'12 AZ WR Davonte Neal (Arizona Transfer)

[Emcee77]

Right, like most of us probably, I wasn't watching carefully to notice that during the game. I assumed we were just doing safe returns. I'm glad to know that we are at least trying to spring Davonte, but I'm definitely concerned that we can't. Maybe we do need a special teams coach. I mean most teams don't have a separate coach for safeties and CB's. But then again that seems to be working for our defense ...

 

[dublinirish]

We also lose many one on one match-ups including one to their long snapper

the Mormom Heggie per chance?

 

[peoriairish]

During the presser BK said the reason our punt coverage is poor is because we are very thin, depth-wise, at ST. Maybe he's just playing it safe so players don't get injured.

 

[Riddickulous]

During the presser BK said the reason our punt coverage is poor is because we are very thin, depth-wise, at ST. Maybe he's just playing it safe so players don't get injured.

Maybe we should recruit more special teams players.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Our special teams, to put it mildly, are dog sh!t right now. Ranked 90th in the country. Compared to OU's 17th, and USC's 21st.

Fortunately, our defense has dug us out of many field position holes created by our poor STs thus far, but we may very well end up losing a tight game because of them soon.

It's extra frustrating because of this team's emerging identify-- dominant defense and a robust rushing attack. Add solid STs to that mix and you've got a proven formula for championship football.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

During the presser BK said the reason our punt coverage is poor is because we are very thin, depth-wise, at ST. Maybe he's just playing it safe so players don't get injured.

I personally think he was just saying, "Look we had some injuries on defense (Lo and Jamoris) and we had to make some guys permanent defense players to avoid risking injury. Basically the guys we have out there right now really aren't good enough yet but frankly we just don't have a choice. Once we get another recruiting class in here we will have the right personnel to field a good special teams unit."


EDIT: I have no idea why that blue question mark appeared above my post.

 

[Ironman8]

I personally think he was just saying, "Look we had some injuries on defense (Lo and Jamoris) and we had to make some guys permanent defense players to avoid risking injury. Basically the guys we have out there right now really aren't good enough yet but frankily we just don't have a choice. Once we get another recruiting class in here we will have the right personnel to field a good special teams unit."


EDIT: I have no idea why that blue question mark appeared above my post.

Think you are spot on.

 

[NDdomer2]

I personally think he was just saying, "Look we had some injuries on defense (Lo and Jamoris) and we had to make some guys permanent defense players to avoid risking injury. Basically the guys we have out there right now really aren't good enough yet but frankily we just don't have a choice. Once we get another recruiting class in here we will have the right personnel to field a good special teams unit."


EDIT: I have no idea why that blue question mark appeared above my post.

To go off this. We have a few guys that would probably give our ST a boost but wasting a year of eligibility isn't worth it.

 

[PANDFAN]

EDIT: I have no idea why that blue question mark appeared above my post.

this happens quite a bit to me when i post from my phone

 

[tko]

i have been praying for the OU punter to kick a line drive punt to Davonte and see him rip one off.

 

[Chicago Irish Fan]

Very little to complain about after tonight's win, but I just wanted to say this: why is Neal even playing this year? He hasn't gotten a lick of playing time on offense and we aren't blocking for him on punt returns so...why is he even using up a year of eligibility? John Goodman could be making the same fair catches on punt returns that Neal is making. He's had a whopping 2 touches on offense. Just seems like a waste of eligibility and playmaking ability.

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

All I know is my heart stopped for a second each time he caught a punt deep in ND territory

 

[Buster Bluth]

He was probably promised the chance to compete as a true freshman for playing time. He could have elected not to redshirt. You tend to do that with athletes.

Neal's time will come. He is elusive as hell. Where do you put him?

Slot? Toma is as fine of a possession slot receiver there is, and has 4x the experience.

Motion-RB? Atkinson is faster, and bigger.

Kick returner? See Atkinson.

So you're left with him being a backup at slot and punt returner. As a sophomore, when Riddick/Wood(maybe) are gone and Golson is a year further in the system and the team switches back to the spread, you'll see Neal get plenty of touches with all of the athletes Kelly will put out there.

He's simply behind some good players. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

He's simply behind some good players. Nothing wrong with that.

IIRC, Kelly actually stated this at a recent press conference. Said Neal is good enough to start, but Toma is keeping him on the bench. Will be our starting Z WR next year.

 

[Riddickulous]

Patience. He's going to break out next year.

 

[ab2cmiller]

I know I've done my share of complaining about the lack of blocking on punt returns, but I just found out today the following punt return stats

2012: 2.21 yards per return ranked 120th
2011: 3.69 yards per return ranked 112th

I don't post this as a reflection on Neal, just how pathetic our blocking is. I think Goodman was bashed pretty hard last year and I don't think he was the problem.

 

[woolybug25]

I know I've done my share of complaining about the lack of blocking on punt returns, but I just found out today the following punt return stats

2012: 2.21 yards per return ranked 120th
2011: 3.69 yards per return ranked 112th

I don't post this as a reflection on Neal, just how pathetic our blocking is. I think Goodman was bashed pretty hard last year and I don't think he was the problem.

We don't even set up a return. It's not even that we aren't blocking effectively, it's that they aren't even setting up a return in scheme. It's mind-boggling to me.

 

[ab2cmiller]

We don't even set up a return. It's not even that we aren't blocking effectively, it's that they aren't even setting up a return in scheme. It's mind-boggling to me.

Maybe the scheme is set up so that if the punt returner can get past the first seven guys, then we have a wall of 10 ND blockers against the remaining 4 players from the opposing team. That sounds like a potential touchdown every time.

 

[tadman95]

Minus one dead returner every time he doesn't call fair catch! LOL

 

[ClausentoTate]

To be fair, about 3 yd/return are from Floyd's 40 yard return in the bowl game. We were solid #120 going into that game.

 

[BeauBenken]

We set up a return once...and Davonte didn't catch the ball. haha

I'm thinking that it's possible that Kelly doesn't want to put a game in jeopardy because of special teams, so he just wants to safely get the ball and defend any fakes.

 

[FWIrish4]

so aren't we wasting a year of his eligibility if we aren't even setting up a return? I could definitely seeing him being used more in the bowl game though with so much preparation time.

 

[BurningRiver]

I've been thoroughly pleased with the offensive and defensive ends of the football this year, but I've been mostly disgusted with the special teams. Our blocking has been atrocious this year--both on kick (which is particularly disappointing considering what we saw GAIII do last year) and punt returns. Not to mention the problems with long snapping and the occasional issue on kick and punt coverage.

 

[beryirish]

Coach Kelly addressed this --- it's because they are lacking depth. Slaughter and Wood were on the punt return team I believe blocking gunners -- they are out for the season --- he said with this year's recruiting class coming in it will replenish the depth charts and they will go from there.

 

[Whatever]

Maybe the scheme is set up so that if the punt returner can get past the first seven guys, then we have a wall of 10 ND blockers against the remaining 4 players from the opposing team. That sounds like a potential touchdown every time.

Funniest thing ever.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Were we lacking depth last year?

 

[IrishLion]

I think it's been since Little Giants in Kelly's first year that punt returns have been non-existant. Don't want to get burned by a TE running over our defender while the ball is in the air after a delay of game again. What is really mind-boggling is that I recall Armando Allen nearly breaking a couple of punt returns wide open before that game.

I don't quite understand it. With just under 2 mins left (maybe there was more time than that) against Pitt and the game tied, BK actually called for a return. If Neal fields that cleanly, he's got a 20 yard return AT LEAST. Then we're in position to win the game with a field goal if we just get one first down.

I think it's part not wanting to get burned by a fake, and part saving actual returns for when we need them most (like late against Pitt).

Here's to hoping BK is saving the best return setups for USC and bowl game (and hopefully some slip-screens to Theo and Cierre as well).

 

[dublinirish]

Special Teams might not win you the game but they can lose it for you. I think BK is living by this policy right now

 

[NYMIKE6]

Special teams are 1/3 of the game. A good portion of the time it's impact can dictate the final outcome by field position, big return, score points. But with every big play opportunity comes big risk. Trying to return a punt from within your own 20 can have catastrophic outcome. Coach is calling very conservative games, but he's winning... I highley doubt he is concerned with avg. punt return yardage more then wins and loses.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Kelly absolutely believes that if you give him the ball anywhere on the field his offense will score, providing the quarterback doesn't screw it up, the running back doesn't fumble, and the O-Line doesn't allow TFLs. He has this saying: for every 80 yards gained I expect a touchdown. The flip side of that is that he thinks that if you give him the ball around the twenty, he's going to drive it down the field on you. [the offense hasn't stood up to his 80 yards= 7 points rule this year because we don't do as well in the red zone --- some of that is our inability to rapidly deliver passes to the correct receiver with confidence. This weakness has then required Kelly to supplement the offense with an unusual amount of athletic QB running.]

What this says about Davonte is: I believe that Kelly tried him back there to see if he might be able to make chicken soup out of chicken sh!t once in a while. Since that hasn't happened, Davonte's under orders to please just safely catch the ball, unless the punter linedrives one. Ball security, and hand it off to the thing Kelly thinks he can control: the offense.