Any word on changes with special teams?

[SaltineWar]

Has anyone heard anything about how/if the team is addressing its awful performance on special teams in recent years? My biggest area of concern has been our punt returning and punt coverage, which has been horrific. Our abysmal punt coverage likely cost us at least the NW game last year.

 

[SmilinBob]

I liked the way Desir ran with the ball and if he's the worst SU has I'm fine with that. Fisher worries me a bit consistency wise with hang time and the extra speed that has been recruited should help the coverage.

I'd like to see what Morgan could do with kickoffs as the main guy and to be honest his lead blocking doesn't thrill me but I could be wrong.

 

[oldpinepoint]

Our new punter...

 

[cuseincincy]

I liked the way Desir ran with the ball and if he's the worst SU has I'm fine with that. Fisher worries me a bit consistency wise with hang time and the extra speed that has been recruited should help the coverage.

I'd like to see what Morgan could do with kickoffs as the main guy and to be honest his lead blocking doesn't thrill me but I could be wrong.

I'd like to see either Morrris or McFarlane back with Morgan. Not sure if that's part of their skill set but I'd like to see them get touches.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I think special teams improved significantly over the second half of last season.

Yeah, punt coverage was never great. But it got much, much better after Northwestern and USC.

I thought our kickoff coverage was consistently pretty good, especially with Wayne Morgan gunning after every kick.

Don't forget- they blocked a punt and knocked down a couple of extra points last year. It wasn't like in 2010, where the kick off coverage was so bad, they squib kicked after every score in the Pinstripe to prevent a run back.

 

[SWC75]

I want to see what the "Salt Badger" can do for us.

 

[OrangeMojo]

SU doesn't finish the season on a 6-1 run without significantly improved play on special teams. That would've been an 8-1 run if Pugh didn't slip while on the FG team and cause a 10 pt swing against rutgirls.

specials can always improve - but it wasn't the weak link of recent years the second half of last season. Shafer spoke of his great respect and admiration for Frank Beamer during ACC media days - I think he probably understands the importance of special teams.