Post by WVUfanPHILLY on Aug 30, 2007 0:50:42 GMT -5
By Brandon Brown, The Daily Athenaeum
August 28, 2007
(CSTV U-WIRE) MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The special teams unit for the 2007 West Virginia University Mountaineers looks to improve upon last season in every aspect.
Junior Pat McAfee will once again handle the field goal duties. McAfee, who went 17-22 on field goals last year and a perfect 62-62 on extra points, looks to improve his stellar numbers from last season. Those numbers included 113 total points, which ranks him fourth all-time for the Mountaineers.
With new long snapper Adam Hughes and new holder Jeremy Kash, the kicking game should be one of the best in the Big East and possibly the nation.
"I've got a lot smoother on my field goals. I've had to work a lot with (Hughes and Kash) to get in rhythm," McAfee said. "By the second week I think we'll be in peak form."
But the field goal unit is just one of the pieces to an improved special teams unit.
Mountaineer fans will not soon forget Darrell Rivas' return against WVU last season during the Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh, a return that warranted an ESPY nomination.
Enter again an experienced McAfee.
McAfee, who took over the punting duties full-time after the Louisville game last season, will again be pulling double-duty as both the place kicker and the punter this season.
Having that job this preseason has allowed him to make some necessary changes to help out both kick coverage teams.
"Kicking deals a lot with the leg swing," McAfee said. "I have had to teach myself how to keep them separated from each other. If I let any of my kicking influence my punting, it'll just be a shanked punt. You don't throw a curveball the same as you throw a fastball. I've learned to operate with both of them and I think I'm doing pretty well with it now."
McAfee, who, in 92 kickoff attempts last year, booted 26 for touchbacks, will have a harder time putting up that total this year with the new NCAA rule that moves kickoffs back to the 35-yard line.
That same rule, however, looks to benefit the Mountaineer return game. With explosive returnmen Antonio Lewis, Darius Reynaud and Vaughn Rivers, the extra room will allow them to make a lot more plays.
"Coach McGee put in a nice new kick return for us," said Rivers. "With the new rule there's going to be a lot of different things you can do because there's hardly going to be any touchbacks at all. It's just a whole different scheme. We've put some different blocks in and we've definitely got some good return guys and even a few tricks under the hat."
Those tricks may just turn into real treats for the Mountaineers as coach Rich Rodriguez will also look to put freshman phenom Noel Devine back to return kickoffs, too.
But don't look for Devine to be back on punt returns just yet.
"Punts have mostly been Vaughn, Darius, Antonio and Nate Sowers," Rodriguez said. "I'd be real nervous to put a freshman back to return punts."
This year's special teams unit looks to be a strong suit to an already strong Mountaineer attack. And with talented players at every key position, that mind set looks to hold true.
"Special teams can change a game any time," Rivers said. "You see that with Virginia Tech year in and year out. I think we can do the great things this year."
August 28, 2007
(CSTV U-WIRE) MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The special teams unit for the 2007 West Virginia University Mountaineers looks to improve upon last season in every aspect.
Junior Pat McAfee will once again handle the field goal duties. McAfee, who went 17-22 on field goals last year and a perfect 62-62 on extra points, looks to improve his stellar numbers from last season. Those numbers included 113 total points, which ranks him fourth all-time for the Mountaineers.
With new long snapper Adam Hughes and new holder Jeremy Kash, the kicking game should be one of the best in the Big East and possibly the nation.
"I've got a lot smoother on my field goals. I've had to work a lot with (Hughes and Kash) to get in rhythm," McAfee said. "By the second week I think we'll be in peak form."
But the field goal unit is just one of the pieces to an improved special teams unit.
Mountaineer fans will not soon forget Darrell Rivas' return against WVU last season during the Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh, a return that warranted an ESPY nomination.
Enter again an experienced McAfee.
McAfee, who took over the punting duties full-time after the Louisville game last season, will again be pulling double-duty as both the place kicker and the punter this season.
Having that job this preseason has allowed him to make some necessary changes to help out both kick coverage teams.
"Kicking deals a lot with the leg swing," McAfee said. "I have had to teach myself how to keep them separated from each other. If I let any of my kicking influence my punting, it'll just be a shanked punt. You don't throw a curveball the same as you throw a fastball. I've learned to operate with both of them and I think I'm doing pretty well with it now."
McAfee, who, in 92 kickoff attempts last year, booted 26 for touchbacks, will have a harder time putting up that total this year with the new NCAA rule that moves kickoffs back to the 35-yard line.
That same rule, however, looks to benefit the Mountaineer return game. With explosive returnmen Antonio Lewis, Darius Reynaud and Vaughn Rivers, the extra room will allow them to make a lot more plays.
"Coach McGee put in a nice new kick return for us," said Rivers. "With the new rule there's going to be a lot of different things you can do because there's hardly going to be any touchbacks at all. It's just a whole different scheme. We've put some different blocks in and we've definitely got some good return guys and even a few tricks under the hat."
Those tricks may just turn into real treats for the Mountaineers as coach Rich Rodriguez will also look to put freshman phenom Noel Devine back to return kickoffs, too.
But don't look for Devine to be back on punt returns just yet.
"Punts have mostly been Vaughn, Darius, Antonio and Nate Sowers," Rodriguez said. "I'd be real nervous to put a freshman back to return punts."
This year's special teams unit looks to be a strong suit to an already strong Mountaineer attack. And with talented players at every key position, that mind set looks to hold true.
"Special teams can change a game any time," Rivers said. "You see that with Virginia Tech year in and year out. I think we can do the great things this year."
