The Bobcat Nation

Thinking about All Big Sky debate of Bergen vs. Dowler caused me to do a deeper dive into punt/punt return stats this season. This part of the game has fairly quietly gone under the radar. Some CRAZY stats this season:

B. Hall: 30 punts, 1,361 yards, 45.3 average, 0 blocked
Returns against: ONLY 6 for a TOTAL of 40 yards.
Meaning on only 20% of his punts are a return even attempted, for an average of 6.7 yards. So the net yardage is 44.0.
Hall had 18 net punts inside 20 (9 at 10 yards or less), 4 touchbacks, and 8 outside 20. Only 1 ended in MSU territory (at 40). Average opponent starting field position after a punt: 18 yard line.

Opposing Punters: 71 punts, 3,023 yards, 42.6 average, 2 blocked
Taco: 44 returns (on 69 non-blocked punts), 592 yards. Taco attempted returns on 63.8% of punts for an average of 13.5 yards per return. So opponents net punt yardage (including blocks) is 33.8 yards.
Average MSU field position post-punt: 32 yard line. Only started inside 20, 12 times! Inside 10, 3 times! That is a very good reflection of Taco fielding the ball and not letting it roll.

The impact of these special teams can’t be understated! For as crazy-good the rest of the team is, these could very well be the best 2 units on the team.

For me I just love how much confidence we all as fans can have in the ST units. Each and every one of the units (KO, KR, P, PR). We've had some elite individuals on ST over the years, but rarely, if ever, has there been such comprehensive high level of play across all the squads.

tdub wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 26, 2024 1:33 pm

Thinking about All Big Sky debate of Bergen vs. Dowler caused me to do a deeper dive into punt/punt return stats this season. This part of the game has fairly quietly gone under the radar. Some CRAZY stats this season:

B. Hall: 30 punts, 1,361 yards, 45.3 average, 0 blocked
Returns against: ONLY 6 for a TOTAL of 40 yards.
Meaning on only 20% of his punts are a return even attempted, for an average of 6.7 yards. So the net yardage is 44.0.
Hall had 18 net punts inside 20 (9 at 10 yards or less), 4 touchbacks, and 8 outside 20. Only 1 ended in MSU territory (at 40). Average opponent starting field position after a punt: 18 yard line.

Opposing Punters: 71 punts, 3,023 yards, 42.6 average, 2 blocked
Taco: 44 returns (on 69 non-blocked punts), 592 yards. Taco attempted returns on 63.8% of punts for an average of 13.5 yards per return. So opponents net punt yardage (including blocks) is 33.8 yards.
Average MSU field position post-punt: 32 yard line. Only started inside 20, 12 times! Inside 10, 3 times! That is a very good reflection of Taco fielding the ball and not letting it roll.

The impact of these special teams can’t be understated! For as crazy-good the rest of the team is, these could very well be the best 2 units on the team.

I think AJ likes starting inside the 10...

technoCat wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 26, 2024 4:41 pm

tdub wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 26, 2024 1:33 pm

Thinking about All Big Sky debate of Bergen vs. Dowler caused me to do a deeper dive into punt/punt return stats this season. This part of the game has fairly quietly gone under the radar. Some CRAZY stats this season:

B. Hall: 30 punts, 1,361 yards, 45.3 average, 0 blocked
Returns against: ONLY 6 for a TOTAL of 40 yards.
Meaning on only 20% of his punts are a return even attempted, for an average of 6.7 yards. So the net yardage is 44.0.
Hall had 18 net punts inside 20 (9 at 10 yards or less), 4 touchbacks, and 8 outside 20. Only 1 ended in MSU territory (at 40). Average opponent starting field position after a punt: 18 yard line.

Opposing Punters: 71 punts, 3,023 yards, 42.6 average, 2 blocked
Taco: 44 returns (on 69 non-blocked punts), 592 yards. Taco attempted returns on 63.8% of punts for an average of 13.5 yards per return. So opponents net punt yardage (including blocks) is 33.8 yards.
Average MSU field position post-punt: 32 yard line. Only started inside 20, 12 times! Inside 10, 3 times! That is a very good reflection of Taco fielding the ball and not letting it roll.

The impact of these special teams can’t be understated! For as crazy-good the rest of the team is, these could very well be the best 2 units on the team.

I think AJ likes starting inside the 10...

I didn’t even think about that! Great catch.

Quite impressive summary you put together here. I knew we haven’t punted much, but most impressive is how well we’ve done. And then to compare to our punt return team, tremendous difference.
And we aren’t talking about our field goal kicking at all!