Aerosmith777
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Not sure if this one was posted before, don't think I saw it. I think its cool Weis is focusing on special teams. It always seemed to me that in Notre Dame's better years since I've been watching, they usually were one of the top teams in the country on special teams. Having an excellent special teams unit could probly have won them an extra 3 games last year. A punt/kickoff returned for a TD, or even returned into field goal range, or a few more punts backing a team up inside their own 5 and preventing a return/easy scoring drive could have won/tied the BYU game, the Pitt game, and of course there's the infamous BC game...I mean a damn extra point...really...geez...
By Avani Patel
Tribune staff reporter
August 18, 2005
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- He looked around and grinned, the awe still visible in his eyes as he took in the shiny new tables and the comfortably padded chairs.
"Can you believe this room?" Notre Dame kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick said. "This is just the special-teams meeting room."
For a unit that until this year had crammed into the special-teams coach's office, its own meeting room at the just-opened Guglielmino Athletics Complex is a welcome upgrade.
But that's not the only improvement in store this season for Notre Dame's special teams. Because while special teams often is the most overlooked unit on a team, it also is often the most essential, Irish coach Charlie Weis said.
"The easiest way to improve the fastest is on special teams, because not enough people spend time in special teams," Weis said the day Notre Dame began fall practice. "And trust me, we will be spending a lot of time getting special teams ready to go."
Those weren't just empty words. Ten days into practice, the team's emphasis on special teams is evident, Fitzpatrick said.
"This year it's just a major part of practice," he said. "[Practice is] three phases, not just offense and defense. Special teams really is its own phase."
In fact, said sophomore Justin Hoskins, the Irish have been spending much more time on special teams under Weis than they did last year under former coach Tyrone Willingham.
"Special teams is one of his main priorities, especially after viewing last year's experience and how we did," said Hoskins, one of a slew of players competing to return kickoffs and punts.
Notre Dame's numbers on special teams weren't horrible in 2004. Neither were they spectacular.
The Irish averaged 18.7 yards on 41 kickoff returns, just slightly lower than the 19.9 average of their opponents. They returned each punt an average of 10.8 yards, about 2.5 yards better than their opponents. And Fitzpatrick and Geoff Price averaged 40.6 yards per punt.
In 2005, though, the Irish intend to pull away from the pack.
"Our main goal is to step special teams up 100 percent and execute everything," Hoskins said.
One of the reasons special teams is easily overlooked yet easily improved, Fitzpatrick said, is that success is not predicated entirely on pure talent. While Notre Dame's history includes players who were superlative returners--such as 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown and Raghib "Rocket" Ismail--special teams is one place where effort can translate directly into on-field success.
"It's a good way for teams to get better quickly," Fitzpatrick said. "It's the first stage that we can improve on just based on pure effort and desire."
The evidence to back that up is abundant, Weis said.
"Virginia Tech didn't take long to start being more competitive, solely on the fact that they played sound defense and their special teams were kicking butt," Weis said.
Technically, Brian Polian and Bernie Parmalee are the assistant coaches in charge of special teams.
But, said Weis, "Every one of our coaches is involved in special teams. It isn't one guy running around and everyone else standing on the side and not paying attention to what's going on. Every one of our coaches has an assignment of a couple of players.
"The players know how important it is. Especially when I'm monitoring the whole thing."
By Avani Patel
Tribune staff reporter
August 18, 2005
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- He looked around and grinned, the awe still visible in his eyes as he took in the shiny new tables and the comfortably padded chairs.
"Can you believe this room?" Notre Dame kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick said. "This is just the special-teams meeting room."
For a unit that until this year had crammed into the special-teams coach's office, its own meeting room at the just-opened Guglielmino Athletics Complex is a welcome upgrade.
But that's not the only improvement in store this season for Notre Dame's special teams. Because while special teams often is the most overlooked unit on a team, it also is often the most essential, Irish coach Charlie Weis said.
"The easiest way to improve the fastest is on special teams, because not enough people spend time in special teams," Weis said the day Notre Dame began fall practice. "And trust me, we will be spending a lot of time getting special teams ready to go."
Those weren't just empty words. Ten days into practice, the team's emphasis on special teams is evident, Fitzpatrick said.
"This year it's just a major part of practice," he said. "[Practice is] three phases, not just offense and defense. Special teams really is its own phase."
In fact, said sophomore Justin Hoskins, the Irish have been spending much more time on special teams under Weis than they did last year under former coach Tyrone Willingham.
"Special teams is one of his main priorities, especially after viewing last year's experience and how we did," said Hoskins, one of a slew of players competing to return kickoffs and punts.
Notre Dame's numbers on special teams weren't horrible in 2004. Neither were they spectacular.
The Irish averaged 18.7 yards on 41 kickoff returns, just slightly lower than the 19.9 average of their opponents. They returned each punt an average of 10.8 yards, about 2.5 yards better than their opponents. And Fitzpatrick and Geoff Price averaged 40.6 yards per punt.
In 2005, though, the Irish intend to pull away from the pack.
"Our main goal is to step special teams up 100 percent and execute everything," Hoskins said.
One of the reasons special teams is easily overlooked yet easily improved, Fitzpatrick said, is that success is not predicated entirely on pure talent. While Notre Dame's history includes players who were superlative returners--such as 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown and Raghib "Rocket" Ismail--special teams is one place where effort can translate directly into on-field success.
"It's a good way for teams to get better quickly," Fitzpatrick said. "It's the first stage that we can improve on just based on pure effort and desire."
The evidence to back that up is abundant, Weis said.
"Virginia Tech didn't take long to start being more competitive, solely on the fact that they played sound defense and their special teams were kicking butt," Weis said.
Technically, Brian Polian and Bernie Parmalee are the assistant coaches in charge of special teams.
But, said Weis, "Every one of our coaches is involved in special teams. It isn't one guy running around and everyone else standing on the side and not paying attention to what's going on. Every one of our coaches has an assignment of a couple of players.
"The players know how important it is. Especially when I'm monitoring the whole thing."
