[NU Sports] Dispatch from El Paso

[Michael Vance]

At 1/1/2006 02:43 AM, mlinhardt at netzero.net wrote:
>Our special teams were abysmal, other than our kick coverage, which was 
>excellent.
>I figure 23 points lost:
>Missed FG - 3
>Blocked FG - 3
>Extra Points - 2
>On-sides returned for TDs - 14
>UCLA going for 2 instead of 1 - 1

One thing that everyone, including the announcers, seems to have overlooked 
is that the early missed kicks did not just account for five points, but 
six.  Had we made all of those, the score would have been 27-20 after 
UCLA's third TD and they would not have gone for two.  They'd have just 
kicked the PAT, making it 27-21.

>Also Heinz was out-of-control.  Our personal fouls this season were way, 
>way down and he had 2 unnecessary ones.

But he also made a couple of great plays, like the second INT.  Heinz 
played like a kid who was thrilled to be back on the field and was eager to 
hit somebody.  That's what defensive players do.  I'm not crazy about the 
late hits, but his intensity paid off other times, so I think it was a wash.

>Our WRs dropped too many passes.  TJ Jones should not start again until he 
>can catch passes.  Ross Lane should have started the game instead of TJ.

Agreed.  I wasn't sure why a kid who hadn't played all season was starting 
at one of the positions where we have the most depth.  It made sense for 
Heinz to start, assuming his performance in practice was up to snuff.  The 
secondary has gotten shuffled and reshuffled all season, and especially 
with Deante Battle out, it was a no-brainer to start Heinz.  But Jones must 
have been great in practice for him to get the nod over Lane after the 
season that Lane has had.

>Resolutions/To Do for 2006:
>* Get a special teams coordinator

More than any other area of the game, I'd like to see RW concentrate on 
this in the off-season.  Change the basic philosophy of special teams to 
make it closer to the Beamer/Barnett model.  If it was just the actual 
place-kicking, then you could put the blame on the personnel or the kicking 
coach, but for a few years now, at least three of the four main phases of 
special teams (place kicking, punting, and coverage) have been pretty 
bad.  I don't mind the lack of touchbacks if the coverage team can play 
like they did yesterday, but that usually hasn't happened.


Michael, CAS '91
mailto:michael at vance.com