Chizik-Starters are volenteering to play Special Teams.

**ketelmeister** · 10-01-2007, 03:24 PM

In his weekly press conference, Coach Chizik said starters are stepping up and volenteering to play special teams. With all the heat on our team, you have to give our guys credit for being stand up players. This is the true spirit of being a Cyclone. I'm with these guys...

**bos** · 10-01-2007, 03:25 PM

I think its great too. Just hope this doesnt open up more injuries.

**isuforlife** · 10-01-2007, 03:25 PM

Great Idea..........use your best athletes

**HILLCYD** · 10-01-2007, 03:27 PM

Injuries are going to happen, nothing you can do about it. I have always beleived that you have to put your best players out there every play. Special teams can make or break you, we have proven that time and again.

**keepngoal** · 10-01-2007, 03:30 PM

this tells me many things.

1) the team wants to win and is still hungry
2) the team has an open dialog with the new coach
3) they look up to GC and respect him by volunteering.
4) GC listens to players...
5) the players believe in this coaching staff!

These are all positives on a 1-4 team!

I hope we don't use all of the starters just a select few in key areas. I am interested in 33's insight on this.

-keep.

oh.. and hooray me 1000th post.

**4429 mcc** · 10-01-2007, 03:30 PM

Is it so much the talent they have out there on Special Teams isnt good enough or is it that they are not familar with their role/position and disciplined enough? Regardless need to improve.

**IsUaClone2** · 10-01-2007, 03:30 PM

That's what Johnny Maors did when he took over. He strengthened the Special Teams and then the Defense. He added a new trick play every week and worked extremely hard on trying to score on punt returns as he thought that that tipped the on-field talent balance in our favor at critical junctions of the game.

**SuperCy** · 10-01-2007, 03:33 PM

I'm actually surprised that this didn't happen sooner. I thought it would've been more of a mandatory thing versus volunteers.

**sdsmith4** · 10-01-2007, 03:51 PM

A lot of teams use a variety of starters on special teams. I say why not especially since we already play some many guys on defense, it is isn't all that risky, we r definitely using some questionable guys out there right now who really never see the field otherwise, Jason Harris is cold, Nick Harklau, Schmidgall, Devin McDowell, Nick Slobidsky, just to name a few, I say maybe we need guys like James Smith, Singleton, Chris Brown, Sumrall, maybe Blythe, from what I can tell Frere and Howe r doing a good job on kick returns so we should definitely keep them in, we just really to play around with kick and punt coverage.

**jbhtexas** · 10-01-2007, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by SuperCy

I'm actually surprised that this didn't happen sooner. I thought it would've been more of a mandatory thing versus volunteers.

I believe that kickoffs and punt returns are % wise the most injury-prone plays in football, so most coaches try to avoid using starters on those teams. Also, special teams are a great way to break in young players. But in ISU's case, it looks like there is no choice, as things are just going badly on special teams.

For kickoffs, ISU should hold a tryout, and find a kid who can just bang the ball to the endzone. The only accuracy required would be to kick it between the sidelines. The roster shows 4 kickers. Apparently none of them can kick to the endzone...

**baller1** · 10-01-2007, 03:55 PM

ATHYBA RUBIN!!!

**bos** · 10-01-2007, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by baller1

ATHYBA RUBIN!!!

I would hate to be the returner hearing and feeling that thunder coming at ya.

**cybsball20** · 10-01-2007, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

I believe that kickoffs and punt returns are % wise the most injury-prone plays in football, so most coaches try to avoid using starters on those teams. Also, special teams are a great way to break in young players. But in ISU's case, it looks like there is no choice, as things are just going badly on special teams.

For kickoffs, ISU should hold a tryout, and find a kid who can just bang the ball to the endzone. The only accuracy required would be to kick it between the sidelines. The roster shows 4 kickers. Apparently none of them can kick to the endzone...

Florida used to have a backup linebacker do their kickoffs... He would toe kick it all the way down to the goal line and more times than not beat everyone down there and make the tackle. I remember one game that they blew the team out he was the leading tackler in the game since they kicked off so much.

**4429 mcc** · 10-01-2007, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

For kickoffs, ISU should hold a tryout, and find a kid who can just bang the ball to the endzone. The only accuracy required would be to kick it between the sidelines. The roster shows 4 kickers. Apparently none of them can kick to the endzone...

Seriously, the shaggy had the wind to his back on Saturday and could only kick it to the 3 yard line. I wasnt there, havent watch the replay....but, WTF. kNu kicker put it 5 yards deep in the endzone INTO the wind.

frustrated!

**ketelmeister** · 10-01-2007, 04:42 PM

Using starters on special teams is extreemly risky. Iowa State is so thin on both offense and defense that an injury on special teams can impact either offense or defense. Chizik said using a few players is fine, but bodies are flying and that's where injuries happen. You have to really give our guys credit for asking to play there. They play the entire game as it is as there are no backups. Then to play kickoffs and punts, that's guts....plain and simple guts. I'll cheer louder than ever at the next game. These guys may not win, but they are men.