Kickoff rule causes concern on many fronts
PULLMAN – You wouldn’t think it would be that big a deal. After all, it’s only 5 yards on the kickoff.
So why worry?
“It’s kind of a mystery to me that the NCAA is so concerned about injuries that they put in all these rules to protect the kids, good rules,” Washington State football coach Bill Doba said Wednesday following his team’s last practice without pads, “and then they encourage a rule that causes the biggest collisions in the game.
“By moving it back to the 30, it’s going to be difficult to kick the thing into the end zone for touchbacks. For the excitement of the game, if people like to see big hits, (they’ll happen, but) are we NASCAR or are we football?”
Ever since the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel decided to move the kickoff back from the 35-yard line to the 30, college football coaches around the nation have tried to predict the effect it will have.
“I’ve been in communication with several (special team) coordinators across the country that I’m friends with, trying to figure out different schematics and different ways we’re going to handle it,” said first-year Cougars assistant coach Dave Walkosky, who counts coaching kickoff coverage among his three special team assignments. “If you’re on special teams, you’ve been worried, and worried sick about it, for several months now.”
If no one knows for sure how the new rule will affect the game, everyone knows more time has to be spent on kickoff return and coverage.
“The kickoff return team this year is going to be at an advantage, definitely, for ball position,” said tight end/special team star Jed Collins. “But with our new emphasis, hopefully we can get down there – we have a lot of speed guys, and then we’ve got me – and clean some stuff up and I’ll be the enforcer behind.”
The need for speed has never been greater for the coverage team, with the ball in the air for the same amount of time, but the defenders having to cover 5 more yards.
The rule might also open the door for a kicker whose sole reason for being on a team is the ability to drive the ball more than 70 yards, trying to induce a touchback.
“Last year they decided to lower the tee (from 2 inches to 1 inch) and they told us after spring ball,” Doba said. “This year they told us they were going to move it back to the 30 after recruiting. So you couldn’t go out and find that guy who can boom the ball.”
Still, after working Wednesday morning at Martin Stadium on both return and coverage, Doba was pleased with the improved distance shown by returning kicker Romeen Abdollmohammadi, who kept the ball inside the 10 on each attempt, and freshman Wade Penner, from Corvallis, Ore., who kicked one through the end zone and had all his others within the 5-yard line.
“He’s a little bitty guy but he knocks the heck out of them,” Doba said of Penner, listed at 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds. “He’s been impressive. Both he and Romeen have done a nice job.”
Which still doesn’t mean every kickoff will be headed deep – even the ones WSU returns.
“We may not see as many surprise on-sides coming from our opponents 30-yard line,” said assistant coach Greg Peterson, who besides coaching tight ends also handles kickoff returns, “but what we anticipate seeing, if we are facing a team that can’t kick it deep always, you are going to see the squib kicks, your are going to see the line drives, the sky kicks, all those things. It means we have to be better prepared as a kickoff return unit for all the trick plays.”
But if the ball does find its way inside the 10, many of the Cougars’ fastest players will be returning it, with Charles Dillon, Brandon Gibson, B.T. Walker and freshman sensation Jeshua Anderson looking to take advantage of the new 5-yard cushion.
Which might end up being a big deal.
Notes
The final day without pads saw more players showing up with nicks and bruises. Starting running back Dwight Tardy was in shorts and a T-shirt from a tweaked right hamstring suffered while bending over to pick up something Tuesday. Another running back, Marcus Richmond, also was out with a groin strain. That meant there were only four healthy bodies at the position, with Chris Ivory taking the snaps with the first unit. … Speaking of hamstrings, safety Terry Mixon was limping noticeable from his strain and wasn’t in shoulder pads or helmet. … Backup receiver Anthony Houston, suffering from a left hamstring strain, also had a cast on his right wrist following surgery. … Former snapper Pete Hill, who was the center on PATs and field goals last season, is no longer with the team. Hill has decided to forgo his football career because of arthritic knees. Starting center Kenny Alfred, punt snapper Tony Thompson and Zach Enyeart are vying to replace Hill. … Freshman tight end Tyson Pencer, from Delta, British Columbia, is no longer with the team after the NCAA clearinghouse rejected or downgraded some of his Sands Secondary School grades. WSU is investigating the matter and may ask for a review. … It looks like Jason Stripling’s possible appeal of his academic status is moving forward but was labeled a “long shot” by Doba. … The defensive highlights included end Mike Graise’s interception in a passing drill and safety Husain Abdullah covering a lot of ground in a hurry to break up a possible Alex Brink-to-Michael Bumpus touchdown pass. The offensive highlight was supplied by freshman Marshall Lobbestael, who connected with Gibson on a long touchdown toss. … With pads added today, Doba expects to do a few more complex team drills, but not much else. The team practices today at 9 a.m. and then twice on Friday (9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.) before Saturday’s first scrimmage at 2:30 p.m.