Penn State Football: Week 9 Studs and Duds against Iowa
By Corey Hunter
Penn State Punting and Kickoff Return Coverage
Penn State has had its fair share of ups and downs when it comes to special teams this season. Special teams coach Phil Galiano has had his fair of critics, as well. Still, the unit as a whole has made some positive strides since the beginning of the year.
Saturday against Iowa, the Nittany Lions return game, thanks to kickoff return specialist and WR KJ Hamler nearly took a kickoff the distance, marking the second straight game that a Penn State player gave the offense a short field to traverse. Also, Jake Pinegar nailed three field goals from over 40 yards each. Those were the first three he connected on from that distance all season, and likely was the reason Penn State emerged from the contest victorious.
Still, with all of the positives that are the special teams unit is having, they are also lagging in other areas – namely punting and kickoff coverage.
On punting, junior Blake Gillikin did average 41.8 yards per punt on his five kicks, but he had a punt blocked out of the endzone for a safety after the wet ball went through his hands. Later in the first half, long snapper Kyle Vasey sent one well over the head of Blake Gillikin and out of the endzone for a second safety. As a whole the punting unit has been down of late, and the weather issues from Saturday did not provide the special teams with any extra support.
In a game like the upcoming one with Michigan, punting and field position will be vital for a Penn State defense that has a tendency to give up yardage and has trouble getting off the field on third downs.
Another area where Penn State must improve is on kickoff coverage. From the opening game kickoff return for a touchdown by Appalachian State to the multiple onsides kicks that Nittany Lion opponents have recovered this unit has been in flux. Head Coach James Franklin made a mention during his Wednesday post-practice media session that the amount of time spent on one facet of the game should essentially be equal to the percentage of snaps that phase goes through in a game. He specifically mentioned special teams as an area of emphasis during practice during the week.
Still, the Nittany Lions allowed Iowa return man Ihmir Smith-Marsette to bring three kickoffs (two were direct kicks resulting from the Penn State safeties) back for a total of 103 yards (34.3 yards per return average) with a long of 49 yards. With a defense struggling to get off the field on third downs anyways, giving the opponent a short field could easily be a death knell for Penn State.