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The University of Utah Athletics
Spring Football Notes: The Special Teams
3/23/2010 12:00 AM | Football
March 23, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY -
Strengths: Kicker, Punter
Questions: Punt Returns
Last year, the prevailing question on special teams was if there was life after Louie Sakoda. Sakoda, who started all four years of his career, won first-team All-America honors at both kicker (consensus) and punter.
The question this year is whether placekicker Joe Phillips and punter Sean Sellwood will become Utah's next All-Americans. In his first season, Phillips led the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (.909) by making 20-of-22 field goal attempts. His 20 made field goals is the second-best season total in school history. Another season like that should earn Phillips more than the honorable mention all-league honors he garnered in 2009.
Also earning honorable mention recognition was Sellwood, who as a redshirt freshman averaged 42.9 yards and placed 19 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Handling the kickoffs for the first year is redshirt freshman Nick Marsh--also the backup placekicker and punter. Patrick Greene returns at snapper, where he started last year, and Sellwood will hold for his second year.
One area where the Utes expect to continue their recent improvement is on punt returns. Shaky Smithson took over in the last few games of 2009 and averaged 9.5 yards per return to finish fourth in the league. When Smithson returns from injury in the fall, he will get first shot at the job. For the spring, Brandon Burton is No. 1, followed closely by redshirt freshman Griffin McNabb.
On kickoff returns, Smithson led the Utes a year ago and, as with punt returns, expects to resume his starting post. He'll likely be joined by DeVonte Christopher, his partner on the No. 1 team in 2009. McNabb and Burton will get a chance to show their skills here as well this spring, with Smithson out.
Players Mentioned
DB
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WR
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SN
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K/P
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P/K
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