TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -Ask any Arizona fan: the worst time to go for a hot dog is when the Wildcats force a punt.
You might miss Arizona’s aptly named Bug Wright, generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds.
The speedy sophomore from Tatum, Okla., has only returned four punts, partly because he missed a couple of weeks with a knee injury. But when Wright does catch one, look out: he averages 29 yards per attempt and returned a punt 86 yards for a score against Washington State.
“Special teams, that’s my bread and butter right there,” said Wright, who doesn’t have enough returns to qualify for national rankings. “It just takes one play on special teams for you to turn a whole game around.”
Likewise, Stanford faithful are advised to be in their seats for the opening kickoff, lest they miss some magic by Chris Owusu, who ranks third nationally with 35.8 yards per return and has taken three kickoffs back for TDs this season. The three scores tied the Pac-10 record shared by Southern California’s Anthony Davis (1974) and UCLA’s Matthew Slater (2007).
took a fourth kick to the house on Nov. 7, but he had to slow up to deke Oregon’s kicker on the opening kickoff, and the Ducks chased Owusu down after 77 yards. The Cardinal cashed in with a quick field goal on their way to a 51-42 victory.
In the Pac-10, special teams have played a big role for Rose Bowl contenders Oregon, Stanford and Arizona.
Thanks to the fleet Owusu, the Cardinal lead the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 30.8 yards with three touchdowns. Arizona ranks eighth (26.8 yards and a score) and Oregon is 12th (25.8 yards and a TD), so keep an eye out when the Wildcats and Ducks duel for control of the conference in Arizona Stadium this weekend.
“In this conference, just about every week we’re kicking to explosive guys,” Stanford special teams coordinator D.J. Durkin said in a telephone interview. “Every time I turn on the tape, I go, ‘Oh no, here’s another guy who can go the distance.’ “
If solid special teams units are important, a shaky kicking game can be deadly. Just ask Arizona State, which blew a chance to knock off Georgia in Athens when a backup placekicker had a field goal blocked in the fourth quarter. And last-place Washington State has given up four kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns this season.
They each average more than 26 yards per return and have five returns for scores among them. (The Longhorns have also returned four punts for TDs, most in the nation).
Meanwhile, 1-10 Miami of Ohio is last in kickoff returns, averaging a paltry 15.9 yards.
For years, special teams were hardly that on most campuses. Special teams duty was often assigned to players who weren’t good enough to crack the starting lineups, and the chore of supervising the kick squads sometimes fell to junior staffers.
Now, more head coaches are devoting significant practice time to the kicking game, putting star players in key roles and fortifying their staffs with special-teams experts.
“In this conference, there’s some really good special teams coaches who put a lot of time into it,” Durkin said. “There definitely is scheme involved, and you have to know what people’s tendencies are.”
Oregon saw immediate dividends after it hired Tom Osborne as special teams coordinator before the 2007 season. While a member of Dirk Koetter’s staff at Arizona State, Osborne was named national special teams coordinator of the year by a national coaches magazine in 2003.
After ASU dismissed Koetter in 2006, Osborne returned to Eugene, where he had coached in the 1990s. Osborne’s fingerprints have been evident this season.
how much of an impact it can have on the game.”
Indeed, with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli sidelined and Oregon’s potent attack sputtering, the Ducks trailed UCLA 3-0 at halftime in the Rose Bowl on Oct. 10. Then Kenjon Barner returned the second-half kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown, and the Ducks went on to a 24-10 victory.
A week later, the Ducks trailed Washington 3-0 after a quarter in Seattle. Oregon jumped ahead when Rory Cavaille blocked a punt that Tyrell Irvin recovered for the touchdown. The Ducks were on their way to a 43-19 rout.
Like Kelly, many head coaches readily acknowledge the importance of special teams. But most special teams coordinators are like referees – no one seems to notice them until something goes wrong.
Before a game, as the offenses and defenses run through drills at each end of the field, special teams coaches are often on a symbolic island with the kickers, snappers and holders around the 50-yard line.
“We’re the only ones by ourselves out in the middle of the field,” Arizona special teams coach Jeff Hammerschmidt said with a chuckle. “No one talks to you.”
Durkin said Stanford’s kick teams don’t seek anonymity.
“We want to be noticed in a positive way,” he said.
This fall, more Pac-10 special teams players are being noticed.
of Washington State on Nov. 7. That night, a friend called and told Cobb that his play had made ESPN’s top highlights.
Cobb didn’t believe it at first. But when Cobb got home, he made sure he wouldn’t miss his big play.
“I TiVo’d it,” he said.
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AP Sports Writers Josh Dubow in Stanford, Calif., and Tim Booth in Seattle contributed to this report.
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