If you are wondering why Kent State's football program has failed to turn the corner again in 2008, look no further than the play on the Golden Flashes special teams.
Despite all of the extra work in practice and all of the coaching staff's efforts in recruiting, the Flashes still can't return or cover kickoffs or punts, and they still have serious issues in their punting and place-kicking units.
Here are the facts:
The Flashes are among the worst kickoff return teams in the nation, ranking 116th out of 119 schools in return yardage. Only North Texas, Louisville and Kansas average less than KSU's 16.13 yards per return.
They are also among the nation's worst in returning punts, ranking 111th out of 119 with an embarrassing 3.6 yards per return.
Even after an upgrade with the addition of true freshman punter Matt Rinehart, the Flashes still rank near the bottom of the rankings in punting " 82nd in national net and 10th out of the Mid-American Conference's 13 teams at just 33.2 yards per boot.
In place kicking, Nate Reed improved dramatically between his freshman and sophomore years, but now he is struggling again. Including key fourth-quarter and overtime misses of 27 and 23 yards in last week's loss to the University of Akron, Reed has converted just three of his six field-goal tries this season. No kicker in the country who has participated in 75-percent of his team's games has converted fewer field goals. Officially, he is tied with nine other kickers in 95th (last place), nationally.
In kickoff and punt coverage, KSU ranks 86th and 75th in the nation, respectively. Only Toledo is worse at covering kickoffs in the MAC.
As the stats display, no team in the country is as bad in so many special-teams categories.
To overcome such all-around poor play on special teams, the Flashes would need to be either be a juggernaut on offense or dominant on defense. They are neither.
So how can Kent State fix the problems?
To start, KSU coach Doug Martin needs to put players who have been effective on special teams in the past back in positions where they can have an impact.
The Flashes have been using Shawn Bayes as their primary kick returner in an attempt to get one of their top playmakers more opportunities with the football in his hands. Based on his 95-yard touchdown return last year on one of his three kickoff returns, the decision made sense. While he hasn't been able to break a return this season, Bayes is flourishing as the go-to receiver for quarterback Julian Edelman. Martin needs to let him focus only on that role for now.
Crestwood High School alum Alan Vanderink deserves the first crack at the breathing life into the Flashes kick-return game, and it would make sense for that move to take place in time for this week's game with Ohio University. In last years meeting with the Bobcats, Vanderink broke kickoff returns of 45 and 44 yards in a 33-25 win in Athens. KSU turned both long returns into scoring drives.
In a year when the Flashes are doing a poor job in forcing turnovers (96th in the nation with seven turnovers gained), they need to find new ways to provide their offense with some short fields. Vanderink averaged better than 22 yards per return last year " six yards better than this year's team average "but he has yet to have a chance to return a kick in 2008.
On punt returns, it is time for Josh Pleasant to reclaim the job he lost after fumbling deep in KSU territory Sep. 6 at Iowa State. That was the true freshman's first real Division I college football experience. He wilted in a difficult atmosphere in Big 12 country, but after a month of playing in games as a defensive back, he should be comfortable enough by now to take another shot at fielding punts. Pleasant was electrifying in preseason camp, returning several punts for touchdowns in live scrimmages. His wiggle and speed are reminiscent of Joshua Cribbs.
After junior Phil Garner fumbled two fourth-quarter punt returns last week, including one on the Flashes side of the 50-yard line to give the Zips an opportunity to re-claim the lead, the Flashes clearly need to try something new.
Kickoff and punt returns are two areas where the Flashes can tinker with one or two players and potentially find immediate solutions. Other special teams problems may be more difficult to fix.
When kickers miss 23-yard field goals with the game on the line, that's an individual crisis of confidence "it isn't coaching. Players who abandon their lane responsibilities in kickoff coverage or forget their assignments on punt protection simply can't be bothered with taking the coaching they receive every day in practice.
In some cases, these breakdowns are being committed by second or third-stringers who may think they should be seeing more action on offense and defense. They need to know they are killing their own chances to see the field in those expanded roles " as well as letting their teammates and coaches down " with their blunders on special teams.