a pair of blockers about 10 yards from the returner to initiate the return? Does NCAA rule prohibits innovation for returns?
I think it was brought up before, but if teams are using the 3-man shield, why don’t Beamer just instead tell his players to immediately back off and focus instead on creating running lanes?
Also, I wonder if blocking in the backs and clipping penalties have cut into the average of yards returned?
If you want to increase your punting average, recruit a punter and put him on scholarship.A AA school in W’burg just had a punter/kicker go to Delaware on scholarship who avg. 49.5 yards a punt in the all-star game and has kicked a field goal over 50 yards. I’m sure he would have jumped at the opportunity to play for TECH. There are others just as capable available. You get what you pay for. If you depend on walk-ons, even invited, you get what you get. Want to improve the kicking game, go find them and recruit them.
The reason that you don’t back off of a pass rush on a kick is pretty simple. Without pressure any punter can drive the ball a mile. Watch what a pro goal keeper can do with a soccer ball and no pressure. They routinely go 80 yards. Most can kick it over the opposing end line on the fly if they want. The reason they don’t is because their kick is an offensive play and they are trying to push their opponent on defense when they kick.
In football a QB can often throw a ball 65 yards in the air. What do you think a punter can do?
And when placement is the goal do you really want to give a kicker an unpressured shot at the coffin corner?
We have to put enough pressure on to make a block seem possible. Then we have to get back fast enough to cover. This is a real trick and the 3-man shield is a potent weapon. Someone will figure out how to defeat it just like someone has figured out pretty much how to defeat every innovation.
Always remember the football law of thermodynamics. For each and every action their is an equal and opposite reaction.
Evidently other teams have discovered ways to solve the 3-man blocking unit. Frank Beamer has not. That’s what it boils down to, other teams still block kicks, he hasn’t evolved.
Tom L makes a point – if Beamer really wanted to focus on kicking, he’d recruit a kicker and give him a scholarship. Just as if he really wanted to focus on blocking kicks, he’d use his best athletes on special teams, instead of mostly 2nd stringers as a way to rest his starters. Those are his priorities, more and more conservative every season.
Zman, I played as a goalie in high school, and I rarely needed to rush my kick because players not allowed to touch goalie with the ball in his hands. I was musing that if Beamer is concerned about having more yards per return, then maybe he need to focus on the blocking and running lanes technique. Unfortunately, often times, Tech have been flagged for illegal use of hands during returns, and that drives Beamer crazy.
I seem to remember one year Tech played Boston College, and they were done in by a former soccer player turned kicker for. Boston College. I know the sports is different, but some concept do apply. Going back to my goalie experience, I could easily boot a ball the entire field if I hit the ball just right and with the right follow through. I think this might be the problem with the punter lately. It seem to me they are having trouble with their technique. I remember reading that Beamer said the punters have good heights on their kick, but not the distance.
We’ll see how it goes this fall…