2009 Nebraska football: kick returns/coverage

One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2009 season. Today, we look at kick return and kick coverage:

Looking back: The common memory most people have of the Bill Callahan era was that special teams were an afterthought. Remember how we used to bristle at Santino Panico’s constant fair catches and paltry 3.1 average on punt returns in 2004? Remember also Tierre Green and Brandon Jackson averaging a rather pedestrian 19.2 and 21.1 yards per kickoff return?

Then in 2005, the punt return was actually a weapon with Terrence Nunn (10.4 yards) and Cortney Grixby (18.3 yards).

Kick returns and kick coverage was one of the few areas, if not the only, where Nebraska did not progress significantly in Bo Pelini’s first season as head coach.

The return game progressed somewhat as Nebraska improved from 8.2 yards per punt return from 2007 to 2008 but the kickoff return average was a virtual stalemate going from 21.2 to 21.8. The coverage unit averages against, however, did not improve. Nebraska allowed 21.9 yards per kickoff in 2007 and 23.9 in 2008. The Huskers allowed opponents to average 6.5 yards per punt in 2007 and 9.5 in 2008.

While the offensive return game was not bad, it was not a weapon either. While the coverage units were not a sieve, they were far from championship material. In fact, the most effective way for Nebraska to cover kicks were either punter Dan Titchner directional kicking or Adi Kunalic booting the ball out of the end zone.

Looking ahead: With Kunalic and Alex Henery both being juniors, the Husker placekicking game is the least of their worries. The biggest concern is replacing Titchner even though he seldom blasted a big punt.

Nebraska needs work in this area if is to get back to being a championship material program. The coverage units were average at best and occasional below that level.

Niles Pauls and Nate Swift showed flashes of brilliance but also fumbled at critical times against Clemson and Kansas. Luckily for the Huskers, neither mishap cost them a win.

Special teams is often referred to as the third phase of football but it’s a phase every team needs because there will inevitably be days where the offense or defense struggles.