Chizik not big fan of change on kickoffs

[ISUFan22]

DSM Register link

The response to another round of rules tweaking is drawing mixed reviews from football coaches in the Big 12 Conference.

One change: Placing the ball on the 30-yard line for kickoffs.

Gene Chizik, in his first year of coaching at Iowa State, is among those who expects the new starting point will lead to more scoring.

“From a defensive guy standpoint, I really don’t like it,” said Chizik, a former defensive coordinator at Texas. “But I’m sure it’s all in an effort to make the game more exciting.

“There’ll be less touchbacks and more returns, which I’m sure was part of the reasoning.”

NCAA officials announced this month they would abolish two major changes that were implemented in 2006, and resulted in games having about 14 fewer plays.

The clock will now stop on possession changes and it will not start on kickoffs until the receiving team touches the ball.

“We thought in some ways we cheated the fans,” Texas coach Mack Brown said today during a teleconference. “We know we cheated our kids. We don’t want to take snaps away from kids.”

Texas A&M’s Dennis Franchione agreed.

“I think any time you have teams running only 54 snaps, that’s too few for us in college football," he said. “We were going back to high school length and we needed to go back to doing what we’ve done.”

Baylor’s Guy Morriss said Big 12 coaches were against the ’06 rule changes from the start.

“But the powers that be overruled our decision,” Morriss said. “I think maybe they figured out now that everything was fine, just the way it was.”

Brown said coaches are already bracing for the impact of longer kickoffs.

“If you ask our defensive coaches (about it), they throw up. If you ask our offensive coaches, they’re pumped,” Brown said. “We’ve spent more time talking about kickoffs and kickoff returns than at any time in my coaching career.

“It has become a huge factor.”

[mj4cy]

I really don't care. We've seemed to have a decent kick return team, so maybe it could help us.

[ISUonthemove]

If your kicker has a leg, and you got speed out there, you're set.

[ISUFan22]

I hope this new rule annoys Chizik all year long.

Because that would mean we're kicking the ball off a lot - which would be a drastic change from last year.

[clones11]

our kicker doesnt have a lg and our team speed isnt that great either, this could really burn us on kick offs. kick returns should be good though. i really think the NCAA is ruining the game with all these stupid changes if it aint broke don't fix it

[Hasbeen]

COME BACK TONY YELK!!!

[ISUFan22]

Look for injuries in special teams to go up. More kickoff returns means more injuries.

One of the big reasons you don't see many teams go 100% in special teams in spring games/practices is because of the large number of injuries that occur in those situations.

[mj4cy]

COME BACK TONY YELK!!!

His 26 years must have been one too many

[psycln11]

His 26 years must have been one too many

Oh come on!!! Jess Settles had 32!!

[pulse]

The kickoff change is a big deal. It will really change field position in the college game if you have a good kicker, and/or good return team. In the NFL, every kicker can boom it, but in college you could be in real trouble if your kicker is only kicking it to the 10 and the other team is starting on the 40 yard line every time.

[CyTom]

If your kicking coverage stinks, kick it out of bounds to keep them from starting beyond the 35 yard line.

[ISUFan22]

If your kicking coverage stinks, kick it out of bounds to keep them from starting beyond the 35 yard line.

I would not be surprised to see that happen with some teams. If it does - as a result, look for a rule change eventually moving that from the 35 to the 40 or 45 - or moving the kickoff location back to its original spot.

[MaxPower57]

Griebahn actually does have a pretty good leg on him. He was kicking them between the 5 and the GL in the spring game. He just needs to be more consistent, aka not kicking them out of bounds vs. UNI. He's no Yelk in that department though.

[cstrunk]

This change could help determine the outcome of a few games this coming season. You would think that it would affect every team equally, but unless your team's strength is on offense, it will hurt your team more than others. Teams that are offensive powerhouses will benefit from this rule.

[D UP Clones]

If your kicking coverage stinks, kick it out of bounds to keep them from starting beyond the 35 yard line.

They don't have to take the ball at the 35 yard line They can have 5 yard penalty against the kicking team and require you to kick again. And the yard line is determined by where they kick the ball so it would move forward if you keep jumping off sides.