Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/847744
2 0 1 7 S E A S O N P R E V I E W HUFF The key in any return game is the returner. The returner has got to be electric. That trickles down. In order for the returner to be electric, you've got to have electric players in your program. The more electric players in your pro- gram, the better you're going to be. We have more electric players in our pro- gram now. The scheme will get you close. Teach- ing the guys how to block, teaching them who to hold up, teaching all of that is going to get you close. The player's abil- ity puts it in the end zone. Perfect exam- ple: John Reid breaks a long punt return in the Pitt game. Well, John Reid was not a natural punt returner. John Reid is an electric player who had an ability, so we said, let's see if he can return punts. So that gets you to a point. [But] he didn't do it in high school, so everything that he does out there is new. He breaks a long one, and instead of cutting back across the field like you see so many re- turners do, he keeps running. As he keeps running, some guy on the back side ends up tracking him down. The re- turners, the Devin Hesters, those guys have a feel for when to cut across, when to stay with speed to the field. As the season goes on, John gets better. Because John is an electric player who is also an elite corner, you have to start to limit him. He can't do it all. You start to say, where is it more important? We're playing really good on offense, so we don't need three punt-return touch- downs a game. We'd love it. So it's sort of a give and take. You flip it around and [talk about] kick returners – you've got to have an elite returner. Miles Sanders had never re- turned kicks, but he's an elite player. So you say, let's teach him how to kick re- turn. When you get that, you get the long runs but you're not going to get the home run. The home run comes when you put great scheme, great coaching and an elite player together. What Coach is saying is, we're going to be better be- cause we have so many more elite, ex- plosive players, and the John Reids and the Miles Sanders now have experience. We scored one touchdown [in the kick- ing game last season]: Grant Haley picked up the ball that Marcus blocked. Grant Haley has been in the program for three years, four years, and he's an expe- rienced player, so he gets the ball in the end zone. That's how it all goes together. That's why Coach says we'll be better in the kickoff- and punt-return units. Ob- viously, adding players who have punt- return and kickoff-return experience in high school helps. BWI If you don't mind divulging, who are the guys? Who are those electric players you'll be counting on? HUFF I think all the guys who did it last year. One person you didn't get to see do as much last year was Brandon Polk be- cause he was a little banged up. He's a guy who has had some success [on kick- off returns]. There are probably four on tape over the past two years that Bran- don Polk could have scored on. Against Georgia, he had one that went 30-plus yards. He had one against Temple for 30-plus yards, and he had one against Minnesota. If he puts those three in the hole, all of a sudden I'm the guru of spe- cial teams. But they're three long ones and it's like, "You guys are good, but..." So obviously, I would say Polk will play [on kickoff returns]. Miles has a year under his belt. K.J. Hamler returned in high school and had success at it. Punt returners, obviously you didn't get to see Brandon Polk [last season]. He returned punts, but he's not the greatest catcher. Mark Allen, Josh McPhearson, all those guys. Josh McPhearson was a little banged up last year, but he'll be back there. Mac Hippenhammer re- turned punts in high school and was very successful at it. K.J. Hamler re- turned punts in high school and was very successful at it. So those would be some of the new guys mixed with some of the old guys. Obviously, it's still going to come down to decision-making, but I would make the argument that the guys who have done it in high school and had success are more confident and their decision- making is a little bit cleaner than the guys who are still learning. John Reid is a good example. He didn't do it in high LETTERMEN RETURNING 4 PK Tyler Davis, Joey Julius P Blake Gillikin, Daniel Pasquariello LETTERMEN LOST 3 P/H Chris Gulla LS Zach Ladonis, Tyler Yazujian STARTERS RETURNING 3 >> Tyler Davis (14 starts in 2016), Joey Julius (14), Blake Gillikin (14) OTHERS WITH STARTING EXPERIENCE 1 >> Daniel Pasquariello (9 career starts) STARTERS LOST 1 >> Tyler Yazujian (14) S P E C I A L T E A M S F A S T F A C T S NET PUNTING 37.81 yds. (3rd Big Ten; 56th FBS) KICKOFF RETURNS 19.69 yds. (10th; 87th) KICKOFF RETURN DEFENSE 18.82 yds. (2nd; 28th) PUNT RETURNS 6.47 yds. (11th; 94th) PUNT RETURN DEFENSE 6.95 yds. (7th; 54th) 2016 STATISTICS