I tend to think...

by Greg, seemingly ranch, Monday, August 05, 2013, 12:12 (3908 days ago) @ PAK

...that a lot that has been said in this thread and elsewhere on this board about the issue is important to consider. First, that anecdotally at least the greatest probability of a huge return comes against poor competition and that's why fans hold so fast to memories of big returns in big games. Second, that the difference between a "great" return team and a "poor" one is less than 20 yards of field position per game (I like round numbers, and 15 is not round). Third, that the spread punt formation and the manner in which most of the punting team can get downfield quickly have disincentivized punt return prep by making it that much harder to block the punting team, making a return yet that much more difficult. Fourth, that while the punt return practice never took up much more than one period (5 minutes) of a game week team practice when I was a manager under Holtz, I know it took up more time with the coaches planning for it, looking for weaknesses in the opposing team's punt game, and doing pre-season prep with the players so they would all get in the right position and execute correctly.

Emotionally it is sucky to watch a game and know there is little to no chance of a big punt return. It would be more palatable from an emotional standpoint to at least have good punt fielders who catch the ball on the fly as often as is human possibly and who generally make sure that when they don't catch it the ball doesn't roll deeper than where they are standing (and they should be standing about the 10 when backed up to their own end zone). Rationally, I can grasp why under the current rules and with the popularity of the spread punt formation Kelly decides to not try to return punts just for that 20+/- average yards per game when the prep can go into working on blocking schemes or defensive line play or taking a few more runs through the game videos to spot tendencies of the opponent's offense or defense. I still think the fielding game should be better, even if we're not going to try to make a return.

But after going 12-1 and not losing a game due to the punt return game for the entirety of Kelly's tenure, I'm about done reading/writing about it. Yes, it can be improved. But at what point is griping about it just standing in the wind screaming Obaaaaaamaaaaaa and the Vagina Monologues?

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The 2007 ND-UCLA game was a once in a lifetime experience, I hope