Still the weak link and not improving through 6 games. The fumble on the opening kickoff set the tone for an overall bad day. Still probably would have lost, but there's no reason for ST to be this bad halfway through the season.
It really defies reason. It's not like Brian Polian was some charity case scrub at ND when he coached ST there, and seemingly did it well. Yet week after week, as soon as the ST unit hits the field on Saturday, it's as if it's the first time they've touched a football all week. It's not like Malik Nabers and Jack Bech have no idea how to catch a football. Something is just wrong, and I can't put my finger on it.
LSU has just been on the wrong side of random chance when it comes to special teams. Hopefully it balances out in the second half of the season
Seemingly, we have people who can’t field kicks and Abe trouble deciding whether they should fair catch it, bring out and/or return it. I saw three errors by Beck today that I recall off the top of my head. Fumble, bringing out a kick where he should have fair caught it (automatic 25 yard line) and then fair catching when he had plenty of room to run. Those latter two mistakes cost offensive field position to start drives (but maybe that wouldn’t have even mattered).
Bech should have let the opening kickoff go. It was near the sideline and likely would have bounced out of bounds anyway, drawing penalty and a re-kick.
I agree. I think he's touched the ball so little that he wants to make a play any chance he gets, but he should have definitely let that one go. I'm sure being on national television and having millions of people watching also made him a little nervous too.
I just listened to the BK presser and all that was said about it was that the kick was left short and Bech didn’t get to it in time. Of course, I’m pretty sure I saw BK heatedly in his ear after the play.
If our first 11 on both offense and defense have shortfalls, which they do, it is really unreasonable to expect special teams to be cranking like a well oiled machine. Someone mentioned the other day that the special teams problems reflect lack of scholarship players. Assuming that is true (I have no inside knowledge) it makes sense, but worse, that makes significant improvement this year unlikely!
From what I read and a few others saw, the coaches including BK, signaled for Beche to move over while kick was midair. Of course by time he got there, ball was in his face and he didnt have time to make a decision. Shame BK didnt fess up.