Who is going to return punts/kickoffs?

Submitted by Placentasaurus on

Do we know who is going to be featured in the return game?

chitownblue (not verified)

August 14th, 2008 at 3:25 PM ^

Our primary kick returner (Minor) and punt returner (Mathews) from last year are returning.

baleedat

August 14th, 2008 at 3:52 PM ^

so that's a yes?

(just fyi, usually when i use a question mark i'm actually asking a question, it's not sarcasm.  i understand how i could be misinterpreted, but in most cases i'm not trying to be a dick and i am actually looking for an answer. of course sometimes i am being a dick)

ts

August 15th, 2008 at 10:42 AM ^

Here we go again with the myth that kick returning = huge injury risk. Who was the last UM player to get injured returning kicks? I can't remember that ever happening. From Coach Rod's comments it sounds like there will be more starters playing special teams than in the past.

chitownblue (not verified)

August 14th, 2008 at 3:41 PM ^

And I'm not saying I'm right - just that it would be silly to have the conversation without even mentioning the returning starters.

Tim Waymen

August 14th, 2008 at 3:55 PM ^

They should use him. I've used him as my PR and KR in NCAA 09 and I won returner of the year with him. In my second season, he's returned a bunch of punts and a kickoff for TDs. Obviously, the coaching staff would be stupid not to use him.

chitownblue (not verified)

August 14th, 2008 at 3:57 PM ^

I think Warren returned a few last year? Didn't he have that punt return where he ran like 900 total yards, juked about 15 dudes, and gained 3 yards in the process?

chitownblue (not verified)

August 14th, 2008 at 4:18 PM ^

umfan, I give Tim plenty of shit, but I'm about One bazillion percent sure he's joking, and that your sarcasm meter is fried.

WolvinLA

August 14th, 2008 at 4:52 PM ^

I'd like to see any of those freshman dudes back there - Odoms, Robinson, Shaw or McGuffie.  The problem you run into, then, is that you have freshman returning kicks.  Which can result in things like bad decisions, fumbles, etc. 

 I think it's worth it.

chitownblue (not verified)

August 14th, 2008 at 4:55 PM ^

I vote Carlos Brown. He has experience, he's fast as shit, and dangerous. I know it'd fun to see the freshmen, but I don't need to see guys fielding punts on the goal line.

Nick

August 15th, 2008 at 2:58 AM ^

I disagree with the Carlos Brown returning kicks.  While he is very fast and experienced.  I dont think he has good vision, i think his agility is overrated and he doesnt seem to have great balance.  I see him kinda falling over a lot.  On a lot of his runs last year, he would kind of stumble forward and fall to the ground w/o a ton of contact.

 I think we should put whomever most resembles Devin Hester back there. ............. Aand  Odoms it is.

MRG

August 15th, 2008 at 8:24 AM ^

...it's not Minor and Mathews.  Brown, McGuffie and Shaw would all seem to be better options at KR.  Robinson, Odoms and maybe Horn would all seem to be better options at PR.

Of course, I'm saying this without having seen 80% of those guys actually return a kick in college.

chitownblue (not verified)

August 15th, 2008 at 8:29 AM ^

The funny thing is that all this is being said based on:

1 clip of shaw steam-rolling Cissoko.

1 2-year old clip of McGuffie hurdling a dude.

1 big, steaming pile of never seeing any of these freshmen do anything.

So, yeah. We know nothing.

spartyNO

August 15th, 2008 at 4:57 PM ^

Or maybe because Mathews and Minor did nothing last year at the position, and Shaw and McGuffie are fast and could have big play potential?  Nobody's saying they're the next Devin Hesters here, just that they can contribute.

Magnus

August 15th, 2008 at 11:24 AM ^

Brandon Harrison, Steve Brown, and Morgan Trent have been returning kickoffs in practice. 

Donovan Warren, Martavious Odoms, and Terrence Robinson have been returning punts.

Mathews has been removed from consideration, presumably because of his lack of big-play capability.

Magnus

August 15th, 2008 at 11:52 AM ^

Shaw is more of a straight-line speed type of guy.  He's neither strong nor particularly elusive, so I don't know why you're surprised.

 However, McGuffie does have those traits.  I'm not sure why he isn't listed.  Maybe he doesn't have good enough hands or something.  I don't know.

Michigan Arrogance

August 15th, 2008 at 12:07 PM ^

 neither strong nor particularly elusive, why is he at WR/RB or even playing football? the point is, shaw seems to be getting lots of pub as a FR contributor, but not so much with Martavious Odoms and Terrence Robinson. if he's more elusive as a RB/WR, then he's more elusive as a PR. i guess more elusive is more elusive.

also, elusive.

Magnus

August 15th, 2008 at 6:19 PM ^

By that logic, any football player should be getting looks at returner.

 Look at the guys who are listed as returners.  The punt returners are all jitterbug guys (Odoms, Robinson, etc.).  The kickoff returners are veterans with good speed.

Shaw is smallish (undeveloped), and his strength is his straight-line speed.  Straight-line speed isn't the ONLY requisite quality for a returner.  He also has to be able to find seams, catch the ball, break tackles, etc.  I'm not saying he DOESN'T have those qualities, but the other ones definitely seem to.

mjv

August 15th, 2008 at 1:20 PM ^

The last injury I can recall to a return man was Tripp Wellbourne (spl?) against Minnesota in 1990.  I think it basically ended his career.

Wheatley got hurt in 1994 on one of the punt  teams (I believe punt cover), but he was not the returner.  

Hopefully, with the influx of these electron types, we will have someone who has a little bit of shake and can still make a decent decision and catch the ball.  Injuries aren't really a concern in my opinion.  And any "hidden" yardage we can pick up will be a major benefit to our offense.