[NU Sports] Kicking game

[Mike Nolan]

> Perhaps I should advocate for better special teams coaching not necessarily more of it; that is an excellent point. 

Special teams are only as good as the combination of the coaching and the players
allow.  Most teams use a lot of reserves on special teams, Virginia Tech is one 
school that uses a lot of first team players on special teams, I don't know how 
many additional injuries they've seen to those players either on the special teams 
plays or just because they get more wear-and-tear over the course of a 12 game 
season.  I've also been told that VT spends a lot more time on special teams 
plays during practices.  

Personally, I think NU special teams are MUCH BETTER than they were during
the Walker era, in part because of the kicker, though I am still not a big fan
of the rugby-style punt.  But I think it may also be because the overall talent
level of our players is going up.  (And you can probably thank NCAA scholarship 
limits for that nearly as much as the coaching staff's recruiting efforts.)
--
Mike Nolan