11-13-2008, 10:02 AM
Special teams a focus
Starters play big role in unit's success
By Bill Koch • bkoch@enquirer.com • November 13, 2008
Several days before the University of Cincinnati upset West Virginia last week, Mike Elston, the Bearcats' special teams coach, called kickoff returner Mardy Gilyard into his office.
"He said, 'Mardy, you've got to look at this and you've got to trust me,' " Gilyard said.
"We had never seen anybody's kickoff team do the things that they (the Mountaineers) do. They kind of left one guy back and left another guy back and I'm like, 'Nine guys on 11 heads, that's not good numbers.' "
With that in mind, Gilyard lined up to receive the opening kickoff last Saturday, fielded it 4 yards deep in his own end zone and returned it for a touchdown that set the stage for a huge UC win over then-No. 20 West Virginia.
"It broke exactly the way coach Elston said it would," Gilyard said, "right down to who would make each block."
![[Image: bilde?Site=AB&Date=20081113&...mp;title=0]](http://cmsimg.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=AB&Date=20081113&Category=SPT0101&ArtNo=811130384&Ref=AR&Profile=1062&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0)
Mardy Gilyard (left, with teammate Ben Guidugli) leads the conference with an average kickoff return of 30.9 yards that ranks fifth nationally. He's returned two kicks for touchdowns this season.
The kickoff return for a touchdown was the second of the season for Gilyard, who leads the Big East Conference and ranks fifth nationally with an average return of 30.9 yards.
It's just one special teams category in which the Bearcats have excelled this season. UC leads the league in four special teams categories - kickoff returns, kickoff coverage, net punting and field goal percentage.
The Bearcats have the league's best kick returner in Gilyard and the second-best best punter in All-American Kevin Huber, plus an outstanding placekicker in Jake Rogers, who has made 11 of 12 field goal attempts. In addition, Connor Barwin has blocked three kicks.
That success, UC coach Brian Kelly says, begins with Elston, who also serves as recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach.
"It's a great chance for me as a coach to build some schemes and base it on our personnel," said Elston, a former Michigan linebacker. "Coach Kelly gives me a lot of freedom to be innovative. He doesn't handcuff me."
But Elston couldn't do what he does without a commitment from Kelly, who decided not to relegate special teams solely to backup players. Instead, UC has valuable front-line players such as cornerbacks Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, free safety Brandon Underwood, running back John Goebel, defensive ends Lamonte Nelms and Barwin, and wide receiver Gilyard all playing roles on special teams.
![[Image: bilde?Site=AB&Date=20081113&...mp;title=0]](http://cmsimg.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=AB&Date=20081113&Category=SPT0101&ArtNo=811130384&Ref=V2&Profile=1062&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0)
UC coach Brian Kelly (center) uses starters on special teams. "It's probably a little bit unusual," he said, "but when I looked at our football team, I figured if you have experience on defense and play great special teams, you've got a chance to win every game you play."
"We have surrounded that unit with outstanding players," Kelly said. "Add to that mix that you've got a guy like Mardy Gilyard, and you've got a dynamic group of players in that unit."
The front-line players buy into special teams for two reasons, Elston said. They know the NFL scouts who visit practice look for players who also have ability on special teams and they also know how much Kelly emphasizes that phase of the game.
"Those guys hear it from the lead guy," Elston said.
The starters take their duties on special teams so seriously, Elston said, that when they need a breather during a game, they take it from their offensive or defensive positions instead of from special teams.
With the front-line players showing the way, Elston fills the rest of the special teams units with players who don't see much playing time on offense or defense - players like Tomaz Hilton and Charley Howard.
"Those guys are foaming at the mouth to get on the field," Elston said.
You need to look only at Louisville, the Bearcats' opponent this week, to see how crucial special teams play can be.
The Cardinals have a defense that ranks 33rd in the nation in total defense and seventh against the run. On offense, the Louisville ranks third in the league in scoring with an average of 26.8 points per game, which is just ahead of UC's 26.7, and third in total offense with 378.2 yards, again ahead of UC.
But the Cardinals are no match for the Bearcats when it comes to special teams. They rank last in kickoff returns, last in net punting and last in field goals, with just three field goals made this season in six attempts.
Factor in their minus-6 turnover margin and it's easy to see why the Cardinals are 5-4 overall and just 1-3 in the league while No. 22 UC stands at 7-2 and 3-1.
At UC, Kelly has used Huber's punting as a valuable offensive weapon, and Gilyard's returns repeatedly have put the Bearcats' offense in favorable field position this season.
Having such high-profile players on special teams does not come without the possibility of injury to a star player, but Kelly said he thinks it's worth the risk.
"It's probably a little bit unusual," he said, "but when I looked at our football team, I figured if you have experience on defense and play great special teams, you've got a chance to win every game you play."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081...NTCAROUSEL
Starters play big role in unit's success
By Bill Koch • bkoch@enquirer.com • November 13, 2008
Several days before the University of Cincinnati upset West Virginia last week, Mike Elston, the Bearcats' special teams coach, called kickoff returner Mardy Gilyard into his office.
"He said, 'Mardy, you've got to look at this and you've got to trust me,' " Gilyard said.
"We had never seen anybody's kickoff team do the things that they (the Mountaineers) do. They kind of left one guy back and left another guy back and I'm like, 'Nine guys on 11 heads, that's not good numbers.' "
With that in mind, Gilyard lined up to receive the opening kickoff last Saturday, fielded it 4 yards deep in his own end zone and returned it for a touchdown that set the stage for a huge UC win over then-No. 20 West Virginia.
"It broke exactly the way coach Elston said it would," Gilyard said, "right down to who would make each block."
Mardy Gilyard (left, with teammate Ben Guidugli) leads the conference with an average kickoff return of 30.9 yards that ranks fifth nationally. He's returned two kicks for touchdowns this season.
The kickoff return for a touchdown was the second of the season for Gilyard, who leads the Big East Conference and ranks fifth nationally with an average return of 30.9 yards.
It's just one special teams category in which the Bearcats have excelled this season. UC leads the league in four special teams categories - kickoff returns, kickoff coverage, net punting and field goal percentage.
The Bearcats have the league's best kick returner in Gilyard and the second-best best punter in All-American Kevin Huber, plus an outstanding placekicker in Jake Rogers, who has made 11 of 12 field goal attempts. In addition, Connor Barwin has blocked three kicks.
That success, UC coach Brian Kelly says, begins with Elston, who also serves as recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach.
"It's a great chance for me as a coach to build some schemes and base it on our personnel," said Elston, a former Michigan linebacker. "Coach Kelly gives me a lot of freedom to be innovative. He doesn't handcuff me."
But Elston couldn't do what he does without a commitment from Kelly, who decided not to relegate special teams solely to backup players. Instead, UC has valuable front-line players such as cornerbacks Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, free safety Brandon Underwood, running back John Goebel, defensive ends Lamonte Nelms and Barwin, and wide receiver Gilyard all playing roles on special teams.
UC coach Brian Kelly (center) uses starters on special teams. "It's probably a little bit unusual," he said, "but when I looked at our football team, I figured if you have experience on defense and play great special teams, you've got a chance to win every game you play."
"We have surrounded that unit with outstanding players," Kelly said. "Add to that mix that you've got a guy like Mardy Gilyard, and you've got a dynamic group of players in that unit."
The front-line players buy into special teams for two reasons, Elston said. They know the NFL scouts who visit practice look for players who also have ability on special teams and they also know how much Kelly emphasizes that phase of the game.
"Those guys hear it from the lead guy," Elston said.
The starters take their duties on special teams so seriously, Elston said, that when they need a breather during a game, they take it from their offensive or defensive positions instead of from special teams.
With the front-line players showing the way, Elston fills the rest of the special teams units with players who don't see much playing time on offense or defense - players like Tomaz Hilton and Charley Howard.
"Those guys are foaming at the mouth to get on the field," Elston said.
You need to look only at Louisville, the Bearcats' opponent this week, to see how crucial special teams play can be.
The Cardinals have a defense that ranks 33rd in the nation in total defense and seventh against the run. On offense, the Louisville ranks third in the league in scoring with an average of 26.8 points per game, which is just ahead of UC's 26.7, and third in total offense with 378.2 yards, again ahead of UC.
But the Cardinals are no match for the Bearcats when it comes to special teams. They rank last in kickoff returns, last in net punting and last in field goals, with just three field goals made this season in six attempts.
Factor in their minus-6 turnover margin and it's easy to see why the Cardinals are 5-4 overall and just 1-3 in the league while No. 22 UC stands at 7-2 and 3-1.
At UC, Kelly has used Huber's punting as a valuable offensive weapon, and Gilyard's returns repeatedly have put the Bearcats' offense in favorable field position this season.
Having such high-profile players on special teams does not come without the possibility of injury to a star player, but Kelly said he thinks it's worth the risk.
"It's probably a little bit unusual," he said, "but when I looked at our football team, I figured if you have experience on defense and play great special teams, you've got a chance to win every game you play."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081...NTCAROUSEL