Capstonians, over the past several months, we have all had the opportunity to witness a great college football team. In fact, the 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide team could be one of the greatest.
The offense is balanced perfectly. Led by an experienced offensive line, the running attack is one of the fiercest in the country. After seven weeks, Trent Richardson has finally surfaced as a legitimate Heisman contender, leading the SEC in rushing yards and touchdowns.
AJ McCarron is improving each week. The sophomore from Mobile has not thrown an interception since his first start, and has distributed the ball well to an array of capable receivers. What McCarron has lacked in big plays downfield, he has compensated with smart decisions and keen game management. Tight ends Brad Smelley and Michael Williams have emerged as genuine receiving threats to go along with their hard-wearing downfield blocking.
Alabama’s defense is nothing short of exceptional. Dont’a Hightower and Mark Barron lead a defense that is top five nationally in every major defensive category, leading as the number one total defense. Scouts have compared them to an NFL defense and at least seven are guaranteed to go in next year’s draft. Many analysts and football “experts” are already claiming them as possibly the greatest defense in college football history.
After a quick glance, this Alabama team appears to be flawless. I am here to tell you, Capstonians, that there is one glaring flaw on the Alabama football team: kicking and punting.
A good punter is not something one notices when watching a dominant team. For starters, Alabama hasn’t required the service of a punter nearly as much as most teams. Nobody has been capable of stopping the Alabama offense, thus rendering a punter useless. However, Cody Mandell has blown every opportunity he has been given to prove himself as a serviceable punter.
In 2010, Mandell averaged 39.2 yards a punt, ranking the team 91st in the country in total punting. Mandell has shockingly digressed since last football season. The Tide is currently ranking 88th in the country in punting with a disappointing 38.8 yards per punt in 2011.
Meanwhile, Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley lead the Tide’s kicking unit. Foster, known for being a strong kicker, is Alabama’s kickoff specialist. This “big leg” is ranked 98th in the country in touchbacks, amassing a grand total of one in 2011. He is also averaging 62.4 yards per kick, moving him into the top 80. Perhaps Foster’s greatest contribution can be found in kickoff coverage where he has already totaled 5 solo tackles. My suggestion is to keep him on kickoff, just find someone else to kick the football.
Shelley is an average short-range field goal kicker. He makes more than he misses, but lacks the strong leg a team needs in a kicker. The fact that he has yet to attempt a kick longer than 40 yards is a strong enough indicator that the Tide is weak in the kicking department.
While this may seem like nitpicking at the moment, the numbers don’t lie. Alabama is a poor kicking team. It may not be an issue now, but there will be a time when the Tide needs to pin the LSU Tigers deep on their own side of the field and the punter won’t get it done. There will be a time when an Auburn player returns a kick to midfield when Alabama desperately needs a touchback. One big play can make a difference in a game and a season – why not do everything you can to prevent it?
Alabama is one of the few teams in the country that consistently offers a scholarship to a kicker each year. Why not give the backup punter, who is on scholarship, an opportunity to show what he can do?
An open tryout should not be out of the question. Surely one of the 30,000 students on this campus can punt the ball farther than 40 yards. Until the current players show better results, there is no reason why any student shouldn’t be given an opportunity to punt or kick.
While an open-tryout may not be feasible at this point in the year, special teams improvement should be a top priority in the offseason. In 2009, Alabama was able to win many close games on their way to a national championship. PJ Fitzgerald was a top 20 punter, and Leigh Tiffin was considered by many to be the nation’s top kicker.
Special teams does matter. It is disappointing to see such a talented team struggle with such a crucial aspect of the game.
This Alabama team is capable of being remembered as one of the greatest teams ever. I would hate to see this team’s legacy destroyed because there wasn’t a stronger emphasis put on kicking and punting.
Jake Gray is a senior majoring in economics and journalism. His column runs on Tuesdays.
