Return of the Return Game
2 comments so far
July 11, 2007 by
Many Husker fans fell in love with the slogan “Restore the Order” in 2005 when Nebraska upset Colorado and Michigan to climb into the final AP rankings. And while the matter of whether or not the Huskers have indeed restored the order is a subject of some debate among fans, most would agree that winning the Big 12 North is a step in the right direction. One area which is still in need of restoration is the anemic return game.
In 2002, DeJuan Groce was a second team All-American kick returner, Josh Brown was an all-conference place kicker, and punter Kyle Larson was a second team all-conference selection. Even kick returner Josh Davis set an NU record for return yards in a season.
Aside from Sam Koch and the coverage units, Nebraska hasn’t sniffed that kind of success on special teams since. In 2004, Santino Panico handled most of the punt returns and averaged a meager 3.1 yards per return. In 2005, Cortney Grixby handled most of them and averaged a respectable 10.4 yards. The Huskers regressed in 2006, averaging only a little over 8 yards per return (most handled by Terrence Nunn) which placed Nebraska in the bottom half of the conference in that category.
The kick returns haven’t been anything to write home about either. The Huskers averaged just under 20 yards per return in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, that fell to 17 yards per return, which put the Huskers in tenth place in the Big 12.
Simple regression to the mean tells us that the return game will probably be better in 2007. But the approach and mentality of the coaches also plays a role. The coaches conduct a thorough review of everything in the off-season. The inept return game surely didn’t escape their attention. It seems likely they’ll go back to the drawing board and if not come up with something that makes the Nebraska among the best in returns again, than at least not among the worst. Let’s face it, there’s nowhere to go but up.
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darren Jul 11 07
You are right, Steve. Hard to imagine it getting much worse.
Another thing, the rule change that moves kickoffs back further will prevent as many touchbacks. So there will be increased opportunity for kick returns for every team. It must be a priority.
For NU to beat it's tough schedule, they will need some returns to help spring upsets. At a minimum, they will need the field position that comes with good returns.
Ze Robertinho Jul 12 07
Expect to see Mendoza and Niles Paul get long looks at returning; they both seem good at it from their h.s. experience.