The whole kicking, punting special team problem thing

[MamaMia]

is worrying the H E double hockey sticks out of me. I'm eating ice cream right out of the carton....on a daily basis. In a close game this very problem could cost us a win.

If you've got any, I sure could use some reassuring.

[JLEW1818]

I think the coaches should have giving Stevens some chances to kick field goals this past game.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I think it's improving.

[BornandBred]

The only good thing about this situation is that it presented itself early. It's like colon cancer, the earlier we know about it, the faster we can fix it. Also, it's pretty easy to fix.

[chad]

They've already started working on it.
In practices they are making the kickers use brand new balls, which are harder and don't fly as well. The improvement showed in last saturday's game. Also they are working on his kicking form, which apparently isn't too clean right now.
Before, they were using the practice balls and the kicker was putting them out of the end zone consistently.

Kick coverage and punt coverage worry me more than how far the kicker/punter can kick the ball.

[fwsooner22]

Did anybody else watch the 2nd half warm-up of Stevens in Waco........yes it was windy but..........Yikes........and that was a warm-up with no rush.....

[BoulderSooner79]

There is part of the kick-off problem I really don't want to solve - the fact that we kick-off *alot*. :D

[swardboy]

They've already started working on it.
In practices they are making the kickers use brand new balls, which are harder and don't fly as well. The improvement showed in last saturday's game. Also they are working on his kicking form, which apparently isn't too clean right now.
Before, they were using the practice balls and the kicker was putting them out of the end zone consistently.

Kick coverage and punt coverage worry me more than how far the kicker/punter can kick the ball.

As a former college punter, this post is very interesting. Back in the day I sure had my favorite balls to work with in practice, but HAD to use a brand new ball in games. I hated kicking a brand new ball. And in retrospect I realize I should have stayed away from the softer balls in practice. Do today's kickers have a choice?

It was good to see more kickoffs get into the endzone last Saturday, but wasn't the wind a factor?

[CK Sooner]

As a former college punter, this post is very interesting. Back in the day I sure had my favorite balls to work with in practice, but HAD to use a brand new ball in games. I hated kicking a brand new ball. And in retrospect I realize I should have stayed away from the softer balls in practice. Do today's kickers have a choice?

It was good to see more kickoffs get into the endzone last Saturday, but wasn't the wind a factor?

I'm pretty sure the wind was a factor because when we switched sides he was kicking it shorter.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

lol

[rainiersooner]

Did anybody else watch the 2nd half warm-up of Stevens in Waco........yes it was windy but..........Yikes........and that was a warm-up with no rush.....

What happened?

[JLEW1818]

..... we are going to have to kick eventually, it scares me.

[CK Sooner]

..... we are going to have to kick eventually, it scares me.

Im going to walk on, don't worry.

[stoopified]

They've already started working on it.
In practices they are making the kickers use brand new balls, which are harder and don't fly as well. The improvement showed in last saturday's game. Also they are working on his kicking form, which apparently isn't too clean right now.
Before, they were using the practice balls and the kicker was putting them out of the end zone consistently.

Kick coverage and punt coverage worry me more than how far the kicker/punter can kick the ball.I heard Merv Johnson discussing the change to gameballs being used ny kickers in practice.He seemed to think it would make a difference.I can't understand why you don't use new balls in practice kicking in the first place.It only makes sense to me that you kick balls in practice that are as hard as ones in game situations.

[OKC-SLC]

So our problem all along has been soft balls?

The love of soft balls is the root of all evil.

[TMcGee86]

It was pretty windy.

I was telling everyone around me how bad our kicking game is and that we are lucky to make it to the 10, and he started booming them deep to the EZ.

When we switched directions he was struggling to get them to the 20.

[Statalyzer]

As a Texas fan it worries me, too. Maybe we'll block a punt of yours, we do seem to be fairly good at that, but I think the odds are greater that you'll get a long kick/punt return on us and start out an offensive possession already in FG range.

[olevetonahill]

So our problem all along has been soft balls?

When ever Mine get HARD i go the Ho House.
jes sayin

[olevetonahill]

As a Texas fan it worries me, too. Maybe we'll block a punt of yours, we do seem to be fairly good at that, but I think the odds are greater that you'll get a long kick/punt return on us and start out an offensive possession already in FG range.

From the 5 ?

[MamaMia]

Oh well. :rolleyes:

[birddog]

it's comical how poor a team with that much talent can be in one particular area.

it honestly looks like john blake is in charge of the ST but to be fair, stoops teams get burned with 11 players while blakes teams got burned with 15.

[The Maestro]

On the fake punt, what the heck was Gresham doing? If he turns around and blocks I think Knall's moves could have got him that extra two feet. But Gresham was running one way looking back the other way and never saw the guy he needed to block.

We need Jonathan Hayes back to coach the special teams.

[ashley]

The punter has to run twenty two yards to make a first down for heavens sake. Plus it wasn't even around end. Bad plan. No, horrible plan.

[TripleOption14]

The punter has to run twenty two yards to make a first down for heavens sake. Plus it wasn't even around end. Bad plan. No, horrible plan.

I gotta disagree. If it was so bad Knall would have not even gotten close. The previous poster is correct. If Gresham sticks on his block for 3 more seconds its a first down easy. Your supposed to lock your man up and block him until you hear the whistle.

[CK Sooner]

The punter has to run twenty two yards to make a first down for heavens sake. Plus it wasn't even around end. Bad plan. No, horrible plan.

You would be singing a different tune if it worked and it almost did.

I trust in Stoops decisions.

[Bosley]

I'll say this...if texas doesn't run back tha kick return OU wins by 2-3 touchdowns. That gave their entire team a shot of adrenaline when our team was starting to distance themselves in the first half.

About the fake punt, I trust stoops in that situation. If our punter falls reaches 2 feet for the first down the game changes. There were so many "what if" moments, but the bottom line is texas got lucky when they had to, and when you have to teams this equally skilled sometimes it takes the team who gets the best calls and the luckiest breaks to win.

[Fraggle145]

Basically I dont have a problem with the call to go for it... I just was asking why dont we use one of the best offenses in the nation to do it rather than our sucky special teams. :confused: