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Tide Special Teams: Kickers Are Under the Radar Good

Alabama Special Teams have made one big blunder thus far, but the kicker and punter have been pretty solid.

By CB969
/ new
Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Cincinnati v Alabama
James Burnip #86 and Will Reichard #16 make a solid duo for the Crimson Tide.
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

After two weeks of play, there is so much to talk about regarding Alabama football. One aspect of the Crimson Tide not covered much has been the kicking game.

Following the Utah State game in Week 1, Nick Saban mentioned in his press conference that the Special Teams needed improvement. He was surely talking about the fourth quarter blocked punt because to these eyes the kickers have been solid.

VERSUS TEXAS

PUNTING

James Burnip had 6 punts for 249 yards with an average of 41.5 yards. Future NFL player Xavier Worthy could not get much going in the return game. Three boots left the Longhorns inside the 20. Two had fair catches.

  1. 4th & 25 at ALA 34, (9:47 - 2nd) punt for 50 yards, Xavier Worthy returns for a loss of 1 yard to the Texas 15.
  2. 4th & 3 at TEX 48 (4:35 - 2nd) 33 yard punt out-of-bounds at the Texas 15.
  3. 4th & 7 at ALA 48 (1:40 - 2nd) punt for 40 yds, fair catch by Xavier Worthy at the Texas 12.
  4. 4th & 17 at ALA 14 (11:40 - 3rd) punt for 42 yds, fair catch by Xavier Worthy at the Texas 44.
  5. 4th & 7 at ALA 4 (9:39 - 3rd) punt for 44 yds , Xavier Worthy returns for 9 yds to the Alab 39.
  6. 4th & 2 at ALA 33 (3:42 - 3rd) punt for 40 yds , Xavier Worthy returns for 2 yds to the Texas 29.

* Burnip’s one successful punt against Utah State traveled 51 yards and forced a fair catch.

PLACEKICKING

Will Reichard was cool as ice going 2-for-2 in field goals in Austin.

  1. On the opening drive of the game, the FOX announcers assumed Alabama would send out the punt t for the first score of the game.
  2. Down by two points with 15 ticks left in the game, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian tried to ice the Bama kicker with a timeout. But Reichard was having none of that. He took the freebie “warm-up” kick and nailed it. Following the timeout, he repeated the effort with an identically perfect 33-yarder and the game winner.

* Both extra points were right down the middle.

KICKOFFS

  1. After the first field goal: kick lands 8 yards deep in the end zone to the receiver’s far right for a touchback.
  2. Following Jase McClellan’s first quarter 81 yard touchdown run: 6 yards deep in the end zone to the far right for a touchback.
  3. Start of the second half: fielded one yard deep in the end zone to the far right, returned to the Texas 15.
  4. After Jahmyr Gibbs’s 7 yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter: far right out of the back of the end zone.
  5. After the 33-yard field goal: Fielded 3-4 yards deep, far right and returned to the 24.

UPDATE

The Alabama hate is REAL.

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