Thoughts on Dileo returning punts
Alright, Gallon is starting to make me have eerily reminiscent thoughts to our return game in '08. I'm all for giving a guy multiple chances, but 3 games in and I don't recall one where he fielded one really cleanly. Do you guys think we might see Dileo or someone else get some attempts against BG?
September 21st, 2010 at 3:08 PM ^
Don't really care who does it, so long as they aren't stupid and they HOLD ONTO THE DAMN BALL.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^
If my anxious level could go down from a 10/10 to even an at best subdued 7/10 on punts I would be so joyful.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^
I'll take your post one step further . . . If Michigan could reach an agreement with the rest of their opponents this year that neither team can kick under any circumstances (neither punts nor field goals) my stress level will go down exponentially!
September 21st, 2010 at 3:08 PM ^
I actually dont think there will be a change. If there is I hope its Roy. Another poster made this suggestion and I agree.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^
It will not be Roy. He is Denard's go-to receiver - way too valuable to risk an injury to his skinny frame. If it is anyone, it will probably be Dileo.
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:03 AM ^
Fuck you
Sincerely,
Desmond and Charles
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:16 AM ^
weren't 4 feet tall with a QB that liked to throw to them right as a cement truck was about to run them over.
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:12 AM ^
AFAIK, Roundtree isn't even an option. I've never heard of him practicing punt returns. He's really not all that elusive/fast, so I don't think he would make a good punt returner.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:11 PM ^
I would just prefer that they sent Odoms deep again. Look, I know he was a walking fumble in 08 and in some circumsances last year, but he also took one to the house and doesn't seem to have any lingering "dropsies" right now. If we have to put somebody back, and there are not any really great options, I just say put the guy back that has already made the mistakes that Gallon is making right now. I thought Odoms was a talented returner if he could just HOTTGDB and perhaps that comes with age.
And I would not put Roundtree back there. He is a serious stud in the making at wide receiver, keep him there and only there.
September 22nd, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^
i see the punt returner being of the same mental make up of a baseball closer. they are in the game about the same amount of time (unless your punt returner happens to be in top three WR) under an extreme amount of pressure to produce. Much more intense for a short period of time than being a reciever who stays in the game and has some time to adjust to the speed of the game. they are much more likely to get blasted more regularly, needeing very quick decision making and a mentality they are going to run through a wall to help your team. of course WR can hit hard and have to come across the middle but i still see PR as different. using our best WR (like magnus was saying is risky at best). it seems like a lot of the recruiting info on dileo included how good he was returning punts. i assume the coaches have been testing this out with him specifically. i hope we see him soon!
September 21st, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^
...okay.
Honestly, I'd support Patrick Omameh fielding punts if he fielded all of them cleanly.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:11 PM ^
Come to think of it, I can't recall Gallon even returning one. I may be wrong but he has either muffed the catch or has only had fair catches.
I agree with TG7782, whoever is back there just needs to catch the ball and hang on to it.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:18 PM ^
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/091810aaf.html
Two returns for a total of negative ten yards.
I thought you were right that he hadn't returned one, but he has credit for a long return of seven yards. I'm not sure where his negative ten yards total comes from. The muff against UMass?
September 21st, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^
Thank you for looking that up. Yeah either way, I just want someone to hold onto the ball, I don't care if he even moves. With our offense, we have the potential to score from anywhere; but with our defense, we can't afford giving up easy turnovers like that.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:38 PM ^
His long return of 7 yards was the one he muffed against UConn...the one he ran and dove for bounced forward 7 yards and was recovered by us thankfully.
September 21st, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^
the muff actually went forward for positive yardage.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^
Yeah, he hasn't really had a return yet, in fact the last few years have seen very few returns. I wonder if that is partly how we do special teams or that we've had disaster looming at the PR spot since Steve Breaston left.
Edit:
Ok so he's had two returns, neither of them memorable.
September 21st, 2010 at 5:31 PM ^
I remember both of them, and they are not fond memories.
I vote Dileo.
It's not like we would burn his redshirt because he is currently being used as the holder on kicks?? Also, supposedly this is his specialty. If he was brought in mainly to do just this, then why not get him started at it? He certainly can't be any worse, right?
However, since my logic makes so much sense, i'm guessing there is a very good reason the coaches don't share my sentiments, and that worries me.
Any word on if he's been at least serviceable HOTTDB during fall or any practices since?
September 21st, 2010 at 3:12 PM ^
He hasn't really had much of a chance to field punts yet. I think he is getting frustrated letting them go or fair-catching them. I just want someone who is fine taking what they give him.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^
He's a young kid who only really gets game action on punt returns. That's his one chance to show the coaches what he can do, or not do as is currently the case.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:20 PM ^
Has Gallon had his eyes checked? Seems like he has a bit of a depth perception issue on some of those balls.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:34 PM ^
it is punt returner. The sound of all those footsteps and you have to be looking UP. . . ?
September 21st, 2010 at 3:36 PM ^
Gallon has definetely made some mistakes but I'm just waiting for him to actually get a chance to return one. I don't think he has had a return yet this year.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:36 PM ^
Hard to field and return a punt when all of them are landing around the 10-15 yard line. If the defense could get a stop and create better field position he may have a better chance to return a punt.
September 22nd, 2010 at 12:37 AM ^
There is no difference fielding punts on your 20 vs your 40 vs their 40. Now if the ball is inside the 10 you don't go get it. This is simply accomplished by putting your heels on the 10 yard line when a punt has you backed up that deep. If It goes over your head don't catch it...
The real solution to this problem is simple. We need no returner. Letting every ball drop and roll would be such an amazing improvement that this is the only option. Just think, if we just never return another punt this year, we can be sure to never fumble another return. We will always get the ball back, and Denard can resume flying past defenses like Dom Deluise through a buffet line.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^
I'm all for Dileo returning punts but he may get ripped in half.
September 21st, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^
if he played for the opposing eleven.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^
I too like Odoms back there ... and I really don't care if he tries to return it, just catch it.
We let balls hit and roll 15 - 20 yards, and if we keep letting them hit the ground, you can be assured sometime during this season that the ball will bounce off of one of our blockers and be recoverd by the punting team. It happens every Saturday somewhere in America.
Go Blue !
September 21st, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^
Just catch the ball. I am less concerned with the return, and more concerned with keeping the ball. At this point we may be better off not having anyone return and just letting the damned ball bounce.
He can't be worse than what we have and his redshirt is burned so sure, give the kid a chance.
September 21st, 2010 at 5:58 PM ^
Forget the return man, just go all out punt block everytime with no man back. We would have the same field position we are currently getting without the risk of a turnover while simultaneously giving ourselves a better chance for a huge play at the other end.
If we continue to have issues with catching the ball I'm all for it.
September 21st, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^
If we rushed 11, we would be pretty open to a fake put. With that said, I am not opposed to covering any wideout/gunners, leaving one linebacker and forgetting about the return man. I meancould it be worse? Remember looking forward to watching punt returns by Woodson and Breston? Now, I just pray for a nice, safe fair catch!
September 21st, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^
September 21st, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^
It's less that he muffed those two, and more that he muffed that because he made horrible decisions in trying to field them in the first place. I'm alright with giving him one more chance against BG, but he certainly hasn't done anything to inspire confidence thus far.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:38 PM ^
I'm already sick of watching the punts bounce and then roll 15 yards. If that's going to happen, we might as well put 11 guys on the line of scrimmage and go with an all out punt block.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:39 PM ^
In fairness not many punts have been returnable. There was a lot of wind at the UConn game and the kicks were all over the place. We have also been somewhat unlucky on the bounces which makes him look worse. I say give him a few more games.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:40 PM ^
What about Terrance Robinson or Vincent Smith, I think Smith would be great he can break tackles and has the speed to take it to the house, and his hands are serviceable
September 21st, 2010 at 9:13 PM ^
If someone told you that Vincent Smith has speed, that person is a dirty, dirty liar.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:41 PM ^
seems to be happening far more often than even fair catches.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:43 PM ^
to fumble and curse.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:43 PM ^
go go gadget white punt returner.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:44 PM ^
Here's an idea . . . Shooting from the hip . . . Coach Rodriguez could ask the centerfielder on the baseball team to catch punts. He doesn't have to return them, just fair catch them. We could then have a soccer player kicking field goals and a baseball player catching punts. That seems pretty awesome for some reason.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:45 PM ^
- why is Gallon always 15 yards behind where the ball usually lands? Do we have too much faith in the oppositions punter? I like Brain's suggestion of leaving Gallon back there but put Dileo or someone 15 yards in front of him to fair catch all the punts that will inevitably end up there.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:58 PM ^
on another thread and my thoughts were that Gallon should be given one last game at PR vs BGSU to see what he can do. If he does not improve or fails to securely catch the ball, then I would go the conservative route and put someone back there with sure hands, similar to Greg Mathews last year, who isn't a burner, but won't make errors either. I would rather have a guy fair catch every time than take a gamble on ball that "might" be returnable.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:29 PM ^
it's getting harder to catch these with the rugby style punting. This is truly one of the most dangerous chores in football. Gallon let this get to his head IMO. He just needs time. He was exceptional in HS and the Army All American game. He is going to be a great slot if he ever gets his chance.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:23 PM ^
If Hemingway is healthy enough, I'd like him to do it. He did a good job on punt returns at the end of last year.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^
I would put Martavious Odoms back there because he is the most consistent PR we have had. He might not be as explosive as explosive as Gallon or some of the other front runners for the job, but he fields them without error.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:29 PM ^
We are last in the country in punt returns. Figures something needs to change. At this point I like Hannibal's suggestion of not putting a guy back for the return at all. Just pick up and go from where the ball lands. Definitely beats 2 returns for -10 yards and a number of near turnovers.
Or, we could try someone else :)
September 21st, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^
with all these fast slot guys, i cant believe we cant find a punt returner that can:
A) Catch the ball
B) make a good decision on weather to catch the ball, let it go, or fair catch
C) when the ball is caught get a positive gain.
hard to believe
September 21st, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
Dry, minimally windy.
Weather not to catch the ball:
Rainy, windy, indecisive.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^
...is better than what we have now.
That is pretty sad.
Dileo, why not?