A somewhat overlooked topic at times, I did want to dedicate a post to the 2017 Special Teams unit with a bit of a focus on the specialists directly. Much like both the offense and defense the ST play of 2017 has some questions around it as well. Last year kickoff returns were the 4th worst, punt return coverage was the 4th worst, punting was 2nd to worst, and as we all remember there were 10 missed extra points last season, putting Montana dead last in PAT efficiency.
I'd previously covered the defense: http://egriz.com/grizboard/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76676
And the offense: http://egriz.com/grizboard/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76618
I did a specialist 2-deep after spring ball as well, again just fan opinion, and based on the pre-fall depth a pretty big swing and a miss on a few fronts:
1. Can Semenza shake off last years issues? So here's what I found interesting, I thought Brandon Purdy might've won the kicking job in spring ball, as I listed in my ST depth post-spring. From what I saw he had more distance, was more consistent, and brings the benefit of being a proficient punter as well. Semenza had a good first two scrimmages but then missed a fieldgoal and then a PAT in Butte, which sent ripples of more worry through the fans in the stands. Then the fall camp depth chart comes out and Semenza is listed over Purdy and it wasn't even noted as a position battle. That said I'd assume he's on a short leash. The good news for both kickers is that it seems both have added good power and Purdy impressed me in the spring with his accuracy. Kicking this year needs to be near-perfect on PATs and have more touch-backs on kickoffs, I think the Griz were 2nd to last in touchbacks last season.
2. Is Williams going to keep building off his strong spring? The stats from last season didn't paint the best picture but a lot of fans were encouraged by what was seen out of Eric Williams this spring camp, more distance and better hang time. Continuing to find his best consistency is key now.
3. Who will be the snapper? Right now it's a 3-man race. Gage Smith may hold some advantage here as the only guy with returning experience in games. It's a position battle most fans probably won't pay much attention to but for both our punters and kickers the timing on the snaps is vitally important.
4. Can JLM find more of that UNI return-game magic? If Jerry (and Kobey & Samori) can more consistently flip the field in the return game that will go a long ways to helping both the offense with a shorter field and the defense for when those dreaded 3 and outs hit.
5. Can the coverage units make some big strides? Last year the Griz saw the coverage units get burned early and often. While they improved through the season it became a very tense part of the game as punt and kick returns always help swing momentum it seems. What we heard from the coaches were how young the coverage units were, many of which consisted of freshman just coming off their RS. This year many of the guys from the coverage units are coming back to their same jobs. Will the growth and improvement through last season and then another off-season of experience continue to translate into more coverage success for the ST units?
I'd previously covered the defense: http://egriz.com/grizboard/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76676
And the offense: http://egriz.com/grizboard/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=76618
I did a specialist 2-deep after spring ball as well, again just fan opinion, and based on the pre-fall depth a pretty big swing and a miss on a few fronts:
1. Can Semenza shake off last years issues? So here's what I found interesting, I thought Brandon Purdy might've won the kicking job in spring ball, as I listed in my ST depth post-spring. From what I saw he had more distance, was more consistent, and brings the benefit of being a proficient punter as well. Semenza had a good first two scrimmages but then missed a fieldgoal and then a PAT in Butte, which sent ripples of more worry through the fans in the stands. Then the fall camp depth chart comes out and Semenza is listed over Purdy and it wasn't even noted as a position battle. That said I'd assume he's on a short leash. The good news for both kickers is that it seems both have added good power and Purdy impressed me in the spring with his accuracy. Kicking this year needs to be near-perfect on PATs and have more touch-backs on kickoffs, I think the Griz were 2nd to last in touchbacks last season.
2. Is Williams going to keep building off his strong spring? The stats from last season didn't paint the best picture but a lot of fans were encouraged by what was seen out of Eric Williams this spring camp, more distance and better hang time. Continuing to find his best consistency is key now.
3. Who will be the snapper? Right now it's a 3-man race. Gage Smith may hold some advantage here as the only guy with returning experience in games. It's a position battle most fans probably won't pay much attention to but for both our punters and kickers the timing on the snaps is vitally important.
4. Can JLM find more of that UNI return-game magic? If Jerry (and Kobey & Samori) can more consistently flip the field in the return game that will go a long ways to helping both the offense with a shorter field and the defense for when those dreaded 3 and outs hit.
5. Can the coverage units make some big strides? Last year the Griz saw the coverage units get burned early and often. While they improved through the season it became a very tense part of the game as punt and kick returns always help swing momentum it seems. What we heard from the coaches were how young the coverage units were, many of which consisted of freshman just coming off their RS. This year many of the guys from the coverage units are coming back to their same jobs. Will the growth and improvement through last season and then another off-season of experience continue to translate into more coverage success for the ST units?
