New scheme for USU kicking game
Special teams may not contain the most glamorous positions on the football field, but all too often this unit can decide a game. From game winning field goals to punt and kickoff returns, to blocked field goals and punts – special teams is more often than not a game changing unit.
A closer look at this year’s version of the Aggie special teams will reveal – like most of the units – some very distinct changes. One of the biggest changes has come on the punt team.
“For punt, which is the most important special teams, they were traditional last year and this next year we’re going to be doing something different,” said running back coach Ilaisa Tuiaki. “It will allow us to put our athletes on the field – speed kills, and that’s what we want to do is kill people with speed.”
Punter/kicker Peter Caldwell, who’s been out all spring after having knee surgery, said this new formation will help the punt team a lot.
“When you have the shield – you know the three fat guys in front of you – that are going to close off and block for you,” he said. “It really allows everybody else, the skill players up on the line to get releases.”
Not only will this allow the punt team to get down field faster, but it should allow Caldwell more time to kick as well.
The punt team is not the only unit within the special teams group, however, and with Caldwell out this spring, his friend and co-worker Chris Ulinksi has seen a lot of action.
“As far as kicking goes, last spring I only kicked two live reps, and this spring I can’t even tell you how many reps I did,” Ulinski said. “We’ve done live snaps now every single practice this spring, so I think that’s going to be a huge, huge help.”
Both Ulinski and Caldwell arrived on campus at the same time, and the two have been pushing each other at the kicking position ever since. Ulinski has a bigger leg and has established himself as the kickoff specialist as well as the Aggies deep threat (he connected on a 56-yarder last season), while Caldwell has been a little more accurate and had done the brunt of USU’s field goal duties as well as punting.
“It is competitive as it should be, but off the field we’re friends,” Caldwell said. “It’s nice having someone there to push you, but in the same sense, you miss a field goal and Chris is the first one over there saying look, ‘It’s OK, we’ll just get the next one.’ It works both ways with us.”
Caldwell also said he and Ulinski differ in kicking styles, so it’s impossible to compare the two but their different abilities compliment the team.
Tuiaki, who also works with the kickoff team, is also excited about the new schemes implemented there.
“The kickoff team we have is going to be really good, I don’t want to get too much into the scheming of it, but the bottom line is we’ve got to have guys that can run and guys that can tackle, and we have that,” he said.
On the returning side of things, it looks like senior cornerback Kejon Murphy will end up with the majority of the return duties, while speedy tailback Josh Flores could see some time as well.
Regardless of who lands what job by the time the season rolls around, the new coaching staff has the Aggies excited for the upcoming year.
“Coaches have done an awesome job just getting the players morale up,” Ulinski said. “You can just tell the intensity for every single practice. Everyone’s out there trying to get better every day.”
It’s that type of intensity and attitude that could lead USU’s special teams to make some of those game changing plays that have been lacking in the past.
“Special teams is a huge part of the game and coaches realize that and they’re putting a lot of pressure on us,” Caldwell said. “All in all it’s an awesome change for everybody.”
–t.olsen@aggiemail.usu.edu