Kickoffs

[GrizzlyBill]

Can anyone explain why we kickoff so short? Is it because McKnight (or anyone else on the team) doesn't have the leg? We give the opponents 10 to 15 yards extra on every kickoff. They usually start near the 40.

[griz37]

Can anyone explain why we kickoff so short? Is it because McKnight (or anyone else on the team) doesn't have the leg? We give the opponents 10 to 15 yards extra on every kickoff. They usually start near the 40.

Their return man had 6 kickoff returns for TD in his career.

[gbhmt]

Their return man had 6 kickoff returns for TD in his career.

Three kickoff returns.

[GrizLifer]

Just like NFL teams do to Devin Hester... If you never touch the stove, you never get burned and Scotty McGee had proven himself one of the best in the business in the past... Besides, it worked out ok from what I saw :D

[Grizaholic17]

Regardless of mcgee being a great player, mcknight can kick it pretty deep.

[gbhmt]

Regardless of mcgee being a great player, mcknight can kick it pretty deep.

I've never really thought so. Although anything decent looks bad when you're used to seeing guys like Chris Snyder kick kickoffs through the uprights on occasion.

[gofurman]

BOTH teams were playing scared on KOs from what I could tell. Really, very few KOs went beyond the 20/15.

Funny thing is at the beginning of the game they talked about the JMU return man being great and Hauck was quoted as saying (Paraphrased) "we will kick it deep to him - our guys are on scholarship too" / ...

I think he fibbed a little there. Funny thing is your best plays were kicking it deep and let the return men fumble. Weird how Hauck stopped with the deep kicks so early while the game was in doubt. I can understand later when protecting a lead against a great KO Return.


Oh well - good job Griz

[blur2005]

I still don't understand what JMU is doing when it kicks it short. One of the guys on the team, the punter, can boom it when he does kick-offs but for some reason the coaches like to go for the short stuff...which gives up good field position and is idiotic when you're trying to come back in a game. xnonono2x

[gbhmt]

I still don't understand what JMU is doing when it kicks it short. One of the guys on the team, the punter, can boom it when he does kick-offs but for some reason the coaches like to go for the short stuff...which gives up good field position and is idiotic when you're trying to come back in a game. xnonono2x

I think it was because you haven't seen a better returner than Mariani. The only guy in FCS that's better is on your team.

[JayJ79]

Funny thing is your best plays were kicking it deep and let the return men fumble. Weird how Hauck stopped with the deep kicks so early while the game was in doubt. I can understand later when protecting a lead against a great KO Return.

Weren't the fumbles in the KO returns from shorter kicks fielded by the "up men"?

[gbhmt]

Weren't the fumbles in the KO returns from shorter kicks fielded by the "up men"?

Yep. Note that the next kickoff was fair caught...xnodx

[purplepeopleeaterv2]

One fumble was on scotty and the other on ward. Ward was one of the "up" men (although he plays WR).

[mineral griz]

His name is YIM he is fromThailand kicked for a class C
8 man football team in Montana that won State Class C
Football team Championship........Someone should look for
him.........People have asked can he really kick...8 man football
plays on an 80 yard field........He would kick it through the
up rights and on to the track field almost another 25 yds past
the goal posts......But you know he is a 8 man football player
like Chase R. from Montana......Some schools are missing a
great chance............

[mtgrizfan4life]

His name is YIM he is fromThailand kicked for a class C
8 man football team in Montana that won State Class C
Football team Championship........Someone should look for
him.........People have asked can he really kick...8 man football
plays on an 80 yard field........He would kick it through the
up rights and on to the track field almost another 25 yds past
the goal posts......But you know he is a 8 man football player
like Chase R. from Montana......Some schools are missing a
great chance............


SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, he is for only the GRIZ to get!!!

[Houndawg]

I think it was because you haven't seen a better returner than Mariani. The only guy in FCS that's better is on your team.

Wrong.xcoffeex

[MacThor]

Here's a weird rules question I had been pondering after the Villanova-JMU game. If you get an excessive celebration penalty and are forced to kick off 15-yards deeper in your territory, if you kick it out of bounds does the other team still get it on their 40?

IOW, would it be advantageous to just intentionally kick it out of bounds to prevent a good return into your territory?

[Houndawg]

Here's a weird rules question I had been pondering after the Villanova-JMU game. If you get an excessive celebration penalty and are forced to kick off 15-yards deeper in your territory, if you kick it out of bounds does the other team still get it on their 40?

IOW, would it be advantageous to just intentionally kick it out of bounds to prevent a good return into your territory?

Good question. Does the rule specify the 40, or does it say x yards from where the ball is kicked?

[JayJ79]

Here's a weird rules question I had been pondering after the Villanova-JMU game. If you get an excessive celebration penalty and are forced to kick off 15-yards deeper in your territory, if you kick it out of bounds does the other team still get it on their 40?

IOW, would it be advantageous to just intentionally kick it out of bounds to prevent a good return into your territory?

The rule doesn't state the 40 at all. It states 30 yards from the spot of the kickoff. Which during a normal kickoff from the 30, makes it the 40 yard line. But if you kick it off from 15 yards back, and it goes out of bounds, the other team can take it on your 45.

Though I think they might also have the option to make you kick off again from 5 yards back. But I'm not 100% sure on that.

[Houndawg]

The rule doesn't state the 40 at all. It states 30 yards from the spot of the kickoff. Which during a normal kickoff from the 30, makes it the 40 yard line. But if you kick it off from 15 yards back, and it goes out of bounds, the other team can take it on your 45.

Though I think they might also have the option to make you kick off again from 5 yards back. But I'm not 100% sure on that.

xthumbsupx Thank you, sir.

[gbhmt]

Wrong.xcoffeex

Care to inform me who's better?

Mariani had a better average than Andre Roberts before his two zero yardage returns last week.

[MacThor]

The rule doesn't state the 40 at all. It states 30 yards from the spot of the kickoff. Which during a normal kickoff from the 30, makes it the 40 yard line. But if you kick it off from 15 yards back, and it goes out of bounds, the other team can take it on your 45.

Though I think they might also have the option to make you kick off again from 5 yards back. But I'm not 100% sure on that.

Thank you for answering my question! :)

[clenz]

Jay, and almost all UNI fans know all about this rule. We had about a 4 or 5 page debate earlier this year about UNI and the short kickoffs that we use(d).


Turns out the field position we gave up was better after the short kick

[james_lawfirm]

Here's a weird rules question I had been pondering after the Villanova-JMU game. If you get an excessive celebration penalty and are forced to kick off 15-yards deeper in your territory, if you kick it out of bounds does the other team still get it on their 40?

IOW, would it be advantageous to just intentionally kick it out of bounds to prevent a good return into your territory?


Yes, BUT it depends on where it goes out-of-bounds. If it goes out on your side of the forty, the other team gets it where it went out. But, if you kick it out on the backside of the 40, then you get it at the 40. I know this because I saw an onsides kick go out at the 50 & that's where the receiving team (ASU) got the ball.