Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Scouting Arkansas State: Special Teams
12/14/2017 5:00:00 PM | Football
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – If Middle Tennessee is going to snap a four-game bowl losing streak on Saturday at the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, it will have to play well in all three phases of the game. That means special teams will have to be a priority.
Arkansas State, the Blue Raiders' bowl opponent, has been susceptible to giving up big plays on special teams, but it also features one of the nation's best punt returners who can change the game in an instant.
The Red Wolves also have a pair of redshirt sophomores handling kicking and punting duties who will surely make things tough on MT's returners.
Here's more on A-State's special teams:
Punting
Net average: 40.1 yards
Punts inside 20: 23
Return average: 13.44 yards, 12th in FBS
Opponent return average: 2 yards, 3rd in FBS
Punter: R-So. Cody Grace
Best returner: Sr. Blaise Taylor
Arkansas State hasn't had to use redshirt sophomore punter Cody Grace a lot this season, thanks to a dominant offense, but when he's called upon, the Australian can be a weapon.
Grace has booted eight punts 50-plus yards this season, and 23 of his 44 punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line. He's also had 23 fair catches.
The most impressive stat about Grace's season is that teams have only returned four punts against the Red Wolves, tied with Alabama for the second fewest in the country. Returners have only managed 8 yards in those four attempts.
Grace isn't the only weapon A-State has in the punting game.
Senior defensive back Blaise Taylor has made a name for himself in four years as a punt returner, becoming the program's all-time leader in career punt return yards (1,089). He's also second all-time in the Sun Belt Conference in yards and touchdowns (four), and is currently second among NCAA active players in yards.
He isn't very big, at just 5-foot-9 and 166 pounds, but he's fearless with the ball in his hands and doesn't call for fair catches very often.
Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill said it will have to be team effort to slow down Taylor, and they'll also have to keep an eye on Grace and the Red Wolves' ability to throw a play fake in punting situations.
"Blaise Taylor is a really good returner, because he's fearless. He doesn't fair catch many, and he's hard to bring down in space," Stockstill said. "We have to do our job and make sure we don't get surprised by anything. You have to be aware for tricks and fakes, especially in bowl games."
Placekicking
Field goals: 15-21, 71.4 percent
Kicker: R-So. Sawyer Williams
Redshirt sophomore Sawyer Williams took over placekicking duties last season for Arkansas State in the Cure Bowl against UCF, adding to his kickoff assignment.
This season, Williams has been almost automatic from long and short range, nailing 4-of-5 field goals from beyond 40 yards and 7-of-7 from inside 30. However, when he's within 30-40 yards, it's almost a flip of a coin, at just 4-of-9.
Williams started the season hot, making eight of his first 10 tries through the Red Wolves' first six games. Since, he's hit 7-of-11 in five games, missing three times within 30-40 yards.
In the Sun Belt Championship against Troy, Williams connected on field goals of 26 and 28 yards, but missed from 46 and 36.
Kickoff
Return average: 18.48 yards, 112th in FBS
Opponent return average: 20.94 yards, 69th in FBS
Touchbacks: 21, T-92nd in FBS
Best returner: Fr. Jonathan Adams Jr.
Middle Tennessee better go into the game expecting to get chances to make things happen with its kickoff return.
Arkansas State kicks off a lot thanks to its high-powered offense that puts up a lot of points, and usually Williams gives opponents the chance to return those kicks.
This season, Williams has allowed 47 returns compared to just 21 touchbacks. Returners have accrued 984 yards against A-State and have scored three touchdowns, the most any team in the nation has given up.
On the opposite side, the Red Wolves have the same returning ability to gash the Blue Raiders.
Freshman Jonathan Adams Jr. has received the most returns this season for A-State with 11, though senior Chris Murray leads the way with a 24.6-yard average on seven attempts.
They haven't returned a kick for a score yet this season, but the Red Wolves do have a pair of 50-yard returns, one each from Adams Jr. and Murray. The big play ability is definitely there.
"They're really sound in the kicking game and make big plays in it," Stockstill said. "The big thing in the return game is it always comes down to doing your job fundamentally and not trying to do someone else's. That's when you get a guy running scot free and miss protection."
Arkansas State, the Blue Raiders' bowl opponent, has been susceptible to giving up big plays on special teams, but it also features one of the nation's best punt returners who can change the game in an instant.
The Red Wolves also have a pair of redshirt sophomores handling kicking and punting duties who will surely make things tough on MT's returners.
Here's more on A-State's special teams:
Punting
Net average: 40.1 yards
Punts inside 20: 23
Return average: 13.44 yards, 12th in FBS
Opponent return average: 2 yards, 3rd in FBS
Punter: R-So. Cody Grace
Best returner: Sr. Blaise Taylor
Arkansas State hasn't had to use redshirt sophomore punter Cody Grace a lot this season, thanks to a dominant offense, but when he's called upon, the Australian can be a weapon.
Grace has booted eight punts 50-plus yards this season, and 23 of his 44 punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line. He's also had 23 fair catches.
The most impressive stat about Grace's season is that teams have only returned four punts against the Red Wolves, tied with Alabama for the second fewest in the country. Returners have only managed 8 yards in those four attempts.
Grace isn't the only weapon A-State has in the punting game.
Senior defensive back Blaise Taylor has made a name for himself in four years as a punt returner, becoming the program's all-time leader in career punt return yards (1,089). He's also second all-time in the Sun Belt Conference in yards and touchdowns (four), and is currently second among NCAA active players in yards.
He isn't very big, at just 5-foot-9 and 166 pounds, but he's fearless with the ball in his hands and doesn't call for fair catches very often.
Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill said it will have to be team effort to slow down Taylor, and they'll also have to keep an eye on Grace and the Red Wolves' ability to throw a play fake in punting situations.
"Blaise Taylor is a really good returner, because he's fearless. He doesn't fair catch many, and he's hard to bring down in space," Stockstill said. "We have to do our job and make sure we don't get surprised by anything. You have to be aware for tricks and fakes, especially in bowl games."
Placekicking
Field goals: 15-21, 71.4 percent
Kicker: R-So. Sawyer Williams
Redshirt sophomore Sawyer Williams took over placekicking duties last season for Arkansas State in the Cure Bowl against UCF, adding to his kickoff assignment.
This season, Williams has been almost automatic from long and short range, nailing 4-of-5 field goals from beyond 40 yards and 7-of-7 from inside 30. However, when he's within 30-40 yards, it's almost a flip of a coin, at just 4-of-9.
Williams started the season hot, making eight of his first 10 tries through the Red Wolves' first six games. Since, he's hit 7-of-11 in five games, missing three times within 30-40 yards.
In the Sun Belt Championship against Troy, Williams connected on field goals of 26 and 28 yards, but missed from 46 and 36.
Kickoff
Return average: 18.48 yards, 112th in FBS
Opponent return average: 20.94 yards, 69th in FBS
Touchbacks: 21, T-92nd in FBS
Best returner: Fr. Jonathan Adams Jr.
Middle Tennessee better go into the game expecting to get chances to make things happen with its kickoff return.
Arkansas State kicks off a lot thanks to its high-powered offense that puts up a lot of points, and usually Williams gives opponents the chance to return those kicks.
This season, Williams has allowed 47 returns compared to just 21 touchbacks. Returners have accrued 984 yards against A-State and have scored three touchdowns, the most any team in the nation has given up.
On the opposite side, the Red Wolves have the same returning ability to gash the Blue Raiders.
Freshman Jonathan Adams Jr. has received the most returns this season for A-State with 11, though senior Chris Murray leads the way with a 24.6-yard average on seven attempts.
They haven't returned a kick for a score yet this season, but the Red Wolves do have a pair of 50-yard returns, one each from Adams Jr. and Murray. The big play ability is definitely there.
"They're really sound in the kicking game and make big plays in it," Stockstill said. "The big thing in the return game is it always comes down to doing your job fundamentally and not trying to do someone else's. That's when you get a guy running scot free and miss protection."
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