[NU Sports] El Painful El Paso (fwd)

[Mike Nolan]

> Place kicking, punting, kick coverage and kick returns MUST be at a level 
> that places them in the top 20% or so of D-I, or RW has to answer why 
> they are not.

That's a mighty high standard, that's the top 25.  I GUARANTEE that not
every top 25 team has a top 25 place kicker, punter, and kickoff kicker.

Punting and place kicking are enough different that most schools have
two kickers.  It appears to me that the muscle skills that make for 
a good place kicker don't necessarily lead to someone who can consistently
put the ball in the end zone on kickoffs.  (That's not where most special
team coaches want it kicked anyway, they want the ball to get to about the 5,
it gives more chance of pinning the team inside the 20.)

FWIW, NU averaged 7th (out of 10 punters, Minnesota's punter didn't have
enough punts to qualify) in punt average in the Big 10 this year.  

Who finished last?  Michigan.  Three of the top 4 punters in the Big 10 
played for teams that finished at the bottom of the conference standings:  
MSU, Indiana and Illinois.  

Place kicking was a bit more predictive.  The only non-bowl team in the
conference whose field goal kicker finished higher than Howells in the
conference standings was Illinois.  
--
Mike Nolan