Two Deep

[KevMonstah]

Why is Steven Rene on there as a punt returner? An article on syracuse.com a few days ago says
that SU needs to get back to the days where the special teams make a difference. 10 returned
punts (that's T-E-N) over the course of 12 games for a grand total of 22 yards is not a difference
maker. I've previously posted that the top 30ish punt returners in the country had a single
return that eclipsed the total yardage SU had all season long (that would be 37). How is using
him again make use of your best players? Ten returns for twenty two yards means he catches
the ball, takes one step forward, then falls forward. How's that help the team?

Kev

 

[RF2044]

Why is Steven Rene on there as a punt returner? An article on syracuse.com a few days ago says
that SU needs to get back to the days where the special teams make a difference. 10 returned
punts (that's T-E-N) over the course of 12 games for a grand total of 22 yards is not a difference
maker. I've previously posted that the top 30ish punt returners in the country had a single
return that eclipsed the total yardage SU had all season long (that would be 37). How is using
him again make use of your best players? Ten returns for twenty two yards means he catches
the ball, takes one step forward, then falls forward. How's that help the team?

Kev

No question, we need to improve our punt returns. We've lacked that big play opportunity for a long time. I don't put it all on Rene, though.

 

[bnoro]

Why is Steven Rene on there as a punt returner? An article on syracuse.com a few days ago says
that SU needs to get back to the days where the special teams make a difference. 10 returned
punts (that's T-E-N) over the course of 12 games for a grand total of 22 yards is not a difference
maker. I've previously posted that the top 30ish punt returners in the country had a single
return that eclipsed the total yardage SU had all season long (that would be 37). How is using
him again make use of your best players? Ten returns for twenty two yards means he catches
the ball, takes one step forward, then falls forward. How's that help the team?

Kev

It doesn't matter who we put back there when the coverage team is all over him before the ball even comes down. I don't know why people don't remember this watching the games last year. He didn't have a chance to return and when he tried to he was immediately tackled.

 

[BlackKnight76]

Only surprise to me is Anderson over Lyn, and all three will play, so not a huge deal. Excited for next week.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CbusCuse]

It doesn't matter who we put back there when the coverage team is all over him before the ball even comes down. I don't know why people don't remember this watching the games last year. He didn't have a chance to return and when he tried to he was immediately tackled.

Exactly. Everyone just looks at the numbers and says he has to lose his job. He catches everything which is already much better than many guys we have looked at placing back there. Plus he is a little speedy guy that has some moves and some shake to him. That is exactly what you want. He just didn't have much of a chance to do anything. Would think with the depth and athleticism seemingly getting better that our specials should improve. We'll see.

 

[reedny]

I believe that the coaching staff's designation for that formation is "maxwell house" backfield.

Good to know (If the NW staff is scouting us by reading this board, look forward to a big win). lol

 

[KevMonstah]

Exactly. Everyone just looks at the numbers and says he has to lose his job. He catches everything which is already much better than many guys we have looked at placing back there. Plus he is a little speedy guy that has some moves and some shake to him. That is exactly what you want. He just didn't have much of a chance to do anything. Would think with the depth and athleticism seemingly getting better that our specials should improve. We'll see.

I'm not going to say I watched every game, but I'll just look at a few stats: 12 games. 12 total punts returned by Rene (10), Desir (1),
and one other (1). That works out to the opportunity to return a single punt each game for a season. I'd take it that there was at
least one if not two games where SU didn't force a punt. So, the punt return team is so bad at holding blockers, setting up for a
return, and fielding punts that they could only attempt to runback one punt a game? That the opposing teams' punters are so good
that they either a) punt the ball out of bounds every time, b) punt it inside the ten or into the endzone so there's not chance to
return one, or c) punt it to exactly where their coverage is, every single time, so SU can return a single punt per game? You could
sell me on USC, maybe Louisville, maybe UConn or Pitt due to 10+ turnovers combined, doing that, but Maine, Rhode Island,
Toledo, and Tulane all can do it too? WVa, on a day they could do nothing, still kept SU from returning a punt? Nope. Don't buy
it.

Kev

 

[billsin01]

Only surprise to me is Anderson over Lyn, and all three will play, so not a huge deal. Excited for next week.

I would take it to mean some good things about Reddish b/c I count Lyn as maybe the most promising DB on this roster. Not that my opinion matters and obviously who starts at corner is somewhat irrelevant given how much three or even 4 guys will play. But still somewhat interesting.

 

[dollarbill44]

Maybe we should abandon trying to return punts and just send 11 guys after the punter?

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Maybe we should abandon trying to return punts and just send 11 guys after the punter?

Because in the past two seasons every time we rush the punter, it turns in to a roughing the kicker penalty.

 

[dollarbill44]

Because in the past two seasons every time we rush the punter, it turns in to a roughing the kicker penalty.

:bat: Too true.