Special Teams 2022 | Syracusefan.com

Special Teams 2022

ECE '76

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I'm wondering if Bob Ligashesky is actually the answer at Special Teams. ST may have been improved from last year, but do we really have "well coached" STs right now? That BC game was just bad on STs. For the 12th game of the season, none of that should have happened.

I'm questioning our punting, recruiting for punting, blocking for the punter and PKer, on-sides KOs, fair catches inside the 8, and ST penalties... STs have not been anything special this year, and now Andre Szmyt needs to be replaced.

It seems like SU spent the second half of the season with consistently bad field position, even against lowly BC. Yes, we got spoiled with having a string of excellent punters, but now we have 2 scholarships invested in punters who are not even occasionally great let alone consistently good.

This last thing is on Dino, not Lig, but having a lot of starters on ST ended up not being a good idea. These starters are already taxed playing their own position, esp on D who played way too many downs. The energy and concentration was not there on STs in the last half of the season. Having fresh bodies who have not much else to worry about probably would have worked better. The season proved that the back ups on the D roster were capable players.
 
Was not pleased with our special teams. Too many long returns given up, 2 punts were blocked, lots of shanks. The one positive was Szmyt was better until the end of the year. When's the last time we blocked a FG or punt in meaningful game? I don't think we've done it once since Dino has been here.
 
We blocked a few kicks and forced a few false starts. But we didn't cover well, return well, had 2 punts blocked, had a bunch of penalties, and our punting was awful. Were we really any better this year?
 
We blocked a few kicks and forced a few false starts. But we didn't cover well, return well, had 2 punts blocked, had a bunch of penalties, and our punting was awful. Were we really any better this year?

Szmyt was 75% this season on FG's.

He was 64% last season.
 
Szmyt was 75% this season on FG's.

He was 64% last season.

Overall his numbers were better. Last year he was bad at home and good on the road. This year the opposite. The biggest difference this year is attempts under 40 yards.

Home
2021 4-8
2022 11-13
Not sure how that happens in a Dome

Away
2021 5-6
2022 7-11

<40
2021 6-7
2022 12-13
He had twice as many attempts which jacks up your overall %

40-49
2021 3-6
2022 4-7
Pretty close to even

50+
2021 0-1
2022 2-4
He did a good job here
 
Saw improvement from last year in some things and wasn't thrilled using starters on ST. Did block an extra point/FG or 2 and a huge ones at that, which was nice.
 
PRs
2021 10.5
2022 7.5

KRs
2021 21.42
2022 25.19

Punting
2021 37.45
2022 39.14

KO Touchback
2021 59.32
2022 21.28

PR D
2021 9.19
2022 8.95

KR D
2021 21.79
2022 20.09

Blocks
2021 0
2022 2

Had Blocked
2021 1 Punt not sure if any PATs/FGs were
2022 2 Punts not where any PATs/FGs blocked?

Overall pretty similar to last season. The big differences were Touchbacks were way up, KRs were slightly up, PRs were down. We need to improve next year.
 
Was not pleased with our special teams. Too many long returns given up, 2 punts were blocked, lots of shanks. The one positive was Szmyt was better until the end of the year. When's the last time we blocked a FG or punt in meaningful game? I don't think we've done it once since Dino has been here.
And another thing is constantly catching punts inside the 10 yard line. Agree with this thread that I was really disappointed with special teams this year.
 
Szymt has missed 12 FGs from 40-49 in his career here. Covid year he was perfect, I guess no fans helped.

I doubt the replacement will be any better, but was surprised to see that number so high.

Punting is a disaster.
 
First time in years we have a kicker who can put it into the endzone every kick. Szymt has kicked much better. Has anyone returned a kick or punt on us (asking, not sure). My point some things are better and some still need a little work? Let's see how our punting and punt return jump next year. If still issues that is one thing but I think we have seen some improvements.
 
I don't see why Bob Ligashesky deserves to be extended. He's responsible for wasting a scholarship on Max Von Marburg. Or at minimum he's responsible for not developing him.

Since Justin Lustig left, SU has had below average ST.

The kick coverage this afternoon was a major contributor to losing the game.

SU has had no secret sauce to recovering on sides kicks. They haven't come close to working.

Can SU offer a pile of money to Justin Lustig and hire him back from Vanderbilt, please?
 
We swung and missed on a punter
Otherwise overall special teams was better
 
I don't see why Bob Ligashesky deserves to be extended. He's responsible for wasting a scholarship on Max Von Marburg. Or at minimum he's responsible for not developing him.

Since Justin Lustig left, SU has had below average ST.

The kick coverage this afternoon was a major contributor to losing the game.

SU has had no secret sauce to recovering on sides kicks. They haven't come close to working.

Can SU offer a pile of money to Justin Lustig and hire him back from Vanderbilt, please?
Inaccurate post. While the entire special teams didn't get better (looking at our punting). Sczmitt (sp?) kicked way better this year than the prior 2 years and Denberg became our first kicker in forever to routinely kick well into the endzone. He fixed two portions of our special teams and we now have a transfer punter from the SEC coming in to make that better. Overall our special teams were better this year than the prior 2 years.
 
I agree with ECE’76. Szymt was much much improved- no denying that. Despite Dennenburg’s performance today, his kickoffs were usually in the end zone - so that’s a plus. However:
- we gave up way too many long returns on kicks/punts including today
-seemed like we shanked a punt every game for at least half the games including today
-we fielded a ridiculous number of punts inside the 10 yard line including today
-special teams lacked discipline

Overall, better than last year but a FAR cry from satisfactory and even farther from the excellent specials teams of prior years.
 
The new punter transferring from Mizzou hopefully stabilizes that portion, back to the drawing board on the PK.

And for the love of God can we stop running a player out there with the XXXXL #96 jersey on special teams
 
Inaccurate post. While the entire special teams didn't get better (looking at our punting). Sczmitt (sp?) kicked way better this year than the prior 2 years and Denberg became our first kicker in forever to routinely kick well into the endzone. He fixed two portions of our special teams and we now have a transfer punter from the SEC coming in to make that better. Overall our special teams were better this year than the prior 2 years.
I am excited about the Missouri transfer who has proven he can punt on this level.
 
Inaccurate post. While the entire special teams didn't get better (looking at our punting). Sczmitt (sp?) kicked way better this year than the prior 2 years and Denberg became our first kicker in forever to routinely kick well into the endzone. He fixed two portions of our special teams and we now have a transfer punter from the SEC coming in to make that better. Overall our special teams were better this year than the prior 2 years.

Disagree with it being better than 2020. Not including today's game...

In FBS games 2020 was better PR Avg (14.23 vs 7.5), Punt (44.78 vs 39.14), FG (81.8 vs 73.9), 20+ yard PRs (4 vs 1), Punt coverage (6.54 vs 8.95), PRs allowed 20+ yards (1 vs 3)

2022 was better KR Avg (25.19 vs 23.39), Touchback % (59.32 vs 51.22), 30+ KRs (5 vs 3), Kick coverage (20.09 vs 22.11 although today might change that)

And to be fair we didn't have a team like UConn in 2020.

Then in my opinion it seemed like we had more penalties and also had a KR fumble and a punt blocked (or was it 2?).
 
We were better in some areas and worse in others. Being at best minimally better than last year's cluster shouldn't get a cookie. We were still much worse than the Lustig teams.
I don't think anyone could expect a one year turn around to Lustigs teams
 
Special teams are horrible
 
The head coach apparently isn’t happy with the special teams either. Dino said after the game: “I think the things we need to improve on, there’s no doubt about it, is our special teams and our penalties,” Babers said. “Both of those showed up in this game. They showed up in the first game, and they showed up in the last game. I’m positive about a lot of things, but then there’s certain things it’s hard to be really positive about.”
 

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