The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/998618
THE WOLVERINE 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 119 SPECIAL TEAMS QUICK FACTS Position Coaches: Chris Partridge and Jay Harbaugh Returning Starters: PR Donovan Peoples-Jones, KR Ambry Thomas, K Quinn Nordin (13 career starts), P Brad Robbins (10) and LS Camaron Cheeseman (13). Departing Starters: H Garrett Moores (26 career starts), kickoff specialist James Foug. Projected New Starters: TBD on holder, kickoffs, coverage units. Top Reserves: P Will Hart (3 career starts), LS Andrew Robinson. Wait Until 2019: None. Newcomers: None. Moved In: None. Moved Out: K Ryan Tice (transferred to Tennessee). Rookie Impact: None. Most Improved Player: Peoples- Jones. Best Pro Pros- pect: Nordin. FYI Michigan ranked 28th in FootballOutsiders.com's special teams efficiency ratings, which is the aver- age value generated per possession by a team's non-offensive and non-defensive units in FBS vs. FBS games only. They were rated highest in kickoff efficiency (third), but must replace kickoff specialist James Foug. U-M led the country by allowing just 15.0 yards per kickoff return. Sophomore placekicker Quinn Nordin's 19 field goals last season tied for second on Michigan's single- season list, behind only the 25 that Remy Hamilton recorded in 1994. Nordin already ranks 14th in school history for career field goals, while his 92 points scored ranked 19th for a single season at U-M. Nordin's 79.2 percent on field goals heading into the season stands third on Michigan's career list, be- hind only Bob Bergeron (82.9, from 1981-84) and Kenny Allen (82.2, from 2012-16). His single-season percentage tied for 12th in U-M annals. Nordin became the first player in school history to make a pair of field goals from 50 or more yards in the same game during the 2017 season opener. He is already tied for third for career makes from 50 or more; Hayden Epstein holds the Michigan mark with 4 from 1998-2001. His six makes from 40 or more last year tied for second in single-season annals. Sophomore Donovan Peoples-Jones' 79-yard punt return touchdown against Air Force marked the longest by a Wolverine since 2006. line is, when you're asked to do this style of punt at this level, it doesn't click as a freshman. "Everyone thinks, 'Oh, you're a punter. You can do it as a freshman.' No, that's not the case. Kenny Allen had an unbelievable fifth year for us, but he didn't punt until his last game of his fourth year. "You couldn't ask for any more than Kenny did, especially at the end of his fifth year. It takes some time. We're trying to progress those guys fast, and we have some high expectations for them. The spring — that six extra months of strength and ability and getting coached the way we coach — will help." The way they coach involves very little hand-patting and Mr. Rogers imitations. "We're not easy on those guys," Partridge stressed. "We're hard on them, and some- times specialists aren't used to that style of coaching. That alone has progressed them greatly." Robbins grew up plenty over the course of the season, Partridge noted. He gained strength both physically and mentally, and handled some duties he's never before en- countered as a prep punter. "He's never in his life been asked to put YEAR-BY-YEAR KICKING LEADERS PUNTING Year Player Punt Attempts Avg. Punt Long 2017 Brad Robbins 64 40.4 58 2016 Kenny Allen 54 43.3 67 2015 Blake O'Neill 53 41.3 80 2014 Will Hagerup 53 42.9 63 2013 Matt Wile 61 40.6 69 2012 Will Hagerup 33 45.0 62 2011 Matt Wile 17 41.6 58 2010 Will Hagerup 33 43.6 72 2009 Zoltan Mesko 52 44.5 66 2008 Zoltan Mesko 80 43.0 63 FIELD GOALS Year Player FG Att. FG Made Long 2017 Quinn Nordin 24 19 55 2016 Kenny Allen 23 19 51 2015 Kenny Allen 22 18 47 2014 Matt Wile 21 15 48 2013 Brendan Gibbons 20 15 47 2012 Brendan Gibbons 18 16 52 2011 Brendan Gibbons 17 13 43 2010 Seth Broekhuizen 9 3 37 2009 Jason Olesnavage 15 11 51 2008 K.C. Lopata 15 10 50