http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/2008/Internet/ranking_summary/2008000000255koret.html
http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/2010/Internet/ranking_summary/2010000000255koret.html
You need to reread what I wrote and make sure you understand it before you try to refute it. Opponents returned 55 kicks for 1094 yards in 2008. That's 19.9. That's what I originally said. My stats come from the NCAA's stats database. Here are the statistical categories from that page:
Category - 2008 - 2010 - Result
Kickoff Returns - 883/45 (19.6) - 1057/53 (19.9) - Better
Opponent KO RET - 1094/55 (19.9) - 1110/58 (19.1) +
TD - Worse
Punt Returns - 182/27 (6.7) - 134/23 (5.8) - Worse
Opponent Punt RET - 147/15 (9.8) - 185/16 (11.5) +
TD - Worse
Punting - 1845/47 (39.2) - 1610/43 (37.4) - Worse
Notice how there's only one that's better, and it's the one I mentioned earlier. Not losing any credibility. Using "actual" stats. Not backing out of anything. All this crap about being better than Duke is kind of moot. The difference between us and the ACC leader in 2008 in net punting, punt returns, and kickoff returns was
5 yards or less in each category. The difference between the best in conference and absolute trash is 5 yards? That's because special teams is mostly luck, and your skill there is only going to offset it a little bit until you reach the 'phenomenally skilled' threshold (which probably we'll never reach because we don't have 5 star athletes to throw around on special teams plays). I'm gonna stick to my guns and say that our special teams effort in 2008 was "absolutely good enough".
Thanks for the links. Maybe I'm just missing here but this is what you said:
"Our special teams in 2010 was worse in every single statistical category than our 2008 special teams with the exception of net kickoff return yardage, where we only got 200 more net yards."
That's not true. Special teams in 2010 was better both in avg. Kickoff Returns (19.9 to 19.6) and avg. Kickoff Coverage (19.1 to 19.9). That's two statistical categories, not one.
You also said that our special teams in 2008 were "absolutely good enough" even though they were just as mediocre as they were in 2010. I get that we didn't allow TDs last year, but being bottom of the barrel in the nation both years is terrible.
You also said this:
"The difference between us and the ACC leader in 2008 in net punting, punt returns, and kickoff returns was 5 yards or less in each category."
First of all, when you are only averaging 6.7 yards per punt return, a difference of 4.7 (70%) is a lot. The five yard difference is especially a lot when you consider we average returning about 5 kicks/punts a game. Plus that's relative to the ACC, which is a terrible conference. For example, last year we were 8 yards back of the top punting school (Miss), 11-12 yards back of the top punt return schools (Utah and Oregon), and 8.5 yards back of the top kickoff return school (UCF)
Those yards add up quickly, especially on a series that goes kickoff return (we lose 8 yards), punt (we lose 8 yards), punt return (we lose 12 yards). That's a 28 yard AVERAGE difference from a very plausible three possession exchange (us 2 and them 1). Even if we aren't the best, you are still looking at 10-15 yards over a few possessions. Remember when we had Durant Brooks and how much easier it was to win a game when field position is in your favor the entire game?
It's because yards matter. Just look at a few places yards could have mattered against Kansas last year.
5-10 yards could have mattered in a goal line stand end of the first/start of the second.
10 yards would have mattered a lot when we punted from the KU 43 in the second.
10-15 yards could have made a huge difference when our drive fizzled out on the Kansas 11 (notably, the drive immediately following a 3 yard Tarrant punt return and a 25 yard Chandler Anderson punt). Had Tarrant returned the ball 10 yards (instead of 3) and Anderson punted the ball 30 yards (instead of 25), you are looking at a TD by Orwin Smith instead of a 15 yard run to the Kansas 12.
A real punt would have mattered a lot when we punted to our own 28 to start the second half. It also would have made a difference if had a return that started us off past our own 8.
5-10 yards puts us in field goal position on the next drive. Instead we go for it on 4th and 8 and turn the ball over.
Last possession, if we get a huge return from Tarrant we maybe get in field goal position at the end of the game and tie it up.
We lost by 3. If we have better special teams we at least go into overtime.
