Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Oliver Can Kick And More, But Don't Push It
September 06, 2013 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - Will Oliver will tell you with as much honesty as he can muster that he's a football player who just happens to be on scholarship as a placekicker. Maybe he's right.
For obvious reasons, most special teams coaches shudder when thinking of their kickers making tackles on kickoffs. But take a peek at Colorado's one-game statistics and see who's tied for the lead in special teams points - that's from tackles, forced fumbles, fumbles recovered, wedge breaks, etc.
The 5-11, 190-pound Oliver, no one's idea of a beast, and freshman defensive back Tedric Thompson each accumulated three special teams points in CU's 41-27 opening win over CSU. Oliver finished with two solo tackles and assisted on another. It was, ahem, a career-best hitting performance; Oliver had made one tackle in his previous two seasons. Three in one game should earn him combat pay.
Check back in mid-October and Wild Will likely - or so hopes special teams coordinator Toby Neinas - will have surrendered his perch at the top of the ST tackling chart. If that doesn't happen, let's just say the Buffs' first-game kick coverage shortcomings have gone viral. But Neinas and his boss, Mike MacIntyre, say the coverage issues - CSU had a 74-yard scoring punt return and an 84-yard kickoff return - are being addressed.
As for our kicker-turned-headhunter, Oliver concedes, "I was a little aggressive and I've been talked to about that. I think I had one (tackle) inside the 25 yard-line, which I'm not supposed to do. (Neinas) has us sprinting down the field then kind of slowing down, which I hadn't done before. I kind of jogged down the field. Sprinting down, I'm a little farther ahead of where I usually am. So when I start to break down, maybe it's a little too close . . . in case something breaks I'm the last line of defense. There's a fine line about (kickers) making tackles but you can't miss them."
In Oliver's "day job" - placekicking - he was pretty impressive, too. He opened his junior season by hitting all four of his field goal attempts and tying his career-long make with a 52-yarder that put the Buffs back in the lead (26-24) early in the fourth quarter.
Oliver had said in August camp that he believed his range had increased to 55 yards in - and last weekend's 52-yard kick had at least four or five yards to spare. "I was proud of him," Neinas said. "I thought his leg looked really live. He did a nice job preparing for the game and limiting his kicks leading up to the game, including pregame. He had an awful lot of pop in his leg."
After a productive preseason camp, Oliver entered the opener feeling "more confident, more relaxed and with much less nerves. You never know until you're out there on the field whether you have them or not. I had the usual pregame nerves, but on the 52 (yarder) I was so calm about it I was almost not prepared for it. I didn't let it catch up with me; I just trotted out on the field like we always do and then it was snap, hold, kick and done."
Simple as that.
Neinas' seasonal goal for his placekickers is to have 16-18 attempts, "and we're certainly on track for that," he added. "I don't know if we can go beyond 18, but if we can get him 18 attempts and we hit 85 percent or better we can really, really help our football team. Will will tell you he wants 100 percent on 20 attempts . . . I have to try and present it in a different light."
Oliver also was perfect on three extra point attempts and would rather see his offense present him with those opportunities on Saturday night when the Buffs open at Folsom Field against Central Arkansas (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Oliver also kicked off eight times in the opener, recording two touchbacks among those eight tries. And following Justin Castor's season-ending leg injury, Oliver likely will retain the kickoff duty permanently. With all of Sunday's kicking, Oliver admitted his right leg tired "a little bit." But also said shifting winds at Sports Authority Field at Mile High factored into at least one of his kickoffs not reaching the end zone.
"In that stadium there's different levels of wind," Oliver said. "I thought one of my (kicks) that dropped around the goal line, I thought that was one of my best kicks. And it just kind of died. Then we started to do some other stuff because we had a little coverage stuff going on. But obviously in the game you adapt on the fly and move on."
Neinas didn't mention the shifting wind, but took blame for the short kick: "(It) was probably more me than him; I was concerned about coverage for obvious reasons at that time. I said, 'Will get me a touchback here if you can.' He tried to over-hit the ball. That's a little bit me over-coaching him. But, overall, yeah, it was a great way to start."
Oliver agreed, but filed it all away almost immediately and began looking ahead. Last weekend's overall performance, he said, was merely a nice way to get started: "Obviously you want to build on everything you have. So it's a new week, new team. A lot of people will say I was four-for-four; well, going into this game it's zero-for-zero. It's only the next one that matters.
"It's good to have some success right at the beginning; it gives you something to build on. Last year I can't remember when I had my first kick or two, but it didn't come for a while. You're kind of waiting for it, kind of champing at the bit to get an opportunity. So it's nice to get out there (early) and get a chance in different situations - short, long and everything in between."
"Everything in between" could include those tackles. It's OK if he continues to make them, but isn't it better for all concerned if he's not forced to? No one minds if gets his special teams points in other ways.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
