Picture Pages: Punt Cover Peril

I think that's the strategy though.  Give them so much green it confuses the returner into bobbling the ball.

Yea....

Having the punt blocked. If any one of those 3 guys back there gets pushed back or even makes the slightest mistake, a good chance exists that the punt will be blocked. Whereas in a traditional punt formation, you don't often see the defense get as far into the backfield so quickly. I'll admit, I have no concrete data, I'm just basing this off of my own observations.

If we are going to the spread punt we need Denard back there.

But seriously, 75% of the time (no reference link - gut feeling) Michigan has had crappy special teams in the 40 years I've been following them.

Guys like Don Bracken, Ali Haji-sheikh, Rivas, Epstien, Hamilton, Mesko is about it unless you go back to Tom Harmon.

I did not notice the details of what was going on, but I did notice that for all UMass's punts, I believe Gallon only tried to return one, and that should have been fair caught.  They had several guys bearing down on him after every punt.  On our punts, rarely was there a Michigan player in sight as each punt was received or dropped.  Now I know why.  

We have among the nation's best coaching minds dedicated to coordinating and planning the offense and defense.  Our punting schemes seem like an after thought in comparison.

Brian

I can't find any 2012 UMass every snap offense video but I swear we had a less than classic more rugby/spread style punt formation in the 4th quarter.  One of our last posessions.  Please look and either verify that it exists or verify that beer causes halucinations.

I realize this subject will go over about as well in a press conference as a bubble screen, but I'm wondering if some added data would help to allow the question to be asked in a way that Hoke would be inclined to answer it.  Perhaps the following:

• Number of opponents who use conventional versus spread
• Number of B10 teams who use the spread
• Gross versus Net punting for Hagerup this year as compared to freshman year
• National average gross/net comparison by style of coverage used

I'm concerned that Hoke looks at the special teams coverage and thinks "our gunners aren't good enough, let's put a starting CB on that unit to make them better" rather than "this configuration isn't good enough and exposes our gunners to big returns or injury". 

I'm not sure how to collect data on blocked punts as compared to style of coverage used, but I don't think the spread gets blocked more.....it just looks a little scarier because guys are getting closer to the punter.  I thought I remember someone trotting out a stat when Rodriguez switched to it that they were actually very hard to block. 

I think the onus is on just those three protectors to know their job really well.  You usually pick bigger guys that won't get blown over but also are somewhat athletic. 

In the first photo under "spreadin' it," Michigan has 6 defenders lined up against 3 UMass players, only one of whom is an eligible receiver. On the other side of the field, we have 2 against 2. This makes no sense to me. It's almost like we are trying to bait them into running a fake punt to that weak side of our defensive formation. Granted, it was 4th and 15, so a fake is not in order, but why are we lined up like that?

I'm pretty convinced that the spread is the way to go, and I'd love to see Michigan do it... next year.  Like you said, the catastrophe probability from a mid-season switch is high enough that the costs probably outweigh the benefits.

Why is it that interior linemen on the spread punt can be downfield before the ball is kicked? I thought that was illegal man downfield, but I'm clearly mistaken.

So how is this fixed?  Is it formation?  Is it speed?  Is it getting off blocks (a recurring theme this year)?  Is it throwing in a fake or two to keep the other team off guard?

But I don't really understand this one. From what I've seen, the spread punt doesn't get blocked anymore and the coverage is better. The only thing I can think of is that this gives guys experience with an NFL style special teams, making borderline guys a little more attractive to NFL people because they have experience. Even typing that seems like a reach, but there may be a slight benefit from it.

Sidenote: the NFL rules don't really allow for the spread punt, which is why you don't see it there.

Heiko and his badgering/mind control got Borges running bubble screens early in year 2.  I assume you'll be deploying Heiko against Hoke and traditional punt formation immediately, and I further assume Michigan will be  punting from the spread (although Hoke will initially call it something cooler like "X-Ray punting") no later than the start of next year's B1G season.

and everyone knows that rugby is a hooligans sport. We'll have no hooligans taking the field at Michigan!

For any of you wishing to read more about spread punt formations.

http://smartfootball.com/uncategorized/spread-punt-protection-theory-and-practice

College coverage rules are entirely different than the pros.  Anyone can go downfield in college.

My view is that the spread IS more likely to result in blocks.  I don't have any empirical evidence for that, but see the attached article: http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/article_8e6e8932-02c1-11e1-94dd-001cc4c002e0.html 

Regarding our net punting, I posted the following in a thread about BH's Monday presser.  There are a few references to previous things in the thread, but it still makes sense and supports my claim that our net punting is just fine.

_____________________

"Well, I'm lazy, too, so I resent that your response required me to research facts to support my thesis, namely, that our net punting is just fine.

Hagerup's gross punt average is 49.0. His net punting by game has been 37.1 (Bama -- average return 8 yds.), 45 (Air Force -- 0 returns), and 53 (UMass -- negative 7 yards per return).

Wile's two punts were gross 28 yards. Neither one was returned, so his net is also 28 yds.

So, after doing the math (the details of which I'll omit unless questioned further), we find that Hagerup's net punt average on 11 punts is 44.7 yards. Only four punts have been returned for positive average. I haven't checked, but I would guess the 44.7 net that exceeds all but a dozen or two NCAA FBS teams' GROSS punting.

If you include Wile's two punts, neither of which was returned, our net team punt average is 42.2.

So, reporters, please reconsider the premises of your questions. "

Well, I'm lazy, too, so I resent that your response required me to research facts to support my thesis, namely, that our net punting is just fine.

Hagerup's gross punt average is 49.0. His net punting by game has been 37.1 (Bama -- average return 8 yds.), 45 (Air Force -- 0 returns), and 53 (UMass -- negative 7 yards per return).

Wile's two punts were gross 28 yards. Neither one was returned, so his net is also 28 yds.

So, after doing the math (the details of which I'll omit unless questioned further), we find that Hagerup's net punt average on 11 punts is 44.7 yards. Only four punts have been returned for positive average. I haven't checked, but I would guess the 44.7 net that exceeds all but a dozen or two NCAA FBS teams' GROSS punting.

If you include Wile's two punts, neither of which was returned, our net team punt average is 42.2.

So, reporters, please reconsider the premises of your questions. 

This is why he was gunning against Alabama. Seems like the gunners in michigans scheme needs to be fast and sure tacklers. The punt he was hurt on was the best one covered that I saw so far this season.

Didn't Hoke make a presser comment that Hagerup was outkicking his coverage too much?  Drive punting for distance as opposed to hang time, that is.  I used to say what's wrong with the NFL style until I learned that the rules are different.  Now I lean spread punt, but I think the punter is important too.