SB Nation - Reid Forrest

102nd Apple Cup: Washington 30, Washington State 0

Grady. — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:41:08 -0000

This game also happened yesterday.

Player of the Game: Reid Forrest. Our over-utilized punter had 7 boots for 277 yards, a long of 50 and 3 kicks downed inside the 20.

Unsung Hero: Xavier Hicks. Picked off Golden Boy Jake Locker and returned it 13 yards.

It was over when... Washington RB Chris Polk dove into the end zone to make it 20-0 with 6:11 to go in the third.

Play of the Game: Well, we didn't score, so... the Hicks INT.

Stat of the Game: The Cougars were unable to get any closer to the end zone than the Huskies' 33 yard line.

Yep, Jeff Tuel is still awesome

Grady. — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:22:39 -0000

More photos » by BAHRAM MARK SOBHANI - AP

Your leaping does not intimidate Jeff Tuel

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You may be thinking after last night's 40-14 loss and two touchdown, two interception performance: "Nothing's going right!!! Even our savior Jeff Tuel isn't that good!!! What's Robb Akey's cell phone number!?!?!"

Well, hang on.

Tuel is still a big step above our other options at QB. He's no Reid Forrest, but he should still be our starting quarterback the rest of the way. Observe (best viewed in widescreen mode): [h/t cfbstats.com]

	Name	Yr	Pos	G	Att	Comp	Pct.	Yards	Yards/Att	Int	TD
1	Jeff Tuel	FR	QB	5	111	66	59.5	766	6.9	5	6
2	Marshall Lobbestael	SO	QB	6	105	49	46.7	475	4.5	5	2
3	Kevin Lopina	SR	QB	4	48	28	58.3	313	6.5	2	1

Even with a less-than-stellar performance against Notre Dame, Tuel still tops our other quarterbacks in virtually every statistical category you can think of. This, from a true freshman, whom we weren't sure had the size or the capabilities to really do anything this season but gain experience.

Plus, you can see the difference on the field. Tuel's more mobile, more accurate, and seems to have a better command of the offense than the two guys who have more experience. Plus, Tuel's numbers are even more impressive when you consider the teams he's played (USC, Oregon, ASU, Cal, ND) versus those Lopinastael have played (Stanford, Hawai'i, SMU). Seriously, though: four out of the five teams JT's played are currently ranked!

Now, before you get too excited about the final three games, remember that Notre Dame's pass defense is awful (105th coming into last night's game - 8.2 YPA allowed), and one would've hoped that Tuel would've torn it to shreds. Still, Tuel gets to face an even worse Washington pass defense (109th, 8.4 YPA allowed) and a mediocre Oregon State pass defense (58th, 6.8 YPAA) before the season is out. Arizona and UCLA are better (both 34th before yesterday's action), so don't expect a breakout performance in either of those.

Still, Jeff Tuel is a promising young QB. One of the few good reasons left to watch the remainder of the Cougar football season.

When it comes to the Heisman, one man stands above the rest

Dancing Football — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:18:17 -0000

A few days ago, my fellow author Nuss wrote this cute little post proclaiming Reid Forrest to be "better than your punter." Now we all know that Nuss writes eleventy billion posts a day in hopes that one will stick, and the problem is some of those posts show a lack of research and analysis that you, the readers, expect from CougCenter.

But I digress. The reason I'm taking Nuss to task on this is not because he was wrong. It is true, Reid Forrest is better than your punter. Seriously though, is that really an amazing revelation? That is similar to saying "water is wet."

I want to take it a little further. Reid Forrest is not only the best punter in the land, he is the best PLAYER in the land.

What's that you say? What about Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, or even that receiver from Notre Dame that sounds like he is out of a fairy tale? Sure, those players are great. They are just not even close to the level of great that Reid Forrest possesses. For instance, check out this chart:

Now if Reid Forrest's perfect score of 100 in the "awesomeness" category does not impress you, then there is something wrong with you. If there is something wrong with you, I will offer up this next table of statistics, which will show you exactly how much better Reid is than the rest of those no-talent clowns. The statistic is something I like to call "Rated Effectiveness of Individual Duty" or REID. The statistic measures how many yards from scrimmage the player gains on average when they are involved in the play. Basically the average of their runs, throws, and receptions. Here is the data:

Player	REID
Reid Forrest	15.0
Tim Tebow	6.42
Colt McCoy	6.10
Golden Tate	14.04

Reid is the clear winner in REID, with Golden Tate coming in a close second. I know what you are thinking, but I'm trying not to be a homer here. In fact, I set out to write this post to convince Coug Nation that Reid Forrest is not a viable Heisman candidate. After looking at the information available, I realized it would be impossible to argue that point.

Some may scoff at Forrest's REID number. "SMALL SAMPLE SIZE," they will shout. It's no use arguing with these people. They are so backwards in their thinking that debating with them will only drive them further from reality. The statistics I have tabulated above are flawless. That fact isn't made any less true because some guy left his caps lock on while typing.

Even with all this concrete evidence backing up Reid Forrest's Heisman resume, we must realize that the voters are not convinced on statistics alone. Each winner needs that special game-changing moment. Eric Crouch stumbling on a long touchdown run, Reggie Bush with an unbelievable move against Fresno State, and Ron Dayne eating 42 hot dogs in one sitting. These moments are the stuff of legend.

Reid Forrest has that moment. In WSU's lone victory, this play was so vital to the outcome, it can easily be argued that without Reid's help, victory would have been impossible. I am talking about his expert work as the holder on Nico Grasu's game winner in OT versus SMU. Without the precise spot, the laces out, the complete disregard for that natural instinct to flinch, that play would have never happened and Coug fans would be suffering through a horrific 0-fer season.

In some years, there is much debate over who should win the Heisman trophy. This is not one of those years. Washington State Punter/Holder/Running Back, Reid Forrest, has blown away all competition. His numbers are perfect and his awesomeness is outmatched. He is without peer among College Football players.

Reid Forrest for Heisman.

Poll

Who do you think should win the Heisman Trophy?

Reid Forrest.

86 votes

I'm an idiot, have no common sense, and am inclined to believe someone else should win.

33 votes

119 votes | Poll has closed

Our punter is better than your punter

Nuss — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

We never get tired of using this photo. Can your team's punter do this? Didn't think so!

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The battle within the battle (if you can call a 49-17 whipping a "battle") yesterday was between the assumed best punter in the Pac-10 -- Cal's Bryan Anger was second team all-conference a year ago behind a senior on the first team -- and the actual best punter in the conference, our very own Reid Forrest.

Forrest clearly won that showdown yesterday, with seven punts for a 42.9 average with three of them downed inside the 20, a long of 53 yards, and no touchbacks. Anger, by contrast, had four punts for an average of 39.2, a long of 47 with none inside the 20 and no touchbacks.

However, a Cal commenter had to come over and try to throw a wet blanket over the festivities by saying that the best punter he'd seen this year was not Anger or Forrest, but UCLA's Jeff Locke. We haven't seen UCLA yet this year, so I initially scoffed at the notion that anyone could be a better give-the-ball-back-to-the-other-team kicker than our own champion of punting.

Here's what the numbers say:

PUNTING	No.	Yards	Avg	Long	TB	FC	I20	50+	Rushing average
Reid Forrest	49	2145	43.8	65	2	11	14	8	15.0
Jeff Locke	35	1626	46.5	81	5	8	12	n/a	0.0
Bryan Anger	36	1499	41.6	72	3	11	11	n/a	0.0

To quickly summarize: Forrest has punted way more than these other two, yet has fewer touchbacks; he's tied for the lead in punts inside the 20, despite an offense that rarely approaches midfield; has eight more punts of 50+ yards than Locke and Anger -- hey, it's not Reid's fault their team's sites don't track that; and he's got a greater rushing average.

Yes, Locke is good. But the conclusion is simple.

Our teams punter is better than your team's punter.

California 49, Washington State 17

Grady. — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:32:46 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Jeff Tuel: the reason you no longer regret buying that #10 replica jersey during the Doba era.

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First, and most importantly:

For those of you who may not know: on our weekly CougCenter podcast, yours truly predicted a 49-17 Golden Bear win last Tuesday. Today, it came true. So take that, world! I can predict stuff!

Other correct predictions from the podcast:
-The Cougs would score over 14 points
-Best wouldn't top 200 yards rushing (I mentioned I could see both Best and Vereen doing it combined, which they did)
-WSU would force less than two turnovers (had one INT)

So, when you need accurate predictions on things that are absolutely meaningless in the bigger picture of life, don't be afraid to hit me up.

Now that my self-righteous streak is over, let's talk about how we got to that conclusion.

Once again, the Cougs started out a football game by unraveling quickly. California's Jeremy Ross took a Patrick Rooney opening kickoff 54 yards back to the WSU 29. Two plays later Kevin Riley found Jahvid Best for a touchdown pass (Really - you couldn't just let him run it in? You have to toy with us in the passing game too?). 7-0 Bears.

The Cougs went three-and-out on their first possession, setting up Riley for another touchdown drive. The conclusion of this one was a 37-yard pass to Marvin Jones. Following yet another three-and-out, Jeremy Ross took a Reid Forrest punt 79 yards to the house. Just like that, it was 21-0 in favor of Cal with little over eight minutes remaining. In the first quarter.

Following a nice Cougar drive and a Grasu field goal, Cal would score twice more. Kevin Riley, clearly intent on having a career day, found Shane Vereen for another passing TD. Later, Jahvid Best would break a 61-yard run in the second quarter to put Cal in control, 35-3. Another barnstorming of the Washington State Cougars had begun.

Thankfully, that was the end of Cal's fireworks. Jeff Tuel would find his new big play receiver, Johnny Forzani, for 68 yards and a score. In the two-minute drill, Tuel was phenomenal orchestrating the offense on a drive that would result in a 19 yard Gino Simone touchdown. The Cougs actually arrived at the half with some momentum, now trailing 35-17.

The second half was a decidedly different tale, but with a similar outcome. In other words, it was a low scoring affair with the scales still tipped in Cal's advantage. Riley's 61 yard pass to Ross would set up a Jahvid Best rushing touchdown, capping an 89 yard backbreaker of a drive. Cal led 42-17 at that point, and would add a Shane Vereen touch in the fourth to bring about the final score. Despite some effective play from Jeff Tuel and the Cougar offense, WSU would fail to score in the game's final thirty minutes.

Player of the Game: It has to be Jeff Tuel. Our true freshman quarterback had a career day: 354 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, on a 28 out of 42 performance. He's showing maturity already at a position where we desperately need it. I know Cal fans aren't the biggest fans of their defense, but this was an excellent performance regardless of the conference opponent.

Play of the Game: For the second straight game, it's a Jeff Tuel to Johnny Forzani strike. This one went for 68 yards and a touchdown - small potatoes compared to the 99 yard pass play against ASU - but impressive nonetheless. Forzani has an obscene 39.7 yards per catch average this season (over 7 receptions). Yet another reason why I love Canadians.

It was over when... You could go with the Best breakaway to make it 35-3, but Tuel gave the Cougars just enough hope that Best's next touchdown was the real backbreaker. That was the two yard run to cap an 89 yard drive, and put the Golden Bears up 42-17 with 11:07 to play in the third.

Stat of the Game: WSU had 13 penalties for 114 yards. Even in a losing season, with a lack of talent on both sides of the ball, the one thing a football team has full control over is its discipline. And the Cougars certainly didn't show it on this day, getting flagged six more times and for 54 more yards than the opposing team. In a game where the Cougars were only outgained 559-440 in total yards, penalties, special teams and defensive miscues kept Wazzu from making this a contest. And it's a shame that it wasn't.

POSTGAME THREAD: Again, we ask -- success?

Nuss — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:08:32 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

I suppose it's progress that our defender is actually in the picture ...

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Once again, there are reasons to be excited.

Jeff Tuel has his first 300 yard passing game, completing 28 of 41 attempts for 354 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That's a shiny 68 percent and 8.6 yards per attempt -- easily season highs for any Cougar quarterback. Johnny Forzani was responsible for 116 of those yards, including 68 on another long touchdown catch and run. Jeffrey Solomon had seven catches, and Gino Simone and Jared Karstetter each had six.

And yet, once again, there are reasons to be skeptical.

Coming off a week in which it generated six turnovers, the defense showed what will happen if it only gets one, giving up 49 points -- 35 of them in the first half. Jahvid Best ran all over the place again, gaining 158 yards on the ground. That, sadly, was actually less than half of Cal's rushing total of 322 yards. With the running game going again, Kevin Riley looked like an all-Pac-10 passer -- 11 of 17, 213 yards, three touchdowns (and one pick).

The total damage? Just 557 yards.

Beyond that, special teams had a flashback to week one, giving up a 54-yard return on the opening kickoff and also a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown. There were kickoffs out of bounds, there was a missed field goal. (Reid Forrest, however showed who the best punter in the Pac-10 is -- take that, Brian Anger!)

So, I once again ask you.

Success?

Poll

How would you describe today's game?

Unmitigated success

0 votes

Positive step in the right direction

97 votes

Neutral

59 votes

Negative step in the wrong direction

16 votes

Unmitigated disaster

8 votes

180 votes | Poll has closed

SECOND QUARTER GRADES: Special Teams

Dancing Football — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

SUPERSTAR!

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Grade: C-

First Quarter Grade: C

Stats:

Punting	No.	Yards	Avg.	Long	TB	FC	I20	50+	Blkd
Reid Forrest	25	1072	42.88	65	0	5	5	2	0

Placekicking	FG M/A	Long	XP M/A
Nico Grasu	0/1	N/A	2/4

Kickoffs	No.	Yards	Avg.	TB	OB
Nico Grasu	7	371	53.0	0	0

Kick Returns	No.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long
Marcus Richmond	6	99	16.5	0	25
Carl Winston	5	68	13.6	0	24
Daniel Simmons	3	75	25.0	0	33
Chris Prummer	1	8	8.0	0	8

Punt Returns	No.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long
Gino Simone	3	27	9.0	0	19
Jeffrey Solomon	2	3	1.5	0	3

Comments: Reid Forrest is our shining star. He was Grady's first half MVP, he is the best punter in the Pac 10 and one of the top in the country. He does it all, from booming 50+ punts to change field position, to pinning opponents deep in their own territory with precision, to leading the team in rushing for a single game. If the grade was only up to him he would get an A++++++.

Too bad there are other special teams units too. Kickoffs coverage has done alright. Grasu's kickoff average is brought down by an onside kick against USC. Kickoff returns have been atrocious. Averaging less than twenty yards per return is not going to cut it. The Cougar offense struggles to move down the field and it doesn't help when they to consistently start deep in their own territory.

Apparently the kickoff duties have worn Grasu out when it comes to putting the ball through the uprights. Nico made just 2 out of 4 extra point attempts in the second quarter and missed his only field goal attempt. These are small sample sizes, but extra points should rarely be missed. If someone has the leg to get it there, there is huge margin for error. These missed kicks have been extremely disheartening. Most notably against USC, where Jeff Tuel led the Cougs on clock-eating drive late in the first half only to have Nico shank the field goal try. If the Cougs are going to upset someone in the second half of the season, Nico needs to make good on every opportunity he gets.

What can be improved: Make field goals and extra points. Make more plays in the return game.

Reid Forrest for Heisman.

Poll

Judge them.

A

3 votes

B

6 votes

C

6 votes

D

9 votes

F

2 votes

26 votes | Poll has closed

AUDIO: CougCenter Podcast, Episode 9

Nuss — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:33:48 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

Don't grimace, Reid! You're Grady's first half MVP!

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Podcast time! Table of contents:

Opening - Was Saturday's loss to ASU a positive step in the right direction?
8:40 - Biggest positives and negatives from the first half of the season?
12:55 - MVP of the first half?
16:30 - About that Pac-10 officiating ...
22:30 - Hoops!
29:45 - Games of the week/upset specials

As usual you can listen to the audio via the player below, or visit our podcast page for myriad subscription options. You can also find us in the iTunes directory under keyword "CougCenter." The advantage of subscribing? Besides having the audio directly delivered to your player of choice, I often upload the audio to the podcast site before posting it here.

Apparently, Podbean is having issues again. (This is kind of getting old.) If the streamer won't work, try this player.

Arizona State 27, Washington State 14

Grady. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:44:03 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

Washington State head coach Paul Wulff, left, warmly embraces the most hated man in Idaho, Dennis Erickson, after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. Arizona State won 27-14. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

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A few steps forward. A few steps back.

In the end, this game played out the way most of us expected. Two anemic offenses and one stellar defense giving us an ugly game, but also a closer game than we're used to seeing. As one would expect, the stellar defense won out. ASU was too much to handle, with Vontaze Burfict, Mike Nixon, and co. dominating this game from the opening snap. The Cougs faced one of the best rushing defenses in the country, and boy did it show - between numerous tackles for losses, broken plays and sacks, the Cougars ended up with negative 54 yards rushing. Negative 54.

The Cougars had their opportunities in the first half, but failed to capitalize. Reid Forrest's fake punt conversion for a first down brought some life to the offense, but no points following a Jeff Tuel interception. ASU had three turnovers in the first 30 minutes, but the Cougars couldn't convert even one of those into a score. Tuel struggled under pressure: the Devils had six sacks in the first half, and forced their fair share of hurries and bad decisions which led to Tuel's two picks. Marshall Lobbestael brought some brief stability to the Cougar offense in relief, but a fumble by Daniel Blackledge - on a catch that should have resulted in a first down deep in ASU territory - ended the threat. ASU sealed the half by running their two-minute offense to perfection. The result was a 13-0 halftime deficit that had to make the Cougars feel like banging their heads against a wall.

The second half saw improvement, but not immediately. ASU made a huge gain on a reverse to set up a nine yard touchdown run that left WSU back against the ropes. It took some turnovers - the Cougs forced six total - and the re-emergence of Jeff Tuel to get the Cougs back into it. Andy Mattingly's interception deep in ASU territory was the big break Wazzu needed. It set up Tuel's first TD, which wasn't exactly a thing of beauty. Intended for Daniel Blackledge - who was, at least in this writer's opinion, being interfered with - the ball came up short and into the opportunistic hands of Jared Karstetter, who made a beautiful adjustment for the six. That fired up both sides of the ball, and the Cougars were back in business down 19-7.

Then, the blunder. For most of the game, Reid Forrest had been rolling out to make rugby style kicks, like he used to do at the start of his career. Earlier in the game, though, he found a seam and was able to convert a first down that gave the Cougars some much-needed momentum. Yet again, in the second half, it looked for a moment like Forrest had a seam to the outside. But Arizona State wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. They stayed at home, and Forrest booted the ball out of desperation past the line of scrimmage. The result was a penalty that gave ASU exceptional field position. Field position that was converted into a Cameron Marshall TD run and a way-too-easy two-point conversion. 27-7.

Still, the Cougs weren't done. Although for a moment it looked like things were getting worse. A kickoff was fumbled out of bounds at the five, followed up immediately by a near-safety (and another play for a loss). That's when Wulff made a bold play call that would re-write the WSU record books. Jeff Tuel stepped back in his own end zone, and fired off a bullet to Johnny Forzani in single coverage. Forzani broke free, and the rest, literally, was history. 99 yards later Tuel had converted his first huge play as a Cougar. 27-14 after the PAT from Grasu.

But the ASU defense didn't bend from there, stuffing the Cougar offense on their remaining drives in the game. ASU's running game awoke to run out the clock, and that was it.

The Cougs had forced six turnovers, but committed four of their own. They made big plays on defense, but failed to prevent the struggling ASU quarterbacks from reaching the end zone. The Cougar offense was horrible: 181 total yards, numerous losses and penalties, but also 99 on one play and two passing touchdowns from our QB of the future. It was a game with a lot of positives, but a lot of negatives as well.

The best thing I can say is that this game definitely gives us something to build on. The defense made key plays, tackled well and only let one big play - the reverse - burn them. The offense struggled in the first half but Jeff Tuel's benching woke him up to the tune of two passing touchdowns and a play that cements his place in the WSU record book (as well as the NCAA, since you can't have a longer pass play than 99 yards).

Player of the Game: Louis Bland. It's tempting to go with Tuel, or Karstetter, but the only fireworks from the offense came in the second half. The Cougar defense came to play the whole game, and with Bland's eight tackles, one interception, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble, he was the anchor of a revitalized squad. I understand the ASU offense is bad, but you don't force six turnovers by accident. Bland, Mattingly, Long and the defensive backfield kept both the run and pass in check for the majority of this game, with only receiver Kyle Williams burning us for big numbers. I saw numerous plays today that would have been big gains or touchdowns last year. Now, the defense is covering their gaps, running down ball carriers, and keeping things in front of them. It's a noticeable improvement, and credit Bland as the centerpiece today.

Unsung hero: Jared Karstetter. The adjustment he made to catch the third quarter touchdown was huge. Furthermore, he continues to be the security blanket for the quarterbacks that Jeshua Anderson couldn't be. Tonight, he grabbed four balls for forty-five yards and made himself an available target for Jeff Tuel throughout the game. Now if only Tuel had the pass protection to get it to him.

Play of the Game: The longest pass play in school history, Jeff Tuel to Johnny Forzani for 99 yards and a TD. I always feel better about the Paul Wulff era when I remember that it's mostly his recruits making the big plays and giving us some hope for the future.

B.S. Call of the Game: Oh, there were many. Mostly against us, but a couple against ASU too. There were many penalties in general, deserved or not. But the offensive pass interference call on Daniel Blackledge was completely nonsensical. Not to mention a momentum killer.

It was over when... Cameron Marshall ran 10 yards for an ASU touchdown with 12:25 to play; following the botched fake punt.

Stat of the Game: WSU forced six turnovers. And we still lost. Probably because of the four turnovers of our own, making for ten (!) total. Although, that -54 rushing yards stat still makes me cringe.

If you haven't voted in Nuss' poll below yet, do it. My vote is that it was a positive step in the right direction, but I'm interested to know what the rest of Coug Nation thinks. Of course you're always welcome to expand on your thoughts in the comments.

Enjoy the bye week - only six days until Midnight Mayhem.

FIRST QUARTER GRADES: Special Teams

Dancing Football — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:07:40 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

We would prefer to see less of these poses from Nico for the rest of the year. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)

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GRADE: C

STATS:

Punting	No.	Yds.	Avg.	Long	TB	FC	I20	50+	Blkd
Reid Forrest	17	773	45.5	64	2	4	6	5	0

Placekicking	FG M/A	Long	XP M/A
Nico Grasu	5-7	44	6/6

Kickoffs	Total	Yards	Avg,	TB	OB
Patrick Rooney	9	534	59.3	0	1
Nico Grasu	5	344	68.8	3	0

Kick Returns	No.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long
James Montgomery	7	168	24.0	O	38
Marcus Richmond	3	67	22.3	0	31
Aire Justin	2	32	16.0	0	19
Brandon Jones	2	28	14	0	19
Total	14	295	21.1	0	38
Opponents	10	301	30.1	1	85

Punt Returns	No.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Long
Jeffrey Solomon	1	21	21.0	0	21
Brandon Jones	1	3	3.0	0	3
Total	2	24	12.0	0	21
Opponent	7	73	10.4	0	59

COMMENTS: Aside from the stellar play from Reid Forrest at punter (who would be that kid in the group doing all the work while the other kids slack off), special teams has been somewhat schizophrenic this year. This is due in part to some personnel shifts and in part to some sloppy play. Placekicking, the return game, and kickoffs have been horrific at times, but at other times they have shown flashes of competence.

Nico Grasu turned in what will be one of the plays of the year when he split the uprights from 39 yards out to lift the Cougs over SMU last Saturday. Of course, that final kick would not have been necessary had there not been a botched snap on an earlier extra point try, or if Grasu could have hit a field goal from the same distance earlier in the game. While Grasu is the best placekicker the Cougs have had since Drew Dunning, he still has his lapses, like the 22 yard miss against Stanford.

Success in the return game has boiled down to who has been bringing the ball back. Corners Brandon Jones and Aire Justin struggled mightily in that position, making poor decisions and failing to show that ability to make the first guy miss. Running backs James Montgomery and Marcus Richmond have faired much better. With Montgomery out for the season, lets hope Richmond takes over the kick returning duties.

Kickoffs got off to a very poor start in the first few games. Kickoff "specialist" Patrick Rooney struggled to get the ball beyond the ten yard line, let alone in the endzone. The coverage has also left something to desire, as the opposition is averaging over thirty yards per return. Nico Grasu provided some hope against SMU, as he was able to knock three kicks into the endzone. If he continues that, it could mask some of the depth issues the Cougs have shown on special teams.

HOW THIS GRADE CAN BE IMPROVED: I fully expect improvement out of the special teams going forward. Wulff seems to have realized that his cornerbacks are not effective kick returners, and hopefully we will see guys that are used to having the ball in there hands back there. Nico Grasu provides instant improvement in the kickoff game. Reid Forrest should keep being awesome. Many special teams mistakes can be improved if the Cougs avoid mental lapses, like missing assignments. This unit has real potential to earn an "A" in the second quarter of the season.