Special Teams Saturday In The SEC
It seems like every football season there is at least one weekend where special teams just jumps off the tv screen as it decides the outcome of college and NFL football games. Saturday was one of those days. Saturday’s SEC schedule was certainly full of great matchups and that’s where I got my flashbacks of coaching days gone by coaching the third phase.
I am not going to spend time here criticizing how some one else didn’t coach a kicking game unit well enough. However; before I get to my point below I am going to provide you with links to some critical kicking situations from this past weekend.
Tennessee Onside Kick Vs Texas:
I think there were a lot of us asking ourselves “The Kicker can’t do that can he?” Well, turns out he can’t but he did. Texas damn near paid the price for the ref screwup.
Tennessee should know the rules. The officials should know the rules. Texas better work on fielding onside kicks. It will happen again in 2026.
Tennessee 57 Yard Punt Return For A House Call:
So many bad things can happen when you punt from your own end zone. The main concern is a blocked punt. That is right up until your punter kicks a line drive in the middle part of the field. Your Gunners never have a chance to get to the returner until it is too late.
4 Special Teams Situations From Saturday
Auburn Blocks Vandy’s Punt For 6:
Want to see what “taking it off the foot looks like” when coaching punt block technique? Hats off to Auburn. This is a clinic and was the difference in the game vs Vanderbilt.
Dare I say two players could have blocked it? Punters need to understand they are part of protection.
Florida 74 Yard Punt Return Touchdown: When you have to answer the Heisman Trophy favorite right after a touchdown that tightened the game up to 3 points, this is how you do it.
Momentum is an overused word, as if it just happens. Your special team won’t get credit for this touchdown but…
I have a lot of respect for special teams coaches. After all, I was one in the NFL and college football. There are so many obstacles to overcome when you coach all of the six phases or just one of them.
Most offensive and defensive coaches don’t respect the importance of the kicking game enough. A lot have their own selfish career ambitions in mind. 99% of the Head Coaches coached offense or defense. Fans? Forget about it.
Special teams coaches understand that it is a different call to duty. Some mail it in and yet others embrace it. There are some who are Head Coaches in the NFL because of it.
This is a two part blog. I will follow this up with how good special teams manage game day. It may be quite different than you think. After all, most of it comes as the TV cuts away for a commercial.
