Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

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sarvicdar
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Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

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Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

In the post game interview Graham didn't sound happy.

"All week we practice kicking the ball away from BSU star returner and for whatever reason we didn't during the game," Graham said. "That's 7 points on the long kickoff return and two other long returns that set up two touchdowns."

His voice didn't say the obvious, but his eyes wanted to throw someone under the bus.

A quick look at the charts shows that Hawaii is ranked at 105 and 123 in the FBS in allowing punt and kickoff yardage.

If that's not back breaking enough this is, for twice during the Boise game the Hawaii kickoff returner takes the ball at the goal line (I think one was even 2 yards deep) only to bring the ball back to the 13 and 18 yard lines. During this time I am listening to BC on the radio going absolutely ballistic, and vows (his mantra being why not take the ball at the 25) ... to bring this up during the coaches show Wednesday evening. I don't blame him.

It's just seems like the special team's play has let the team down and those two kickoff return fumbles to start the season may have been a precursor of things to come. There are other points to dwell on but for now I want to look at the special teams coach.

Dan Philips coached with Graham at Rice in 2006 and held the same title as he currently holds with Hawaii-Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line. When Graham took the head coaching job at Tulsa in 2007, Philips wasn't coveted for a job and instead spent the next six years coaching at the high school level. When Graham got the job at ASU, Philips was hired as analyst between 2013-2017. When Graham was fired Philips was back coaching at the high school level. It seems to me that Philip's resume of coaching experience of 27 years is sandwiched between riding on Graham's coat tails and coaching at the high school level. And of those 27 years of coaching I only see four of those years where Philips was actually coaching a unit-(2003-2005 at Tulsa w/Graham as DC, 2006 at Rice w/Graham as HC).

It would seem to me there has to be better candidates for the special teams coaching job. The red flag I see is that if Philip's body of work as a coach at the FBS level during 2003-2006 was coveted, then there wouldn't be a 14 year gap between his next job as an assistant at the FBS level. I go back to the Wyoming game when the punt returner fielded a punt at the 3 yard line, where simple basic coaching says let the ball go into the end zone for a chance at a touchback. But no. Hawaii's uncoached player catches the ball instead. It's sloppiness like this that keeps adding up that may prove that the special teams has a shortfall in coaching.

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Re: Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

Post by shrek2 »

Let's not forget the kickoff returns caught and returned in the end zone and near the end zone not getting back to the 25 yard line. With a physically superior BSU team, they need to think a little harder to be competitive.

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Re: Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

Post by My3Cats »

My additional beef is the last UH kickoff where Boise had everyone up close because they were expecting an onside kick, and Hawaii's kicker put it in the end zone. Why didn't they pooch kick it over the medium-deep man's head instead? That's a live ball that they would have had a chance to recover and give their offense a short field. But nooooooooooo. Give the ball to Boise at the 25 yard line and run out the clock.
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Re: Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

Post by BigWave96744 »

99 yard TD Kickoff Return
Punt for 46 yards, returned 34, led to TD in 2 plays
Punt for 43 yards, returned for 36, lead to TD in 3 plays

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Re: Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

Post by RedZone »

Yep coach. That is your special teams. Your responsibility. Pretty bad in my opinion. Time for an overhaul.
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Re: Graham Said His Special Teams Gave Up 21 Points To BSU

Post by BigWave96744 »

Got to setup Dior Scott for punt returns

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