FSU football: 3 hidden areas Noles must improve in 2022
By Kelvin Hunt
Special Teams/Field Position
The special team’s phase of the game is the first thing Mike Norvell mentioned in his introductory press conference in December 2019.
Norvell implied how a team plays on special teams indicates how they’ll play in all phases..
He couldn’t have been more right because the Noles were not very good in several areas as a team. The lone bright spot on the special team’s unit was punter Alex Mastromanno.
The punt return unit was nonexistent, averaging 4.18 yards per return. The muffed punts and fear of catching punts cost FSU wins last year.
The kickoff return unit only averaged 20.36 yards per return. They would have been better off fair catching every kickoff since they had virtually no shot for a big return.
These sub-units of the special teams need to step up in 2022. Punt returners need to shorten the field for the offense when given the opportunity. Field goal kickers can’t leave points on the board when the offense has to settle for kicking them.
The kickoff unit has to give the offense a shorter field. The fewer yards needed to score, the higher the probability of a score happening.