A football game can often be won or lost depending on the special teams units. One-third of the sport is punting, kicking and defending opponent’s kicking games. This spring Ohio State is devoted to insuring the Buckeye special teams are ready for this fall.
“If we’re going to be national champions, it will be special teams that will make the difference,” coach Jim Tressel said. “The game usually starts and ends with a kick.”
Special teams coach Ken Conatser is excited to teach his young core and is impressed with Tressel’s commitment to the kicking game.
“Special teams are going to be the heartbeat of this football team,” Conatser said. “You win with people and we plan to put the best people out there to cover punts and kick offs. These kids have responded very well to whatever we’ve tried to accomplish in the kicking game. It’s great whenever the coach is involved in every area of the game like Jim Tressel has been.”
Positions for the kickoff and punt coverage teams are yet to be determined. Things should clear up a little bit when freshmen arrive on campus in the summer. Many of those younger athletes will be able to display their talents through solid special teams play.
OSU has big shoes to fill because All-Big-Ten kicker Dan Stultz has graduated. Stultz set several Buckeye kicking records in his four-year career. Last season he broke OSU’s career field goal record of 59, shattering Tim Williams’ old mark by ten.
With Stultz and many others gone, the Buckeyes can no longer dwell on the success of last year’s special teams. Freshman kicker Josh Huston eagerly approaches the challenges this spring and next fall.
“Practice has been pretty intense compared to last year. We are more involved and participate in team tackling drills this spring,” Huston said. “Coach Tressel stresses the kicking game a lot more than coach Cooper did last season.”
Huston believes the kicking position is his and hopes to prove himself before the season begins.
“I’m trying to get better, but I’m also wanting the coaches to see me and say ‘OK, this is our kicker,’ ” Huston said. “I want them to say this is my job to lose. I want to go into summer ball having the job.”
Incoming freshman Mike Nugent may also vie for the job if he has an impressive training camp this fall.
Returning starter B.J. Sander heads into this season as the punter. Last year he averaged 42.4 yards per punt and had a 69-yard boot against Minnesota.
Junior Andy Groom is expected to be recovered from a broken foot and may compete for the starting punting and kicking positions. If Groom does not win either of those positions, he may become the holder for field goal and extra-point attempts.
Jeremy Miller looks to start at long snapper next year, but Mike Jacobs and Kurt Wilhelm may provide their services as the 2001 season progresses.
The starting punt and kick returners are yet to be determined. Jonathan Wells, Chris Vance, Mike Doss, Bam Childress and incoming freshmen Lydell Ross, JaJa Riley, Maurice Hall, Angelo Chattams and Dustin Fox may be in the mix for this position.
This week marks the first whole week of full-contact drills. The Buckeyes will practice at 3:15 p.m. today and Thursday at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center. Spring practices are open to the public.
