U kick returner: 'One of these days'

Yes, Troy Stoudermire hears it, a lot. He gets text messages from friends, and phone calls, after just about every Gophers football game:

"Man, you almost had it that time.''

Or, "Wow, just one guy to beat, again.''

Or, "How could you let the place-kicker push you out of bounds?''

Yes, Stoudermire, the Gophers starting wide receiver and resident kickoff return specialist, hears it a lot.

"And it's killing me," Stoudermire said this week, grinning. "Every week the calls. 'You almost had this, you almost had that.' Well, I just know I'm going to run a kick back all the way one of these days."

Hard to doubt that.

Through five games this season the Gophers' most consistent, most productive group has been the special teams. This even with Blake Haudan filling in as the punter after Dan Orseske took ill. This despite having a kicker, Eric Ellestad, who never had attempted a field goal in a college game before this season.

The Gophers special teams have been just that, across the board. Minnesota is in the top 22 in NCAA Division I-A in kickoff returns (14th), punt returns (ninth), punt coverage (21st) and field-goal percentage (22nd).

But the most consistently thrilling aspect of the special teams has been the kickoff returns. Stoudermire has averaged 28.2 yards on 17 returns this season, which is third in the Big Ten and No. 24 nationally. Despite that missing TD return to fill out his résumé. The one long return for a score can do wonders for an average; of the 23 players ranked ahead of Stoudermire in the national rankings, 13 have at least one TD return.

But it's coming. Stoudermire has seven kickoff returns longer than 30 yards. Against Wisconsin on Saturday he had returns of 41, 33 and 38 yards.

The Gophers' average drive start after a kickoff return is the 33.3-yard line, best in the Big Ten.

Sharing the credit

There are lots of reason for the unit's success.

Start with Stoudermire, who is good at changing direction and takes little time to reach top speed. But ask him and he'll tell you it's the guys in front of him making the blocks.

"That's where it starts," he said. "They do such a great job. I mean, I can't tell you how many times these guys have made great blocks for me. They have gained a lot of trust. Every time I catch the ball, I go full speed, because I know they'll make the blocks, the hole will be there."

The Gophers don't do anything fancy on their kickoff returns, aside from their one reverse from Stoudermire to Hayo Carpenter to start the California game. John Butler, Gophers linebackers and special teams coach, prefers to keep the scheme fairly simple and focus on execution.

"We don't try to do anything exotic,'' Butler said. "Troy is obviously a great returner, but on probably six or seven of his big returns this year he doesn't get touched until he gets to the 40-yard line."

The front line is made up of speedy players with toughness. Most are linebackers or fullbacks, such as Jon Hoese, Gary Tinsley, Spencer Reeves, Ryan Grant and Shady Salamon. The wedge is made up of bigger guys, defensive linemen or tight ends. Jay Thomas stays back with Stoudermire. He essentially is the lead blocker on the return, charged with blocking the most dangerous would-be tackler.

"The key is the repetition," Thomas said. "Everybody knows their assignment and everybody knows it well. All we stress is everybody doing their job and doing it well. And Troy is a tremendous kick returner. When everybody does their job, you see what happens."

Thinking one step ahead

There are a lot of qualities that make up a good return man. Speed, of course. The ability to change directions on a dime. Acceleration. Stoudermire has all of that. But he also has trust. Butler will call a return before the kick, directing his guys on which way the return should go. When Stoudermire catches the ball, he heads, full speed, to where the hole should be before it even opens.

"You don't see a hole and try to hit it," Stoudermire said. "You go full speed and expect it to happen. When I start running the hole is closed. It isn't there yet. But, if I keep going full speed, I know it's going to open. It usually opens then closes really fast.''

The scheme calls for the hole to open at about the 30-yard line on a kickoff that begins at or near the goal line. That gives Stoudermire 30 yards to get up to speed, 30 yards to survey the field, 30 yards to trust the hole will open.

It's after he breaks through that hole that he's mainly on his own.

And that's the next step. There have been a number of times -- too many for Stoudermire's liking -- that one final defender has made the play, kept Stoudermire from taking it all the way.

"But it's going to come, it's going to happen," he said.

Butler said it will only take a little more work. "That's an area where Troy will get better, the instinct to finish the big return," Butler said.

It will happen. This week? Purdue enters Saturday's game last in the conference in kickoff coverage, allowing an average return of 40.3 yards. Indeed, special teams is one area where, statistically, it appears the Gophers should have a big edge.

Will Stoudermire finally take one all the way? He'd better; he's getting tired of the phone calls.