Key Signs A Punter - Shanahan Toast?

I prefer to hear a Shanahan Toast in an Irish pub.

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Just want the best guys out there -- if Shanahan shows out this spring I think Key gives him another shot. Always nice to have depth though
 
I think the expected outcome is still the same because if you aren't effectively moving the ball on downs 1-3 then how does kicking the ball and trying to move the ball on downs 1-3 again change anything?

In this scenario where a team is clearly outmatched, all punting does is try to damage control the spread you would have been beat by anyway. If you have an ability to score, the down doesn't matter and the chance to move the ball x yards is only dictated by the distance to line of gain all other things being equal.

Obviously there are some x factors such as wind, sun position, personnel that should be accounted for solely vs distance and field position. But if I'm chucking up balls from half court, I always have a higher probability of the make in 4 shots vs 3.
 
I'm really surprised punting hasn't been fully optimized by now. It seems like with practice you could rugby kick and aim for the pylon from anywhere on the field, maybe shading to the outside and just try to kick it out of bounds. I love a good pinning inside the 5, but it seems like there's a better way to control it.
Similarly for kickoffs, I'd at least try having my kicker aim for the chest of the closest opponent and kick it as hard as he can. I'd guess you'd get the ball back more often than they did at midfield, and if you miss you likely give them the ball at the 35, which isn't a huge deal IMO.
 
Vespinae said:
I'm really surprised punting hasn't been fully optimized by now. It seems like with practice you could rugby kick and aim for the pylon from anywhere on the field, maybe shading to the outside and just try to kick it out of bounds. I love a good pinning inside the 5, but it seems like there's a better way to control it.
Similarly for kickoffs, I'd at least try having my kicker aim for the chest of the closest opponent and kick it as hard as he can. I'd guess you'd get the ball back more often than they did at midfield, and if you miss you likely give them the ball at the 35, which isn't a huge deal IMO.
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Well that's what Shanahan is supposed to be good at. But we were completely unable to block long enough for him to do that last year.
 
coit said:
Well that's what Shanahan is supposed to be good at. But we were completely unable to block long enough for him to do that last year.
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He might have taken too long to get his punts off and maybe their opponents exploited that weakness. GT put a third blocker back there for some reason.
 
My biggest thing with him last year was his hangtime and him not getting the ball out quickly. Early on the punt protection did him no favors either.
 
gambler said:
I think the expected outcome is still the same because if you aren't effectively moving the ball on downs 1-3 then how does kicking the ball and trying to move the ball on downs 1-3 again change anything?

In this scenario where a team is clearly outmatched, all punting does is try to damage control the spread you would have been beat by anyway. If you have an ability to score, the down doesn't matter and the chance to move the ball x yards is only dictated by the distance to line of gain all other things being equal.

Obviously there are some x factors such as wind, sun position, personnel that should be accounted for solely vs distance and field position. But if I'm chucking up balls from half court, I always have a higher probability of the make in 4 shots vs 3.
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Hmm I hadn't thought of it this way. So if you are overmatched you pretty much toast no matter which way you play but the best chance to win is actually to gamble and steal a few possessions away. I can see that. I was really more thinking about us versus a normal opponent (ACC foe, for example) where our offense which never seems to have any balance and a team can pretty much load up against the run in short yardage because we cant complete basic passing plays efficiently.
 
gambler said:
I think the expected outcome is still the same because if you aren't effectively moving the ball on downs 1-3 then how does kicking the ball and trying to move the ball on downs 1-3 again change anything?

In this scenario where a team is clearly outmatched, all punting does is try to damage control the spread you would have been beat by anyway. If you have an ability to score, the down doesn't matter and the chance to move the ball x yards is only dictated by the distance to line of gain all other things being equal.

Obviously there are some x factors such as wind, sun position, personnel that should be accounted for solely vs distance and field position. But if I'm chucking up balls from half court, I always have a higher probability of the make in 4 shots vs 3.
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To add nuance to it, you could be outmatched on offense but have an advantage on defense and would rather play for them forcing a turnover to give your offense better field position (give the offense the ball in FG range and they can score without a first down). There's also that both offenses and defenses don't run exactly the same closer to the goal line (e.g. our red zone efficiency or lack thereof), so giving the other team the ball on your own 30 isn't the same as giving it to them on their 30 in regards to your own defense.

Or similarly, if you have that defensive advantage and a good punt returner, you may want to give that guy a shot at scoring by stopping the other team in a place they would punt it at, rather than giving them the ball in field goal range for example.

Note, as far as GT football goes, we were bad enough at all of those things to make it kind of moot lol.
 
My thing is why waste a scholly on a kicker that can’t do both really well? All the videos of this kid and there’s only one field goals and it’s a PAT. Butker single footedly won so many games for us!
 
ramble on said:
My thing is why waste a scholly on a kicker that can’t do both really well? All the videos of this kid and there’s only one field goals and it’s a PAT. Butker single footedly won so many games for us!
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story in recruiting thread says he is a PWO
 
Looks to me like GT needs to bring a reputable kicking coach for some one-on-one coaching. Probably a few days here and a few days there. Start with fundamentals and drills and then come back to move on to the more serious stuff. There is a whole array of things to do for both a kicker and a punter - some of it is pretty boring but the reps pay off when it's game time. Just like any other position, you have to learn and practice the basics until it is natural. Then your talent can take you the rest of the way. BTW, Buckner is on the staff at Kohls.
 
At the FBS/FCS level, the punter and the kicker are rarely the same person. It is almost as likely the kicker is a woman.
 
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