Punting and Special teams

Jan 10, 2003
1,343
1
0
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Don't want to bash our punter, but it seems like his last punt just really gave them great field position and after we held them they got away a better one. This put us in the hole to drive down for a FG.

Special teams are called special for a reason. Is our guy back next year? Our kickoff team played much better than last year.

I know this is hindsite, but I always hated Julio on the kickoff team where you have underclassmen coming down and wanting to make a name for themselves. I just would't have used him there and don't know of any teams that has done this.

I remember Pierre Goode returned some and remember the one for a TD. Was he a starter?

Thats why you see so many penalties on Special teams, younger crazy players.

Sorry if this has already been covered.
 

BradtheImpaler

All-American
Nov 16, 2010
2,001
0
0
Sugar Hill, GA
I remember how bad our special teams - especially punting - looked at the :BigA:-Day Game, and I really thought that it could come back to haunt us.
It did.
That's not the first punt that Mandell has shanked this year, and it did cost us dearly. If he's able to put that ball anywhere near or inside the 20, we've got a much better chance. Didn't that one wind up going out of bounds around the 35?
 

rangerman

Suspended
Sep 14, 2010
1,089
0
0
yea he kicked it at about the 48 to it didnt even go to the first down marker if i remember correctly.
 

rangerman

Suspended
Sep 14, 2010
1,089
0
0
mandell was rated number 5 at his position williams was around 10 at his position we so we have great talent he is just a freshman give him a shot before we go after his head.
 

AlistarWills

Hall of Fame
Jul 26, 2006
5,641
3,464
187
13 yard punt late in the game, he has one job to do. Not going after his head, but that head needs to be ready to do his job.
At the ripe mature age of 18, have you ever tried to do your job perfectly with 8 crazy men, who happen to be much bigger than you, rushing trying to injure you? Give the kid a break. He shanked it, it happens. I've been there. Ball went 12 yards. Trust me, I'm sure he feels horrible about it.
 

kayakerjess

All-American
Sep 9, 2005
2,013
4
62
49
Colorado
Do you guys not remember Fitzgerald's first year? There is a lot of pressure on these young men, and it doesn't take much of a miscue to make an ok punt into a real stinker.

The fact that he only shanked a couple throughout the entire season (albeit at bad times) is pretty good I think. Go back and re-watch the 2006 iron bowl if you want to see some really horrible punting.
 
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Jessica4Bama

Hall of Fame
Nov 7, 2009
7,307
12
57
Alabama
I was actually proud of the way our special teams played this year. They did better than I thought they would after what I saw at the A-day game.
 

Alasippi

Suspended
Aug 31, 2007
12,875
2
57
Ocean Springs, MS
mandell was rated number 5 at his position williams was around 10 at his position we so we have great talent he is just a freshman give him a shot before we go after his head.
I agree with this totally. I can't imagine the pressure a punter or place kicker feels, and that's if they are seniors.

But to be a lil ole baby faced kid right out of high school...that's got to be tough. Just look at the difference in the size of the oncoming rushers compared to what they saw only one year earlier in high school.

Couldn't give me the job.

They'll be fine.
 

GreatDanish

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2005
6,079
0
0
TN
I was actually surprised at how well he did this year. Before the season, I was expecting an average net punt of about 20 yards for the season.

2009: SR punter who had started for four years.
Punt Average: 41.5 yards
Net Punt Average: 34.7 yards
Punt Return Average: 15.0 yards
% of punts returned: 67.2%

2010: True Freshman punter who arrived in Tuscaloosa a few months before our first game.
Punt Average: 39.2 yards
Net Punt Average: 36.9 yards
Punt Return Average: 13.1 yards
% of punts returned: 64.1%

Some might say the most important stat for a punter is net punt average, and in this area, we actually improved from last year. Otherwise, the numbers are hardly different. Again, going from a 4-year starter to a true freshman.
 

BayouBama75

All-SEC
Dec 7, 2001
1,018
113
187
Knoxville, TN
yea he kicked it at about the 48 to it didnt even go to the first down marker if i remember correctly.
He kicked it to the Auburn 27 yard line. I think it was a 13 yard punt that he was trying to pooch inside the 20. It would have been nice to down inside the 5, but if he had boomed it into the EZ it would have only be 7 yards better.

Overall I thought he did a good job for us this year.

On that drive we have 1st and 10 at the AU 34 and rushed for a 2 yard loss, then an incomplete pass and then the sack back to the 40. Frustrating.
 

BDE

BamaNation Citizen
Jun 25, 2009
60
0
0
Overall, I think Mandell does a descent job. Great hang time. He does seem to have a high release which may contribute to his "shanks". Hopefully, he'll get those issues taken care of before next year.
 

kayakerjess

All-American
Sep 9, 2005
2,013
4
62
49
Colorado
From watching him this year, the only issue he has is trying to be clutch under pressure. His poor punts this year were either from our own EZ or under heavy pressure. A year of experience will help that a lot, and as previous posters have pointed out, his punting average is actually pretty good. No one is perfect.
 

skipster63

All-SEC
Nov 5, 2010
1,934
110
82
Buchanan Dam
I would like to see someone returning kicks who can get it out past the 20. I was not a fan of having Julio returning kicks because he was such an integral part of our offense. But I guess for the lack of anyone else we put him back there. It will be nice next year to have someone coming in who can pose a threat. I know a Javier Arenas doesn't grow on trees. But it seems to me we missed having a threat returning punts and kickoffs this year.

Punting/kicking can be so mental. You can do very well and in a critical moment have the pressure get to you.......ala Kyle Brotzman for Boise. He pushed the first one and thought he would compensate on the 2nd. So the first one got in his head. It does seem Mandell in clutch moments actually tried something different to make a difference and it came back to haunt Alabama. I'm not saying we should have put our scholarship punter in his place. Tough call on that one.
 

WMack4Bama

Administrator
Staff member
Nov 7, 2008
11,541
1,566
232
Tuscaloosa, AL
Both our kickers, both our punters, our holder.,.all freshmen.. Our long snapper...he's a sophomore. These guys will get better with time. Kickoff & punt returning is a special skill, indeed. Gauging gunner speeds, reading lanes, etc. We'll find our guy
 

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