Harbaugh era kickoff return appreciation thread
Since stats have been official in 1948, there have only been 12 kickoff returns in Michigan Football history.
3 of them have been the opening kickoff.
Harbaugh's teams have had 3 kickoff return TDs in his 5 seasons as head coach, 2 of them have been the opening kickoff.
Kickoff return TDs from 1995-2014: 2
Since 2015: 3
0 opening kickoff return TDs from 1994-2014. 2 since 2015.
Ambry Thomas is in the top-10 in career ranks for kickoff returns and kickoff return yards and he isn't even the KR man anymore.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:23 AM ^
Last one reminded me of Desmond runs. He wouldn't juke people out of their cleats, he'd just take great angles and speed past them. Almost looked like he was gliding out there instead of running.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:26 AM ^
Since stats have been official in 1948, there have only been 12 kickoff returns in Michigan Football history
Hmm, are you sure of this? That would be a really high percentage of touchbacks.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:29 AM ^
Are you testing the super guides?
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:34 AM ^
Yes. I even double checked the MGoBlue Record Book that was updated last night and counted it out. There have only been 12 TDs. Very surprising.
I also went and checked Bentley’s box score pdf database that goes back to 1939 and combed through each kickoff return to see which ones were opening kickoff.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:36 AM ^
I think this was a snarky response, based on the fact you left out kickoff returns for a touchdown. It reads as though there have only been 12 actual kickoff returns
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
I appreciate your work. I think it’s crazy that you haven’t been able to make this your career.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
You do realize he meant for a TD, right?
November 3rd, 2019 at 5:46 PM ^
You're a quick study.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
Barring a few hiccups with kickers here and there, the special teams have been pretty stellar.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:41 AM ^
One thing I can’t really be critical of is the special team play under Harbaugh. Other than a couple disasters on punts and a single kick return its been A++.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:01 AM ^
The "Trouble with the Snap" play still hurts though. It still gets a lot of play here in Lansing. I think it has turned out to be the Spartans swan song as they haven't done anything since that luckiest of all plays
November 3rd, 2019 at 12:04 PM ^
That play certainly sucked (I had a great view of it). But it's one play out of however many hundreds of ST plays we've had in almost five years.
What's often forgotten is that O'Neill had had a huge game up to that point, consistently flipping field position. We were on the verge of winning a game in which we had been massively outgained, thanks to winning the field position battle all day.
November 3rd, 2019 at 2:22 PM ^
I thought that he was the MVP until that last play that will never be mentioned.
November 3rd, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
It is annoying how much that play is still used in sport show intros, highlight comparisons and just water cooler talk here in the Lansing area. Hell, they made a stupid commemorative book for it. Surprised they didn't do the fucking Disney world commercial.
"Mike Dantonio, your team was lucky as shit to steal this game. What are you going to do...?"
November 3rd, 2019 at 3:38 PM ^
Each time they show it, there are still two Sparty penalties. #sourgrapes ...but still have to mention it.
November 3rd, 2019 at 5:24 PM ^
Yeah, the personal foul with the defensive tackles taking out the center is indisputable when viewed from the camera behind the kicker. ESPN had a clip that marked how little time the punter had to think but that camera angle also highlighted the center getting blasted off his feet by two defensive lineman running straight into him. The one to the the center's left ran into him untouched. Clearly a specific play call by the Spartans who apparently knew it wouldn't be called.
oh well, time to move on. And about the refs at the PSU game.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
Jackson did look very smooth and composed on that one. He was patient, saw a hole, burst through it, took one cut and he was off. Is he fast? He didn't look terribly fast but nobody was catching him, so maybe he is one of those glider types.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:49 AM ^
He didn’t look fast but looked like he was running out of juice at the end. I wonder if he would be an option for punts? DPJ is a heck of an athlete but it seems like he’s a little careless with the way he fields the ball.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:36 AM ^
Looked to me like a Maryland player started gaining on him at the end. But yeah Jackson made the whole return look effortless.
November 3rd, 2019 at 1:50 PM ^
He ran an electronic timed 4.43 40. Which is nearly elite. He is in the top percent of college players as far as speed.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
Random note: Through timing I saw four of those in person (Howard #1, Smith, Stonum, and Thomas).
Impressive '89 - '92 cluster there ... I'm surprised there aren't more overall.
November 3rd, 2019 at 1:05 PM ^
Can you attend a few more games please?
My rabbit's foot doesn't seem to be drumming up any TDs.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:33 AM ^
Jackson's return was textbook. Blocking was crisp and on point. Jackson only had to make one juke in the beginning then go.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:34 AM ^
I was at the Howard BC one - remember it well - turned around what had been a tight game. Not sure but it might have been the 2nd half kickoff
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:40 AM ^
It was the 2nd half kickoff. I’ve just got an idea that now I’m gonna shade the 2nd half kickoff return TDs in Maize.
November 3rd, 2019 at 5:27 PM ^
I was there for that one too.
Unfortunately, the other two that I saw were Raghib Ishmael's.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:38 AM ^
To me Jackson looks like the second coming of Steve Breaston. Something about his stride, the way his legs seem to reach farther with each step while not giving up velocity.
Of course it doesn’t hurt that he wears #15.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:41 AM ^
I didn’t realize they were so unusual! Thanks for this.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:47 AM ^
Crazy to me that Steve Breaston was maybe the best return man in recent history (I believe he even holds the program record for return yardage) and he never took one to the house
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:52 AM ^
Look again! He did.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:10 AM ^
Ah, misread it
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:54 AM ^
I had no idea these were so rare. And I'm stunned we've never had one against OSU.
November 3rd, 2019 at 10:57 AM ^
They are much rarer than punt return TDs. On the kickoff coverage team you have 10 fast guys (plus the kicker), while a punt team has just a few fast guys (the rest are the OL, blocking backs and punter). And the kickoff returner has to run close to the length of the field.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
Also Harbaugh saving hidden yardage fielding punts appreciation thread.
That's one of the things that always bothered me when people acted like Peppers was overrated. He routinely saved field position by running down punts, fielding punts off the hop. Anything to prevent it from rolling another 10-20 yards.
That's HUGE when it comes to field position. If you have to punt after a 3 and out and you're punting from the 30 instead of the 15...that's flipping the field. That could easily equate to saving 3 points.
Peppers was amazing at that and DPJ is just as good. Anyone who has paid attention to what it's been like without either of those guys fielding punts understands their value.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:18 AM ^
Peppers was amazing at it.
DPJ leaves a lot of yards on the field by allowing the ball to hit the turf. Great athlete but certainly not a natural punt returner & nowhere near Jarbril in that aspect.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:35 AM ^
DPJ is fourth in school history in punt return yardage and has two TDs.
People are giving him grief for not fielding a few punts in a heavy downpour vs. ND. In those conditions that was the correct move, the way our defense was playing. It looked like the only way ND would score was on a short field caused by a turnover.
November 3rd, 2019 at 12:48 PM ^
DPJ is good but not peppers good is all I’m saying. I’m also not referring to the ND game.I thought avoiding it in those conditions was the right call.
November 3rd, 2019 at 1:52 PM ^
You said he was "certainly not a natural punt returner" which doesn't seem like praise.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:46 PM ^
DPJ is a long strider not the quick twitch make a guy miss type athlete. Peppers was both good @ fielding nearly everything & making people miss.
Donavan is very reliable when coming up & making the catch in the right situation which is a very valuable trait but doesn’t make him a natural in the other traits than translate into a natural punt returner.
Basically, he is good, in fact better than many we’ve had over the years. Just not peppers or Breaston good.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:27 AM ^
I really did not like the camera angle on that return.
November 3rd, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^
There were several puzzling angles yesterday, but yeah, the angle they gave on the return was not good.
November 3rd, 2019 at 2:39 PM ^
I couldn't agree more. As soon as Jackson crossed the goal line I said that I wish that we could have seen that from the regular sideline camera I don't know why they think that they have to use all of those stupid cameras just because they brought them. Great return! What a way to start the day.
And thanks WD for the post. Your contributions are always interesting and entertaining! Keep up the good work!
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:43 AM ^
Thanks for posting the chart.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
I wish kickoff returns for TDs (or even to the opponent's side of the field) could be something we could hang our hat on every game. They're fun to watch and the team gets great momentum but they're so far and few between that it's a little like hitting on a Daily 3.
November 3rd, 2019 at 12:30 PM ^
What’s interesting is we’re only 7-5 when returning a kick for a TD.
But 3-0 in massacres if it’s the opening kickoff.
November 3rd, 2019 at 5:30 PM ^
May be understandable. Except to open the half, kick-offs occur after the other team scored so maybe all we are doing is getting back the score we just gave up.
November 3rd, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^
I appreciate the kicker giving a C effort on his tackle too.
November 3rd, 2019 at 12:12 PM ^
Interesting that they are 7-5 in these games. That has to be below the average team record in the same years. You would think this would help you win.
November 3rd, 2019 at 1:06 PM ^
fielding a kickoff (unless it’s the first of a half) also means the opponent just scored. I think it’s possible that there is little to no correlation between returning a non-half-opening kickoff for a TD and winning.
November 3rd, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
how many punt returns for TDs?