6A — Thursday, October 12, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Grading Michigan’s special teams unit through five games

New punters. New kickers. 

New returners. New everything.

Special teams coordinator 

Chris Partridge has had a lot 
on his plate this year, which 
has been a big change from 
last season when just two 
players handled all of the 
responsibilities.

Former 
Wolverine 
Kenny 

Allen used to command all 
three kicking duties (kickoffs, 
punts and field goals), and 
former linebacker and Heisman 
finalist Jabrill 
Peppers 
used 

to line up for 
every punt and 
kick return.

But Allen and 

Peppers 
have 

left Ann Arbor, 
and new players 
had to step in. 
Partridge 
had 

to modify and 
rework 
the 

starters in the first few games, 
but it seems like the depth chart 
is now finalized.

With midterm season in full 

swing at the University, here 
are our grades for Michigan 
football’s 
different 
special 

teams groups. 

Kickoffs
Redshirt junior kicker James 

Foug owns this spot. Now in 
his fourth year on the team, 
Foug has solidified his role as 
Michigan’s starting kicker. He’s 
got a strong leg — about two-
thirds of his kickoffs go for 
touchbacks — and Partridge has 
taken notice.

“He’s 
developed 

tremendously,” Partridge said. 
“He’s a guy who last year was 
just 
behind 
Kenny 
(Allen). 

It was close, but we had the 
experience of Kenny so we went 
with him.

“But James had a great year 

this year, and he’s doing a great 
job of putting the ball up there 

high and giving our kickoff 
team a nice advantage there.”

Partridge noted that Foug 

worked all summer to give his 
kicks a longer hang time.

It’s paying off.
Grade: A

Punting
The punter position hasn’t 

been as steady for Michigan.

Redshirt freshman Will Hart 

punted in the first three games 
against 
Florida, 
Cincinnati 

and Air Force, averaging 37.9 
yards per punt. To put that in 
perspective, 
Allen 
averaged 

43.3 
yards 
per 

punt last year.

Hart 
was 

subbed 
out 
for 

freshman 
Brad 

Robbins 
at 
the 

start of the Big 
Ten season, and 
so Robbins seems 
to have the upper 
hand so far.

Robbins’ 

punts 
average 

42.6 yards — just shorter than 
Allen’s. He also displayed his 
good catching ability in the 
rainy game against Michigan 
State, a rivalry game that has 
a recent history of punters 
making crucial mistakes.

Partridge said that the “sky 

is the limit” for Robbins and 
that the true freshman has done 
everything they’ve asked of him 
so far.

While both Hart and Robbins 

have seen a few whiffed punts 
skim off the side of their foot, 
there have been no major 
miscues.

Grade: B

Field goal
The field goal unit has been 

spot on.

Redshirt 
freshman 
kicker 

Quinn Nordin has converted 86 
percent of his field goals, and 
his only two misses came in the 
season opener against Florida.

The 
group 
consists 
of 

Nordin, 
fifth-year 
senior 

holder Garrett Moores and 
redshirt freshman long snapper 
Cameron Cheeseman. The trio 
played a big part in getting the 
Wolverines 
through 
games 

early in the season and may be 
called upon again.

Grade: A+

Punt return
Freshman receiver Donovan 

Peoples-Jones is gutsy, and it 
almost cost him the starting 
punt returner job.

Since a few questionable 

fair-catch 
decisions 
against 

Cincinnati, Peoples-Jones has 
been solid. He returned a punt 
for a touchdown against Air 
Force, and the coaches continue 
to express their faith in his 
ability.

“You haven’t seen the last 

of (Peoples-Jones) in the end 

zone,” Partridge said. “He’s 
getting really comfortable back 
there. I think we’ll have some 
big plays out of him coming 
forward.”

As a returner, Peoples-Jones 

is fearless. Partridge said that 
he has a great ability to track 
the ball, catch it and then make 
one or two defenders miss.

“And he’s big, so he can 

run through those tackles,” 
Partridge said. “He’s fast, so he 
can break open when he makes 
them miss.”

Grade: B+

Kick return
Sophomore receiver Kekoa 

Crawford started the season as 
Michigan’s lead kick returner, 
but freshman defensive back 
Ambry Thomas took over for 
Crawford 
against 
Michigan 

State last weekend.

Thomas returned one kick for 

30 yards against the Spartans, 
almost breaking loose for a 
bigger gain.

“Ambry’s ready,” Partridge 

said. “He’s ready to go back 
there now. He’s explosive, he’s 
fast, he’s fearless. Really excited 
about him.”

The kickoff return blocking 

is one area Partridge thinks 
needs to improve. Even if only 
one player misses his block, 
opponents can make the tackle. 
That’s the difference between 
a 30-yard kick return and a 
touchdown.

If the blocking improves, 

Partridge expects Thomas — 
or whoever returns the kicks 
— to break one through for a 
touchdown soon.

Grade: B-

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Redshirt freshman kicker Quinn Nordin continues to excel for the Wolverines, as he has now converted on 12 of his 14 field goal attempts through five games.

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

You haven’t 

seen the last of 
(Peoples-Jones) 
in the end zone.

BY THE NUMBERS

Michigan’s special teams

42.6

Yards per punt for freshman Brad 

Robbins through the last two games.

86

Percent of field goals converted 

by redshirt freshman kicker Quinn 

Nordin.

33.6

Punt-return yards per game for 

freshman Donovan Peoples-Jones.

