Conference USA First Team transfer CB Beanie Bishop Commits

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Replacement Gopher said:
I’m more obsessed with letting punts bounce and not even trying to at least fair catch them.
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Yeah, this is the bigger issue.

I'm totally OK with being as risk-averse as possible with punt returns. Fleck doesn't seem to like our PR having to track punts and then catch them, which I get. That's the most common muffed punt. That said, if we aren't going to return them, why not just put two PR back so neither of them have to track punts very far.
 

Word said:
It's a strange obsession for some.
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The only obsession is making the team better. A strong kicking game includes a strong return game. To have that makes the team better.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Yeah, this is the bigger issue.

I'm totally OK with being as risk-averse as possible with punt returns. Fleck doesn't seem to like our PR having to track punts and then catch them, which I get. That's the most common muffed punt. That said, if we aren't going to return them, why not just put two PR back so neither of them have to track punts very far.
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I’ve wondered the same thing. Fleck also doesn’t go for a blocked punt very often. If he isn’t returning and not blocking, he could probably put three punt receivers in.
 

Just as most of you suggested. tOSU is now topping Texas and offering offensive linemen $100,000 . What will Alabama offer?
 

Not to pour water on this, but this kid ink'ed to WKU in 2018. Who was the head coach?
 



Is "Committed" the right word here, or is it "Signed"? (to use the lingo of high school recruiting)

When a player comes from the portal I thought they just sign transfer papers / enroll in classes and that's that. Or is there a "National Transfer Signing Day" I'm not aware of?
 





Dakota2 said:
Explain why a strong return game is detrimental.
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A kicking game and a return game are independent things. You stated they are dependent on each other.

If you want to say that strong special teams includes the return game, that would be a true statement.
 


Dakota2 said:
Explain why a strong return game is detrimental.
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I never said it was.

You said a strong kicking game includes a strong return game. It doesn't. They are completely independent.
 

matt said:
A kicking game and a return game are independent things. You stated they are dependent on each other.

If you want to say that strong special teams includes the return game, that would be a true statement.
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Then you have to get into what defines a strong return game. I'd guess that is where Dakota and PJ disagree. Actually, it would be Dakota and PJ, Saban, Ryan Day, and a slew of other coaches disagree.

My entire point in this entire debate is that the Gophers' method is not an anomaly. I can understand arguments for and against being more or less aggressive in the return game. However, it appears to be a coached decision that many coaches are making (many coaches disagree too).
 



matt said:
A kicking game and a return game are independent things. You stated they are dependent on each other.

If you want to say that strong special teams includes the return game, that would be a true statement.
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Ok, your dispute is with my wording. Fair enough and your point is correct. So I take it then that you are not opposed to developing a strong return game?
 

Excited to have an all conference corner join the Gophers. With Bishop, Stapp, Walley all of the young guys we are going to see the Gophers be D-back U again! They are going to excellent on the backside of the defense, and the boat is going for a full throttle motor.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Then you have to get into what defines a strong return game. I'd guess that is where Dakota and PJ disagree. Actually, it would be Dakota and PJ, Saban, Ryan Day, and a slew of other coaches disagree.

My entire point in this entire debate is that the Gophers' method is not an anomaly. I can understand arguments for and against being more or less aggressive in the return game. However, it appears to be a coached decision that many coaches are making (many coaches disagree too).
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PJ made a point when Ryan Stapp signed that he might be a part of improving the return game. Sounded like he is not satisfied with where we have been.

Someone posted stats some time back showing The OSU as running back the most kickoffs in the conference this year for the highest average. Is Ryan Day really adverse to returning kicks? Hard to believe with the caliber athletes Saban has every year that he is philosophically opposed to kick returns.

And I do believe fair catching at the 10 or 15 is unusual and perhaps even an anomaly.
 

There is nothing "elite" about the current Gopher kicking game, either when we're kicking it or receiving it. I would welcome a punt returner that strikes fear into opponents, and for good reason.

Our KO specialist might be an exception.
 

Dakota2 said:
Ok, your dispute is with my wording. Fair enough and your point is correct. So I take it then that you are not opposed to developing a strong return game?
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Of course not. I would love to see the return game improve. The two easiest fixes I see to improve our :

1. Put two punt returners back there so that we don’t let any bounce and roll 15 yards.

2. Return and do not “fair catch” any kickoffs that are ahead of the 10 yard line. Odds are likely that those can be returned to the 25 or better on average. This wasn’t much of an issue this year, but last year I remember we did a fair catch at around the 20 yard line. You could literally catch it, stumble forward, and go down without being touched and improve the field position.

Hopefully Stapp and Bishop can be playmakers in the return game.
 

USAF said:
There is nothing "elite" about the current Gopher kicking game, either when we're kicking it or receiving it. I would welcome a punt returner that strikes fear into opponents, and for good reason.

Our KO specialist might be an exception.
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Dragan Kesich is absolutey elite. His kickoffs are not returnable. The goal of every coach in America is to have a guy who kicks into the end zone to avoid run backs.

When a kick is not run back because it is too deep, or if the receiving team is dumb enough to fair catch a short kickoff, that is always a plus for the kicking team.
 

Nice to see PJF working the portal and getting some depth @ the CB position.
 

matt said:
Of course not. I would love to see the return game improve. The two easiest fixes I see to improve our :

1. Put two punt returners back there so that we don’t let any bounce and roll 15 yards.

2. Return and do not “fair catch” any kickoffs that are ahead of the 10 yard line. Odds are likely that those can be returned to the 25 or better on average. This wasn’t much of an issue this year, but last year I remember we did a fair catch at around the 20 yard line. You could literally catch it, stumble forward, and go down without being touched and improve the field position.

Hopefully Stapp and Bishop can be playmakers in the return game.
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It was definitely an issue this year. We fair caught many very short kickoffs simply because that was the play called ahead of time and no return was on regardless of where it was caught.

In the Ohio State game OSU had only one flaw. Their guy could not kick it remotely close to the end zone all night. We gave up 40-50 yards of field position by fair catching. We had one run back when he kicked a knuckler that was rolling around at the three when Bucky wisely scooped it an flew along the sideline out to the 30.
 

matt said:
Of course not. I would love to see the return game improve. The two easiest fixes I see to improve our :

1. Put two punt returners back there so that we don’t let any bounce and roll 15 yards.

2. Return and do not “fair catch” any kickoffs that are ahead of the 10 yard line. Odds are likely that those can be returned to the 25 or better on average. This wasn’t much of an issue this year, but last year I remember we did a fair catch at around the 20 yard line. You could literally catch it, stumble forward, and go down without being touched and improve the field position.

Hopefully Stapp and Bishop can be playmakers in the return game.
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What if those shorter kicks are higher, thus allowing the defenders more time to get down field? I just want trusted return guys that consistently field the ball and have the green light to use their judgment on whether to return it or fair catch it. Maybe with a decent lead or something you can go ahead and pre call a fair catch if you want, but otherwise let the return guy make the call. I’d also like to see more block attempts.
 

matt said:
Of course not. I would love to see the return game improve. The two easiest fixes I see to improve our :

1. Put two punt returners back there so that we don’t let any bounce and roll 15 yards.

2. Return and do not “fair catch” any kickoffs that are ahead of the 10 yard line. Odds are likely that those can be returned to the 25 or better on average. This wasn’t much of an issue this year, but last year I remember we did a fair catch at around the 20 yard line. You could literally catch it, stumble forward, and go down without being touched and improve the field position.

Hopefully Stapp and Bishop can be playmakers in the return game.
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The only thing I would add to this is time on the clock. If there is a need for time savings, a fair catch is the way to go. Returns take 5-10 seconds or more off the clock that maybe could be used for point generation...
 

How in the flying f' did this thread morph into another kick return argument. Obsession.
 

fmlizard said:
Is "Committed" the right word here, or is it "Signed"? (to use the lingo of high school recruiting)

When a player comes from the portal I thought they just sign transfer papers / enroll in classes and that's that. Or is there a "National Transfer Signing Day" I'm not aware of?
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Interestingly in one of the Bowl games,, the announcers made mention that one of dee backs was on the portal but decided NOT to let his brothers down and was playing. First that I have heard of a portal player still playing with original team.
 

Seems like a great pickup, he ran an unofficial 4.29 40 at WKU.

So if my math is correct he has 2 years of eligibility remaining. He redshirted in 2018 plus an extra covid year.
 

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