The Punt Game – A ND Perplexing Dichotomy

Notre Dame cannot punt.

Notre Dame cannot catch and return punts.

Attestation:

Let us see if we have the numbers straight.  Statistics after three games are:

**  We have fielded 7 punts for 5 yards for a 0.7-yard average.  2 of the 7 ended up being lost fumbles.  Throw in one muff that was recovered and we have caught 4 punts cleanly. 

**  We have punted 13 times for 471 yards, a 36.2 average, and a 32.0-yard net.  Ben Turk is ranked 113 out of 120 with that 32.0 net punting statistic.  In his defense, against MSU he punted twice pinning them back inside the 20-yard line, one rolled to the one-yard line.  He came through when he was needed.  These were rugby style punts that are harder to field but do not give your gunners much time in providing coverage since they are basic line drive punts.

Ben Turk

I studied Ben Turk and Kyle Brindza as they warmed up before the MSU game.  Turk would boom one spiral punt and then kind of miss the next one.  He was not consistent.  Brindza was consistent however; his best punts equaled the ones that Turk kind of missed.  The two were not even close or competitive in punting.  Brian Kelly has stated that fact over and over again at press conferences. 

Kyle Brindza - Plymouth H.S.

I was disappointed in watching Turk.  He punted a lot without his helmet and walked around bouncing the football off the ground.  Looked kind of cavalier to me.  I do not know if that is his pregame ritual or just his style.  I was taught you always worn your helmet when you practice, just like in a game situation.

Rumor is that Robby Toma is getting a chance at punt returning.  For cryin out loud he can’t do any worse that Theo Riddick or John Goodman.  I don’t understand it.  You have 85 scholarship players and 20 walk-ons, plus an entire student body and the Irish have no one to field a punt?

Isn’t it a three-step process?

***  Decide to fair catch it or field it.

***  Catch it.

***  Run.

If Brian Kelly decides to revert back to last year and send someone out there to just call a fair catch and hopefully field the ball cleanly we have ceded a big part of Special Teams to the opponent.  If that is the case, put NO ONE back and rush 11 at the punter.

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