Thursday September 14, 2006

Special Teams; Hamlin's Injury; Trevor's Troops

Special Teams Coach
I thought it was ridiculous to hear the two Greenville News’ writers hound Bowden at his press conference on Tuesday.

Clemson handles their special team the correct way in my opinion by letting each coach concentrate on one specific part of the special teams.

This approach has several advantages. It allows each coach to be more in-depth with each unit. If you only have the kick off return team, then you can study more teams and more return schemes. It allows the kick off return coach to spend more time each week studying the opponents kick off coverage. I could not imagine a position coach having to be the special teams coordinator and having to prepare kickoffs, kick off returns, punt protection, punt block/returns, extra point and field goals and extra point and field goal block teams.

In Bowden’s system a position coach still has time to prepare his normal position and prepare for one aspect of special teams. This allows each unit of the special teams to be more thorough.

The offense runs between 50-90 plays a game and an offensive coordinator has to call each play. Throughout the week he has to game plan for all of the plays, all of the formations, all of the checks and all of the defensive looks he will see. He has to evaluate his personnel and the opponents’ personnel. The same thing happens on defense as the defensive coordinator prepares his squad for 50-90 plays. Thus, there is a need for an offensive and defensive coordinator.

In the Boston College game, Clemson ran 81 offensive plays and BC ran 75. That is 156 plays from scrimmage. There were 33 total special teams plays (11 punts, 9 kick offs, 6 field goals and 7 PATS).

Special teams are important but they should not have a single coordinator. The offensive coordinator does not have to coach the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive line. Instead, he delegates to their position coach. Why should someone be a special teams coordinator and have to coach kick off, kick off returns, punt, punt returns, extra point and field goals and extra point and field goal block teams? They don’t. Like the offensive and defensive coordinator, the special teams coordinator delegates each unit to a coach.

Under the Greenville News writers’ philosophy do the other coaches just stand around while the special teams coordinator works with all of his units?

The Greenville News writer suggested that Bobby Bowden, the winningest coach in college football, is known for his failures of his special teams and he is known for “Wide Right”. I ask, “Was he not also known for “Puntrooskie?” If Bobby Bowden had a special teams coach would he have told the place kicker to not miss it wide right? If Tommy Bowden had a named special teams coordinator would he have told the place kicker to not get the extra point blocked?

Special teams coordinators are given the title. The may get a little money out of the title. However, during the week the special teams coordinator delegates each unit to a coach. This is not the NFL. This is how things work in college.

Clemson has had success in the area of special teams under Bowden. The return teams have done well. The coverage teams have done well except for two of his eight seasons. The punt team was bad last season but Bowden appears to have straightened that out.

The media wants questions answered just for the sake of answering them. The want changes for the sake of change. Do the writers of the Greenville News really think that Bowden should listen to them and name a special teams coordinator? Do they really think he cares about their uneducated football opinion?

Maybe the Greenville news should ask Bowden if he has a “Don’t get blocked in the back on a kick off return coordinator.”

Special Teams Answers
If anyone is interested, I have the answers to Clemson’s special teams. First, put two punt returners back there. This allows one to be the lead blocker and pick up the first guy. It also allows the ball to be caught instead of bouncing and rolling another twenty yards. I may be wrong but Jacoby Ford looks very tentative as a returner.

The second answer is to not kick off to a great returner. Just kick it to the other guy or squib kick it or kick it out of bounds.

Hamlin’s Injury
Michael Hamlin was becoming a star in the Clemson secondary before the injury on Saturday. He was emerging as a guy that could be depended on each week. I think this is the second biggest injury so far this season. Anthony Waters’ means more to the team than any injury so far but I think Hamlin’s broken foot was more of a blow to the defense than Tremaine Billie’s ankle injury.

Trevor’s Troops
Clemson’s men’s soccer team is undefeated and play highly ranked UNC Friday night at home at 8:00 pm. Please go support Trevor Adair and his Tigers.

George Coleman Ford
Each Wednesday we are at George Coleman Ford in Traveler’s Rest for a lunch speaking engagement. I think you will enjoy the great food, football and fellowship. Make plans to come by and see us next week.

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