CJ Sanders KO returner
- Thread starter Quest4Twelve
- Start date
He looks hesitant, doesn't hit the crease at full throttle and seems to go down kind of easy. ND is 55th in KO returns which isn't terrible. Seems like they should be lower.I'm sure there are other factors besides our return guy.
The main thing that's improved on special teams this year is we are avoiding idiotic mistakes that cost us games last year. We have Newsome and Yoon playing up to expectations but, other than that, our ST have been extremely underwhelming. Our kickoff and punt return teams are sub-par but what's really scary is our coverage teams. We're allowing too many 20+yd returns and I've seen at least a few opposing returners that were 1 juke or 1 key block away from taking it to the house. Given what I'm seeing overall I don't think I can put the blame on CJ. I hope Polian was able to spend time over the bye week to clean some things up otherwise I fear special teams might end up costing us in some of these remaining games where we will be seeing some of the best athletes on our schedule.
There is ONE factor. Brian Kelly.
I think BK truly thinks of special teams as that stupid pesky thing called special teams.
I believe if he had his way he'd just rather take the ball on the twenty five or thirty evrty time.
BK treats special teams like a total pain in the ass.
Great coaches look at special teams as more points to be had.
There in lies the difference.
Think of how many points Holtz got off special teams over his tenure.
Even CW knew the importance of it and got easy points from it.
Not BK. Special teams is a total pain in the ass.
Bodizephax
I've posted how many times?
He is saving his great returns for the second half of the season !! Look for him to take one to the House against USC !!! It will happen !
Now now 88, you can't say something negative about bk, his supporters don't like that. Do not form your own opinion, just follow penick and echo and follow like a little blind mouse. They are in the know, or so they think so.
certainly more than you. has kelly publicly stated special teams are " a pain in the ass " ? thats just an uneducated post. if anyone thinks that part of the game is neglected they are extremely silly. the results may not be as good as we would all like but don't confuse that with preparation.
He went out and hired Polian to be the special teams coach. Im pretty sure he knows the importance of it
I agree that CJ has looked tentative. I think Michael Young would be a good replacement barring he has ball security for 2 reasons. 1. He's young. I think younger players tend to have no fear because they have taken fewer hits. The best KO returners bust through that initial seam and then look to make people miss. 2. He seems to be a step faster than CJ, but that doesn't matter if you can't get in the clear.
I wonder what we'd be saying if he didn't hire Polian. "Same old Kelly. What a douche! Always resistant to change. "
Double Edged sword for him, huh?
It’s not all Sanders. He has always run at this same speed up to the first wave of tacklers, and then goes into high gear if he gets an opening. He hasn’t had many openings! Some kick returners go to full speed from the onset, and some bide their time looking for a crease or opening before they turn it on, and I prefer the later, and Sanders is of this ilk. Polian needs to work on creating running lanes, not Sanders.
Make of it what you want but we suck on special teams. Our return game is non existent. I understand this isn't twenty years ago and teams exploit the rules with formations in punt but still it could be bigger. Kick off coverage? Punt rush?
Special teams at Notre Dame has become an after thought under BK.
The times that anyone is given an opportunity to return a kickoff or a punt is going by the wayside. Kickers and punters are getting better and better every year. Most kickoffs end up being touchbacks.
I agree, the times we have the chance, we suck. But there just isn't that many chances anymore.
I agree, the times we have the chance, we suck. But there just isn't that many chances anymore.
Correct, punt returns have become almost non existent in college football. My disappointment is in kickoff returns, and we haven’t provided Sanders many opportunities to get past the twenty five yard line. Polian is a great recruiter and an excellent hire for this, but we didn’t exactly excel on Special Teams when he was here previously. Frankly, thought we would be much better this time around with his expanded experience, and still hope for this area to develop and show marked improvement in the second half of our schedule. We need this.
This is half true. While the opportunity is far less for a return please take note the number of times the opposing team dies in fact return the ball on us. I'm not talking all the way for a score. We don't block anyone so our punt return is shit. The other team has the chance to return the ball far more times than we do.
Either we do a shit job covering our punt or we do a shit job blocking for our return.
It sure is one of them.
Sadly.
