A bye week review: Taking a look at the special teams
We’ve reviewed the offense and the defense the last two days to fill time during the bye week. Now for the special teams.
Feel free to agree or disagree with my selections. The comments section is open for it.
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Rankings:
** Net punting: 36.21 avg. (77th nationally, 8th ACC)
** Punt returns: 12.48 avg. (23rd nationally, 6th ACC)
** Kickoff returns 23.23 avg. (42nd nationally, 5th ACC)
High point: It’s tough to pick one game where everything came together, so I’ll go with the best highlight of the year — Kyshoen Jarrett‘s 94-yard punt return for a touchdown against Pittsburgh. The return was pretty and Ronny Vandyke leveled two would-be tacklers with one block, springing Jarrett up the sideline. You can’t draw it up much better than that.
Also considered: Cody Journell‘s late FGs vs. Georgia Tech, A.J. Hughes vs. Cincinnati, Demitri Knowles‘ kick return vs. UNC
Low point: The Hokies had a kick return for a touchdown by Knowles against North Carolina, but it wasn’t enough to undo some special teams gaffes. UNC’s Sean Tapley returned a kick 94 yards for a touchdown, the first TD Tech has given up on a kick return in 237 games. Later in the first quarter, J.R. Collins jumped offsides when the Tar Heels were lining up for a field goal. It gave them a first down and they capitalized with a touchdown. That’s 11 points you can attribute directly to the special teams.
Also considered: Hughes dropping snap vs. GT, Christian Reeves touching short punt, turning it over at Clemson
Biggest surprise: Hughes hasn’t been an All-ACC caliber punter, but relative to what the Hokies had last year, he’s been outstanding. The freshman walk-on has a 40.1-yard average through eight games. That’s still ninth in the ACC, but it’s nearly three and a half yards better than last year, when Michael Branthover and Scott Demler struggled all season before being bailed out by Danny Coale at the end of the year. Hughes has had some shanks, but he’s shown a big leg at times too. Against Cincinnati he had punts of 55, 56 and 57 yards.
Also considered: Jarrett, Knowles, Journell
Biggest disappointment: Virginia Tech has been solid across the board on special teams, but the blocked punts that helped define “Beamer Ball” have been few and far between. Tony Gregory blocked a punt against Austin Peay. Hokies fans gave a collective yawn. Virginia Tech hasn’t blocked a punt against an FBS opponent since the Boise State game to open 2010.
Also considered: Jumping offsides on FG defense a couple times
Special teams MVP: Journell has had a heck of a season, making 10 of 11 field goals and coming up clutch against Georgia Tech to send the game to overtime and win it. But Jarrett, I think, has been more influential in the punt return game. He jumpstarted a team that appeared to be sleepwalking against Austin Peay with a 46-yard return. The next week, he had the 94-yarder for a touchdown against Pitt. His 18.1-yard average is fourth nationally. It makes you wonder why the Hokies ever put Michael Holmes back there.
Also considered: Journell, Hughes, Knowles, Alonzo Tweedy
Telling stat: Take Coale’s punts out of last year’s stats and Hughes’ 40.1-yard average is 5.2 yards better than the combination of Branthover and Demler.
Telling stat, Part II: The Hokies have had only one blocked punt in each of the last five years. At its height, in 1998, “Beamer Ball” produced eight blocked punts.
Telling stat, Part III: In 31 kickoffs, Brooks Abbott has eight touchbacks and opponents are starting at their own 29-yard line on average. In 14 kickoffs, Michael Branthover has seven touchbacks and opponents are starting at their own 17-yard line. Abbott has handled kickoffs the last five games.
Outlook: It’s erroneous to say that “Beamer Ball” is back, not when the thing that defined that era of special teams play so much — blocked kicks/punts — has been close to non-existent this year. But the special teams, as a whole, have been solid this season. Journell has been reliable, Jarrett and Knowles explosive threats and Hughes a major upgrade from a last year. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Alonzo Tweedy being a standout on the coverage teams. That covers all the bases on special teams.
What’s still lacking is the momentum-changing plays that have defined Virginia Tech’s special teams for so long. There have been the returns by Jarrett and Knowles, but the Hokies seem to have given away momentum more than they are taking it. They gave up the kick return for a touchdown against UNC. They’ve jumped offsides on field goal attempts twice, both of which led to touchdowns. They turned it over in a crucial time at Clemson when Reeves couldn’t get out of the way of a wayward punt. Those things add up over the course of a season and are part of the reason for Tech’s 4-4 record.
October 25, 2012 - 11:24 AM
Is Charley Wiles the coach of the punt block team?
Even at their best the Hokies blocked punts against inferior competition only and were exposed against teams with comparable athletes.
Running into the punter/kicker at the exact wrong time; that’s Beamer Ball.
Andy, you totally left out the BITB penalties which have had the already anemic VT offense starting in one heck of a hole.
Another observation, but has anyone looked at our PAT team that defends the opponents PAT? Those guys sre just going through the motions. The PAT is conceded before even kicked.
Whatever happened to 2 point defensive conversions?
Actually… Branthover had 14 kickoffs and half were for touchbacks (7 of the 14). Also, the Kickoff Team was ranked #21 in the Nation with him doing the Kickoffs. Without him… they are currently ranked #82 in the Nation.
Thanks for the article.
Punt average (net yards) never gets me excited as so much depends on the circumstances of individual punts (like where you are usually kicking from). However, middle of the pack performance does indicate middle of the pack performance and I would like us to be a little better.
Returns are killing me, particularly on kickoffs. We need some threats.
You’re right, it’s 14 kickoffs for Branthover. Not 17.
Zman, you’re right, but you figure punters are going to have pretty similar situations they are punting out of each and every year.
I can’t imagine Demler and Branthover’s punting average last year was low because they were punting on short fields all the time.
Overall, I think Hughes is doing a decent job with punts, thus far.
In fairness… Branthover (punting last year)averaged 36.6 yards/punt. He was thrust into duty in game 6 and his redshirt was burned. Would have been nice to start game one and have the early “easier” games to get the kinks out. His 1st punt was a 52-yarder against Miami(FL)and that game started a nice winning streak. Next game (at Wake) he was Special Teams Player of the Game.
Did he have some poor punts… sure. Did he have some good punts… absolutely. Branthover also tied for the 2nd longest punt in VT History. Lastly, he had 7 of 25 punts inside the 20.
VT won every game when he punted (the only punter, of the 3, last year). Am I saying he won those games… NO! I am saying he did not lose any games for VT. Why? Because VT was 6-0 when he started as Punter.
Overall, Branthover did a pretty darn good job under all those circumstances.
Just trying to be fair during an election year
Thanks!
“Taking a look at the Coaches” ? ? ?
Biggest disappointment: ___________ . . .
@#8…. is that you Michael Branthover???
Nope. Just a concerned Hokie trying to get the facts out there. I was actually surprised when I researched Branthover’s punts inside the 20 last year. 28% is not too shabby!
The special team is a head scratcher for me. They can look absolutely dominating, and then absolutely befuddling at in the next series. I have heard repeatedly that ever since Beamer held a special team clinic teams have figured out a way to overcome Beamerball.
UNC was the first team in a very long time to score on a kickoff return. It was bound to happen eventually.
I think Hughes is a solid punter. I am also not sure if I agree with Beamer’s strategy of having a high, hanging kickoff in hope of limiting opponents to less than 20 yards on kickoffs. I think with the new kickoff rule, I think a touchback would be better than trying to tackle the retuner past the 30 yards line, giving opponent’s offense a decent starting field.
Wasn’t that part of what did in Virginia Tech against Clemson last week? Clemson had numerous of favorable field positions and that gave the defense a short field to defend.
I know a lot of fans like to do that “block the punt” wave, but that’s just seem silly at this point (I would do it with the fans just for the sake of doing it). I think that Beamer is reculant to call for punt blocks with so many running into the punter penalties committed by Tech.
Against Boise State, the two back to back running into the punter penalties extended their drive that resulted in points. In the ACCCG, the controversial running in the punter penalty (where Beamer argued that the ball was tipped) basically opened the flood gate for Clemson’s rout of Tech.
So, I think that special team have become more and more average as the season goes on. Yeah, Jarrett has had flashes of brilliance, but I think the coverages and returns has been lacking.
The few times that VT does try to block a kick, and end up running into the kicker, should be coachable. Especially when the guy taking the credit for special teams coaching is supposed to be so innovative. Yet Beamer’s response seems to be to just not try to block kicks very often.
Where can I find the information on what coach actually coaches what special teams unit? Good point by all on the running into the kicker. @ Peppers Ferry I wish there was such an article!!
#14, so now, after all these years of trumpeting BeamerBall as a foundation for Frank Beamer’s ‘genius’, we should have all along been calling it Gray/Wiles/Newsome/ShermanBall?
Or are we once again being told that Frank Beamer is not responsible for it because it’s not so effective any more? It sure seems like any time something goes bad, we have to wipe Frank fingerprints off it as quickly as possible. Frank Beamer claims to be the special teams coach. If he defers direction to another coach, then he needs to man up and say he’s not the coach. OR… he needs to man up and admit that the ultimate success of the unit he is titled with coaching is not performing well. Which will it be?
Coxster, Frank Beamer coaches the special teams. I am not aware that he splits it up into special teams units with coaches. Its his baby and has been for as long as I can remember. I think we should just try and block them all, whats the worst that can happen this year? We finish .500?
I had heard from what I would like to beleive is a reliable source that Beamer oversees special teams and each coach has a different unit. My fear is that that person now feels like they may have let something slip out they wish they hadn’t which could have repercussions on their ability to effectively do there job. Trust me I have been trying to get the facts!
the bottom line is that special teams has been a liability for too many years. I can live without us blocking punts and FG’s if we could just stop the offsides, fumbled punts, running into the kicker and whatever the heck that was we did against Clemson. For every blocked kick we make a half dozen major mistakes on special teams and that’s being conservative. If I have to hear “that’s Beamer Ball” every time some odd freak occurence results in VT getting something positive I will go nuts. I love Frank Beamer and I can live with a down season but the inability to look yourself in the mirror and make the tough calls has shaken my faith. Beamer Ball has never been about holding people accountable and that is the fundamental problem, not the players nor the coaches.
What special teams tech hasn’t been good with special teams since 2007 if that. Beamer doesn’t have it anymore he needs to let someone else coach it and he needs to fix this offensive problem that has been holding back tech for years.
#17, so we’re supposed to believe, nearly 15 years after the trumpeting began that one KEY component of VT special teams play was – THE HEAD COACH HIMSELF COACHED THE SPECIAL TEAMS. That mantra has continued for all that time, until the BS phony excuse sprung up this season that, despite Frank Beamer gladly accepting responsibility for coaching special teams for fifteen years, suddenly we’re being told by Frank Beamer apologists that Frank doesn’t actually coach special teams after all. That is just spin by Frank Beamer apologists. Let’s pretend the lie, let’s say that Frank Beamer does NOT actually coach the special teams, like is falsely being claimed. Then what kind of person is Frank Beamer to lie for all these years that he IS the special teams coach?
Like I said above, and the question was dodged – either Beamer coaches the poor special teams and is responsible for their poor play, or he does not but claims to do so and is thus dishonest about something for no apparent reason. It’s got to be one or the other.
I continue to be amazed by the Frank Beamer apologists who blithely make up improbable excuses for Frank’s perfection. Talk about a teflon man, that’s what his apologists try to make him.
To move away from the phony defenses of Frank Beamer’s failure to evolve his special teams, the FG kicking has done all that Frank has requested. Also, Hughes has done a good job this season. Last year, under Frank Beamer’s responsibility, the punting was horrible, reaching a climax with Frank Beamer’s utterly buffoonish decision to run the now infamous fake punt/run option with his backup punter in the Sugar Bowl. This year, it has been quite reliable, and in the good sense.
Here is a special team idea: Vote for Romney-Ryan. Thank you.
You guys really make an issue out of nothing every time you can.
Frank oversees the special teams. Each assistant coach also has a unit that he helps out on. This is how it’s always been done. And it’s not atypical at many schools across the country. Stop making a federal case out of this.
Get used to it Andy. Some people aren’t happy unless they have something to complain about. I’m a glass half full guy myself.
Question avoided once again. Who’s playing Jim Garrison? Not us.
You guys are unbelievable. I know Shane does kick returns/punt blocks. Sherman does punt returns. I’d imagine the line coaches are on kick blocks. We’re not out there for the entirety of special teams practice, so I’m not sure about every unit.
Now please, give it a rest.
You ever notice back when special teams was good that the names that popped up with great special teams plays ended up being great starters down the road. Has that philosophy changed? Are we reaching so deep into our talent pool to field special teams that it is not only the reason for poor special teams play but a harbinger of things to come? Again if we could just stop the mistakes as opposed to blocking Kicks/punts I would be happy. I watch Frank Beamer standing there instructing the special teams unit before they take the field. He seems to rarely have anything to say. Perhaps a “whatever you do don’t jump offsides” might be in order. Regardless, the next time the punt snap of the opposing team flys over the head of their punter “Beamer Ball” will be attributed.
Having said that, Hughes has done a very good job. I think he had the one shank, but that save on the low snap more than made up for it. Journell has been real solid too. Of course that’s “Beamer Ball”! I seriously doubt gets any credit for their skills but I will credit him with doing a good job punt/kick blocking. I hate to jinx it, but I don’t think anyone has dropped a punt or kickoff yet. Abott is terrible, why is he kicking? He really struggles to reach the endzone. The truth is, special teams has been worse. Last year was a joke until Coale stepped in. Everything else has been so disappointing it’s hard to find too much fault with special teams.
Redwolf,
What actually happened was that Frankie was the first coach to put his stars on special teams. At the time, other coaches would rest their stars on special teams. So, the VT special teams were loaded with their best players against opposition that had 2nd and 3rd stringers. And, this led to success for VT on special teams.
But, other coaches have caught on and now put on enough first string guys to prevent disaster and that is why the VT special teams numbers are way down.
It was never all that big of an innovative concept. It did help some VT guys in the NFL make teams (Nick Sorensen comes to mind) because VT guys could already play special teams. The NFL, of course, doesn’t have 85 schollie players on the squad plus whatever walkons so a guy who could play DB AND special teams was a plus (like Sorensen) and it helped.
VT special teams are hardly special anymore.
Andy, I’m not sure who you are addressing specifically. I went back to my comment and I don’t see me criticizing Beamer. I merely mentioned about the running into the punter penalties that have turned momentum against Virginia Tech in the past.
Thinking it some more, I also think with how often the running into the punter penalties has been levied against VT, it may have caused Beamer to change his approach to play it more conservatively, and instead focus more on the returns and coverage. Fans may not like Beamer taking the “play it safe” route, but I think it’s better than giving other team a freebie by giving them fresh set of downs for a tired Bud Foster’s defense.
From the summer camp, I have been impressed with Hughes. He doesn’t get rattled. He jumped on a high, bad snap during the Labor Day game, and covered it like a pro, Andy, I think that was your words.
Journell, for all the controversy about him, has been solid for field goal attempts and point afters.
Would folks like to see blocked punts and blocked field goals? Sure. That was part of “Beamerball.”
Notice I said “part”? Beamerball had three areas of scoring points, and special team’s feasting on opportunities was one of the areas. The other was offense and defense. That was Beamerball.
Now, it’s basically hoping that the offense score enough points to outscore the opponent, for the defense to force 3 and outs, and for the special team to give the offense a decent starting position. VT is basically trying to play it safe.
Is that a bad thing? I think it depends on who wants to answer that.
I’m annoyed by the people who are treating the coaching assignments on special teams as though they’re some kind of conspiracy theory. They’re not.
There are many things to criticize about this team. That one is just dumb.
Oh I see, Andy. Thanks for the clarification.
The innovations that Frank Beamer made in the late 90′s regarding special teams might have been out of necessity, or out of thought process. Either way, he deservedly gets credit for those – the realization that most kick blocks come from up the middle, that pressure on the punter comes from bigger players defining their point of attack, that first team players can play one extra special teams play without losing their capabilities, the fact that a kick/punt block is a HUGE immediate turn of momentum, even on a PAT.
Frank publicized his concepts, which was probably naive, but IIWII. Other coaches across the nation picked up on it, either through discussion with Frank, or by game film. Fast forward fifteen years, and Frank has abandoned some of those philosophies, maybe out of what he deems necessity, or for whatever reason. He has also not moved up the ladder of innovation to anything else.
Let’s be clear, shifting your priority on special team from all those things mentioned above, in making the immediate momentum change? Shifting that to focusing on getting good returns is NOT a step up the ladder of innovation.
So what we’re left with is that the once vaunted BeamerBall is not the game changer it once was, that’s pretty clear. That would be fine if everyone accepted that and moved on, just like it would be fine to accept that the extremely short term benefits of erecting an empty trophy case at the crescendo of the Michael Vick heyday have also passed.
Unfortunately, now both of the symbols have more negative connotations than positive. Yet they’re clung to as false indices of VT being on the verge of becoming an ‘elite’ team. Unfortunately, we are FAR from that, and will be so for the rest of Frank Beamer’s career. Nothing’s changing that, either. Nothing that will actually happen, at least. We just have to accept the ride for the next 7-8 years, until Shane replaces him. And then for the five years that Frank will remain on contract and very present in Merryman after that.
So we’re only looking at 12-13 more years of this frustration we’ve endured the last decade. Then it will be fine.
Trevor I think that Beamer has become more conservative in his special teams philosophies and that is what has left us at this place. It might be a chicken-egg thing, but I noticed us giving up on blocking kicks well before I noticed us getting penalized for running into the kicker. The latter is a ‘last couple of years’ deal, and the former is a ‘last five or six years’ thing.
I think we get penalized for that a lot now because we just aren’t good at it, and the players aren’t coached on the importance of avoiding it as strongly as they once were. Probably a result of us essentially abandoning that facet of special teams play.
It would be interesting to see where we have ranked nationally over the last few years in blocks. Like, just the last five years, where we ranked annually in blocks. We know about the defense & offense, but that would be a good stat.
Well obviously I am one of those people. Until Andy came along I was unaware of coaching assignments on special teams. I thought Frank did it all. Frankly I was intrigued upon hearing that so I inquired further. If you ask a question three times and dont get an answer one can’t help but wonder. Personally I look forward to this column daily because it keeps me updated on things. Yes there are many things to criticize about this team and I will pretty much blame everything on Beamer. Facts come in handy when I have to justify my reasons for wanting Beamer gone. Andy provides that. If I ruffled some feathers my apologies, I just want to be a knowledgeable sports fan.
CR,
The fact is that it hasn’t been the “vaunted” VT special teams for quite a while. The VT national championship game featured at least 3 special teams disasters that easily cost the game:
1) Warrick returns a punt for TD.
2) VT gets a punt blocked inside the 5 yard line
3) VT goes for it on 4th down and FSU stuffs it (note: the problem with this one was that FB waited TOO long to call it, the time to pull a special teams surprise is when the other team is not expecting, as opposed to when they are).
Oh, and FSU converted a 2 point conversion in that game too.
Then add in that BC onside kickoff which caused us to lose a game to BC that we led 10-0 with 2 minutes left and, well, VT special teams have hardly been special for a while.
Then you will be frustrated with someone else. Getting rid of Frank Beamer or Shane(who just got here by the way) is not the answer to VA Tech’s problems. One bad season and all the people who have had problems with the offense and other things this team has done are howling with the I told you so mantra. Its Franks fault, its Shane’s fault:Stiney’s at fault, no the troll on the fifty yard line , no wait…the fact that so many people are angry and scratching their heads at this year’s team is a testament of what we have grown accustomed to. The Hokies will be back-we are not sliding into oblivion. Lets see how we finish the year and look forward to next year’s team
That was meant for comment # 32
Bob H, the Sugar Bowl loss to F$U was a result of two key things – the first time the Hokies had ever been on such a huge stage and we handled it poorly, like most first timers do. Secondly, Bobby Bowden always, always OWNED Beamer.
That was the first time I noticed Beamer’s propensity for trying high risk plays, but in a clumsy manner that displayed his really conservative mindset. The 4th down call in that game could be compared closely to Frank’s fake rugby punt/run option that followed a very telling TO in the Sugar Bowl against Michigan.
The PA announcer might as well as said – ‘Ladies & Gentlemen, there will be a brief delay while Frank Beamer decides if he really should try a trick play…’
While we’re discussing befuddling Beamer decisions, the frequent microanalysis of possible two point conversions in the 3rd quarter, etc. is another time when Frank just kind of goes out of body trying to be creative. On that one, I just continually laugh, though.
There have been quite few years that Tech’s offense was as bad or maybe even worse than we have seen this year. The difference in those years is that the Special Teams and Defense were able to score enough points or set up good enough field position that the offense was good enough to get the job done. I think this year it’s not that special teams are costing the team games. It’s that special teams are not winning them like they have in some other years.
Don’t waste objectivity or reasoning on crooked road. Many have tried, all have failed. He is a total NATT and has his own agenda. He has tunnel vision and an acute inability to rationalize anything from a positive aspect.
Actually, there have been numerous years where the offense was worse than this season’s version. I think it was 2007-2009 where finished something like 96th or worse every season. There hasn’t been a season in a long time where the rushing was so weak. But overall offense? Oh, we’ve been worse, and frequently.
The special teams performance has gone years without ‘winning’ us a ball game in the sense of blocking a kick & capitalizing on it. We’ve had many more instances in the past several years of special teams play being a factor in losing the game than in winning it. It’s not a one year instance, it’s just a gradual result of the continued lack of emphasis.
That’s not always unusual for teams to endure sustained poor performance on special teams. It’s just not the case with elite teams.
Last year special teams was a weakness – this year they have been mostly solid and occasionally special. I am happy with the improvement.
People think of blocked punts when they refer to Beamerball but this is only one small aspect of Beamerball to me. Controlling field position is the more fundamental goal. I think this has been pretty much a mixed bag this season but mostly due to turnover issues.
I’d like to buy CR’s knowledge for what it’s worth and sell it for what he thinks it’s worth. I’d retire today.