Thought it might not always seem like it, special teams at Boise State extends beyond the wares and woes of placekickers. The Broncos specialize in the field position game with their coverage and return teams, and they set the tone for offense and defense with big hits and big blocks on returns. So in addition to field goal kickers, there are other players on special teams to watch. I had Drew and ce'sped azul help me identify some of them (ce'sped azul picked a kicker because he just couldn't help himself).
Kevan:
Trevor Harman
The field goal kicking gets the majority of the microscope at Boise State, but just as important is the punting. The Broncos are one of the most well-coached teams around, and any well-coached team has to know the value of field position. Punters Kyle Brotzman and Brad Elkin gave Boise State tons of W's in the field position battle over the past few seasons, and now it's Trevor Harman's turn. He could be the most important kicker on the team this year and never attempt a field goal.
Drew:
Josh Borgman
Borgman can actually hold his own at cornerback...an impressive feat for someone of his "less than ideal" size, but where he really excels is special teams. The guy is just a sight to behold on kickoff and punt cover teams. He'll sacrifice his body to blow up blockers and always seems to be where the action is. You never know if the kickers or punters will distinguish themselves, but you can count on Borgman giving it his all for the special teams cause. I think his senior year will inspire short guys everywhere. Randy Newman will remain unimpressed.
ce'sped azul:
Dan Goodale
If a redshirt freshman makes a mistake, in most cases, people will normally chalk it up to inexperience. If that player happens to be a kicker and that mistake takes place at the most inopportune time, people seem to abandon all hope. You can bet that coaches have spent extra time working with kickers this off season, and they will have improved. In my opinion, coaches showed a lack of confidence in Goodale last season. He wasn't given many field goal attempts early in the season to boost his confidence, and centering the ball to the middle of the field shows the coaches didn't like his odds of hitting from the hash. After beating out scholarship kickers Van Ginkel and Wale in successive years, and with a season under his belt, I am expecting Goodale to gain the coaches' confidence, improve over last year, and make most of his kicks. This is what we should expect from every player...to make mistakes, learn from them, bounce back and reach their potential.