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2010 tOSU Special Teams Discussion

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This is the phase I hope we shore up before the season starts...I have heard great things about Basil. I hope we get our coverage units playing better as well. The forgotten phase that can change the momentum of a game in seconds.
 
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Kicking Game Has to Improve, Tressel Says
By Brandon Castel

CHICAGO ? Jim Tressel is worried about his kicking game, and not just because of last year.

With his Buckeyes picked to repeat as Big Ten champions as the consensus preseason No. 2 team in the country, Tressel could not hide his concern for the 2010 season during the Big Ten Media Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago Tuesday.

?No. No, we're not good enough or where we need to be,? Ohio State?s 10th-year head coach said when asked about his kicking and punting games heading into the start of fall camp Thursday.
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The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More
 
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TS10HTW;1742789; said:
1) kick coverage needs some improvement - see Rose Bowl

2) I'd like to see one guy handle ALL the FG duties.

I'll defer to the coaches as to what's best for the team.
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Wow, just rewatched the Rose Bowl this morning and we had some of the crappiest kickoff coverage I've ever seen from a JT coached team. Obviously, that has to improve. But as has been stated here already, there are some huge question marks on ST in general. Kickoffs, kick coverage, punt returns, kickoff returns and a new punter...I'm concerned, but also excited to see some young guns get their shot to show they can make a difference out there. :oh:
 
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Moeller, Sweat and Gant should all return as potential coverage leaders this year, but young linebackers and secondary members also have to fill in those spots. Look for Dorian Bell, Jordan Whiting and Jonathan Newsome to help lead that charge.

"I tell those guys, 'Play special teams, what's wrong with that?'" Rolle said. "You can make a tackle just like you do on defense. If coaches see who works hard on coverage, that makes them more confident to put them on the field."

It also matters who's kicking the ball, as Tressel voiced his displeasure at kicks and punts into the middle of the field that give a returner a chance. Ohio State is replacing senior punter Jon Thoma and kicker Aaron Pettrey. Sophomore Ben Buchanan will take over the punting duties, while incoming freshman Drew Basil should handle the kickoffs and longer field goals. Senior kicker Devin Barclay, who filled in last season when Pettrey was injured and kicked the field goal that beat Iowa in overtime, should handle the field goals 42 yards and shorter.

"With any kicker, they don't really want to share the job with anybody," Barclay said, while noting that the Buckeyes have shared the job that way in the recent past. "Really, whatever is best for the team."

At the moment, Tressel has a pretty clear idea of what is best with his kickers.

He said that during spring practice, Barclay hit 92 percent of his field goals 42 yards and in, and 62 percent of his kicks from beyond 42 yards. He said Basil hit about 80 percent inside 42 and 70 percent outside 42.

"But we have a lot of work to do," Tressel said.
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Ohio State's Tressel looking for players to put the 'special' back into the kick teams: Buckeyes Insider | cleveland.com
 
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buckeyes_rock;1743780; said:
Wow, just rewatched the Rose Bowl this morning and we had some of the crappiest kickoff coverage I've ever seen from a JT coached team. Obviously, that has to improve. But as has been stated here already, there are some huge question marks on ST in general. Kickoffs, kick coverage, punt returns, kickoff returns and a new punter...I'm concerned, but also excited to see some young guns get their shot to show they can make a difference out there. :oh:
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:io:
 
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Special teams' flaws were evident in '09
Kick scrimmage today has added significance
Saturday, August 14, 2010
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Anyone who listens to Ohio State coach Jim Tressel knows one of his favorite adjectives is 'extraordinary.' But there were few chances for him to use it in regards to special-teams play last season.

Granted, the Buckeyes clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl and their fifth straight Big Ten championship when kicker Devin Barclay - pressed into action only after Aaron Pettrey was injured two games earlier - made a field goal in overtime to beat Iowa.

But one reason that game became so dramatic was because the kickoff-coverage unit had allowed a touchdown.

At the Rose Bowl, Ohio State beat favored Oregon 26-17, giving up just 260 yards of offense. There was plenty of praise for quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes, who broke a three-game bowl losing streak.

But Tressel knew that silver cloud had a dark lining. Oregon returned six kickoffs for 171 yards, including four for 122 by Kenjon Barner. His one punt return went for 28 yards.

"You take those special teams out of the game, I think we would have had a lot more decisive win," Tressel said. "But you're not allowed to take special teams out of the game. That's a rule. So it was one of those nail-biters."
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Ohio State Football | Special teams' flaws were evident in '09 | BuckeyeXtra
 
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Kick Competition

The Columbus Dispatch said:
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While Devin Barclay wants to take ownership of every kick that matters for Ohio State this fall, Drew Basil is trying hard to put his foot forward for playing time as a freshman.
"I think that's everybody's goal," Basil said. "I'm not trying to be smart about that, but nobody comes here to redshirt. Everybody comes here to play."
Basil enrolled in spring quarter after graduating early from Chillicothe High School. His pursuit of some of the kicking chores picked up steam with his strong showing in the spring kick scrimmage. It maintained momentum yesterday in the preseason version.
He was good on 11 of 12 field-goal attempts, including a 37-yarder on his last try, which wound up being the winner in the Gray's 33-30 victory. Barclay made 10 of 12. His second miss came from 37 yards.
...
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Article published August 19, 2010
Kickers, punters in Tressel's full view
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS - They are the loners. The lost tribe. The guys who spend the majority of each practice off by themselves, detached from the rest of the Ohio State football team.

But the kickers and punters for the Buckeyes know they are under the most intense scrutiny of any group, for two reasons. First, special teams really matter to head coach Jim Tressel, and second, the Buckeyes' special teams were a weak link on Ohio State's Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship team of 2009.

"We're not where we need to be," Tressel said as he assessed his special teams at the start of practice. "We're not good enough."

The numbers back up the coach, who is preparing for his 10th season of setting the course for the program. Ohio State was well back in the pack in the Big Ten in its field goal percentage and punting average last season, but thrived behind a dominant defense and an efficient offense.

So when kickers Devin Barclay and Drew Basil, and punters Ben Buchanan and Derek Erwin, settle in for a few hours of work at practice, they know Tressel might be a couple practice fields away, but up in the towers, his cameras are watching.

"That's the reason I came to a school like this, because he does value special teams," Buchanan said following a recent scrimmage that showcased the kickers and punters.

"It's amazing when you go into your team meeting room and you see the signs that say 'The punt is the most important play in football' and 'Special units win championships.' When you see that, it inspires you. That's a great motivation."
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toledoblade.com -- The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio
 
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Just a feeling, but I think (and hope) that Hall and Berry can provide a pretty formidable duo back there and turn that unit around. At the same time, I wonder how long they can keep Philly Brown off of special teams if all the reviews about him are accurate. Either way, let's hope that Hall, Berry, or whoever it may be on the return team can turn around what has been a largely abysmal return game.
 
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At kicker, Tressel said that Devin Barclay will handle most of the field-goal attempts, and Drew Basil will try the "crazy-long ones, like 55 (yards)," and also the kickoffs. This marks a promotion for Barclay. Going into preseason camp, Tressel said that Barclay would handle anything 42 yards or shorter.
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Running backs Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry will handle the kickoff-return duties. Hall and Corey "Philly" Brown will be the top two punt returners. Others who might return punts include cornerback Devon Torrence and defensive back Christian Bryant.
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...1/uniform-to-honor-42-title-team.html?sid=101
 
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