Woods continues to be creative with special teams
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport
Opening Statement
I appreciate you all being here today and appreciate the opportunity to talk to you today.
Just an overview of special teams in general, we've been working very hard to develop core special teams players and who can help where and how much. Also developing our specialists and returners and trying to identify a couple more, and develop leaders. Every day we're trying to develop, improve, play tough, and play physical.
We've had some good, some bad, but making progress. As far as specialists, we have 8 or 9 exceptional young men.
Snappers Spiewak, Subbert, and Coluzzi. Also working Vejvoda there. Replacing a good snapper in Tyler Kluver, who will be in an NFL Camp, so a big challenge.
Two punters, Ryan Gersonde and Colten Rastetter, who have some experience. Working hard to improve there.
Kickers, we have Miguel Recinos and Keith Duncan and then Caleb Shudak, who is coming off an injury and hasn't kicked in a game yet.
Returners, working with Smith-Marsette, who had a bad play against Nebraska, but showed some flashes last year as a returner. Both kick returner and punt returner. Also Ivory Kelly-Martin has some game experience on kick returns. A new name is Kyle Groeneweg, who transferred in last year and is working on returns.
Q: A lot of players get their breakthrough on special teams.
WOODS: It's funny you bring that up. One of the guys I hammer home is Riley McCarron with guys. He was a walk-on receiver and really bought into special teams, coverage and returning, and just trying to get into the game. He worked really hard on special teams and that kind of springboarded him here. Eventually worked his way into a returner and got his breakthrough on special teams. By his senior year, he's playing well on special teams and at receiver and worked his way into an NFL Camp. Special teams can be a start for you and propel you.
Q: Punter, Gersonde, what does he give you if he's healthy?
WOODS: He has a good upside. Still inconsistent, but he's young. Still working on what style of punter he wants to be because he has a couple different styles. Working through being a young player. Has a strong leg, just needs to be consistent.
Q: What his styles? Does he want to be a two step punter, a jab, and all the mechanics.
WOODS: No different than being a QB. We film everything and evaluate it in meetings painstakingly. We critique them and correct them. That's what he's been focused on this spring is being consistent with his drop, his line, and all that.
Q: West Lyon High School connection with Groeneweg?
WOODS: Greatest high school in the country. I didn't know a lot about Kyle Groeneweg other than he was Brandon Snyder's teammate in high school, but heard he was thinking about transferring and glad he's here now.
Q: Punter competition go into the season?
WOODS: I don't know yet, but it's critical that we improve. Both guys have the potential to do the job. Just a matter of buckling down and doing the job. Colten showed last year that he can be a pretty decent rugby punter and when he's consistent he can be a traditional punter. Ryan can be a plus 50 traditional punter.
Q: Punt returner when Desmond was here averaged 14-15 yards. Last year was 6.5. What are you looking for there and how has the philosophy changed over the years?
WOODS: What we're looking for is if we return the ball we want to average 10 yards. We want to make it one less first down the offense needs in order to score. In 2015, we didn't field as many balls. In 2016, we tried to field more with Desmond and give him a chance. Last year, 2017, I'm not sure how many were really field-able from punters. Part of it is the style of punter and if you can predict where it's going to go. That's part of it is getting a guy in position to field the ball. But what we're looking for is 10 yards a return and putting a guy into position to field the ball.
Q: You had an unsuccessful fake punt, an unannounced one, against Ohio State. How do you not blow up after that?
WOODS: You've been around Iowa football a long time. Our mantra is develop players. If you look at his other punts in that game, he punted pretty well. So to blow up on a guy after one play isn't our style. We correct and move forward.
Q: What was the rewind as far as an unannounced fake punt? Can you trust that guy?
WOODS: Do I trust Colten? Yeah, I trust him. People make mistakes. You correct them and move forward. Q: Who fills Kevin Ward's role? I'm glad you asked because we need someone to step up like Kevin Ward did. We need leadership. He really bought in and worked hard on special teams every single day. Trying to find more guys like that.
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport
Opening Statement
I appreciate you all being here today and appreciate the opportunity to talk to you today.
Just an overview of special teams in general, we've been working very hard to develop core special teams players and who can help where and how much. Also developing our specialists and returners and trying to identify a couple more, and develop leaders. Every day we're trying to develop, improve, play tough, and play physical.
We've had some good, some bad, but making progress. As far as specialists, we have 8 or 9 exceptional young men.
Snappers Spiewak, Subbert, and Coluzzi. Also working Vejvoda there. Replacing a good snapper in Tyler Kluver, who will be in an NFL Camp, so a big challenge.
Two punters, Ryan Gersonde and Colten Rastetter, who have some experience. Working hard to improve there.
Kickers, we have Miguel Recinos and Keith Duncan and then Caleb Shudak, who is coming off an injury and hasn't kicked in a game yet.
Returners, working with Smith-Marsette, who had a bad play against Nebraska, but showed some flashes last year as a returner. Both kick returner and punt returner. Also Ivory Kelly-Martin has some game experience on kick returns. A new name is Kyle Groeneweg, who transferred in last year and is working on returns.
Q: A lot of players get their breakthrough on special teams.
WOODS: It's funny you bring that up. One of the guys I hammer home is Riley McCarron with guys. He was a walk-on receiver and really bought into special teams, coverage and returning, and just trying to get into the game. He worked really hard on special teams and that kind of springboarded him here. Eventually worked his way into a returner and got his breakthrough on special teams. By his senior year, he's playing well on special teams and at receiver and worked his way into an NFL Camp. Special teams can be a start for you and propel you.
Q: Punter, Gersonde, what does he give you if he's healthy?
WOODS: He has a good upside. Still inconsistent, but he's young. Still working on what style of punter he wants to be because he has a couple different styles. Working through being a young player. Has a strong leg, just needs to be consistent.
Q: What his styles? Does he want to be a two step punter, a jab, and all the mechanics.
WOODS: No different than being a QB. We film everything and evaluate it in meetings painstakingly. We critique them and correct them. That's what he's been focused on this spring is being consistent with his drop, his line, and all that.
Q: West Lyon High School connection with Groeneweg?
WOODS: Greatest high school in the country. I didn't know a lot about Kyle Groeneweg other than he was Brandon Snyder's teammate in high school, but heard he was thinking about transferring and glad he's here now.
Q: Punter competition go into the season?
WOODS: I don't know yet, but it's critical that we improve. Both guys have the potential to do the job. Just a matter of buckling down and doing the job. Colten showed last year that he can be a pretty decent rugby punter and when he's consistent he can be a traditional punter. Ryan can be a plus 50 traditional punter.
Q: Punt returner when Desmond was here averaged 14-15 yards. Last year was 6.5. What are you looking for there and how has the philosophy changed over the years?
WOODS: What we're looking for is if we return the ball we want to average 10 yards. We want to make it one less first down the offense needs in order to score. In 2015, we didn't field as many balls. In 2016, we tried to field more with Desmond and give him a chance. Last year, 2017, I'm not sure how many were really field-able from punters. Part of it is the style of punter and if you can predict where it's going to go. That's part of it is getting a guy in position to field the ball. But what we're looking for is 10 yards a return and putting a guy into position to field the ball.
Q: You had an unsuccessful fake punt, an unannounced one, against Ohio State. How do you not blow up after that?
WOODS: You've been around Iowa football a long time. Our mantra is develop players. If you look at his other punts in that game, he punted pretty well. So to blow up on a guy after one play isn't our style. We correct and move forward.
Q: What was the rewind as far as an unannounced fake punt? Can you trust that guy?
WOODS: Do I trust Colten? Yeah, I trust him. People make mistakes. You correct them and move forward. Q: Who fills Kevin Ward's role? I'm glad you asked because we need someone to step up like Kevin Ward did. We need leadership. He really bought in and worked hard on special teams every single day. Trying to find more guys like that.
