Dukes' Special Teams Special This Postseason

The Dukes extended their lead to 28-0 on Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs when Bryce Maginley scooped and scored on teammate Adam Smith’s blocked punt.

It was Madison’s second special teams touchdown of the game — Rashard Davis had a 72-yard punt return for a score late in the first quarter.

In total, JMU has three special teams touchdowns in the postseason and seven through all of 2016.

“A lot of people may overlook special teams, but it’s one of the biggest teams on the field,” Davis said. “We look at special teams for a momentum booster and when we get it, we keep feeding off of it.”

First-year JMU coach Mike Houston said his special team units have improved week after week as he and his coaching staff have pledged to carve out time daily at practice to address the different phases — punt, punt return, kickoff, kickoff return and field goal.

Additionally, Houston has a 30- to 40-minute block during each Sunday practice that is completely dedicated to special teams.

Davis was the Special Teams Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association, and as a team the Dukes top the country in punt-return yardage and are 14th in net punting.

“I think if you look back at my teams at The Citadel and Lenoir-Rhyne, consistently we played much better on special teams as the season went on every year,” Houston said. “And one of the things that I feel strongly about is our Sunday nights. It’s a 30-40 minute deal of fundamentals.

“We’re working on the fundamentals of drops and blocks on kickoff and kickoff return. We’re working on taking the ball off the punter’s foot. It’s a whole circuit of drills where every specific special teams unit has their set of fundamental drills within the circuit.”

JMU can allocate time to work fundamentals because the schemes Houston and his staff have implemented aren’t overly complicated.

Houston said all of his special teams schemes come from University of Pittsburgh special teams coordinator Andre Powell.

Houston and Powell first met when Powell was recruiting North Carolina high schools when Houston coached at T.C. Roberson in Asheville, N.C.

“My guess would be that when teams look at us, they say, ‘Wow this is the simplest special teams we’ve ever faced,’” Powell said. “We try to be the best in the country at the basics.”

Entering bowl season, Pitt leads FBS in kickoff-return yards and is fifth in punt returns.

“I don’t think you win with cute schemes,” Powell said. “You win by executing, effort and not turning the ball over or creating penalties. The schemes that we have haven’t changed much in the last 12 years.”

Pitt, like JMU, benefits from a dynamic playmaker too.

Panthers’ returner Quadree Henderson has three kickoff-return touchdowns and a punt-return score this season. JMU’s Davis has four punt-return touchdowns.

Powell said those basics of his scheme can shine with great talent.

“You have to have a guy,” Powell said. “There’s a huge difference between a punt returner and punt catcher.”

Houston he has very good talent on special teams from Davis on down.

“We have a lot of guys that can run and that’s key for special teams,” Houston said.

Platooned or backup defensive players like Maginley, Smith, Robert Carter Jr., Kyree Hawkins, Curtis Oliver and Jimmy Moreland are all used.

Moreland was the lead blocker on all four of Davis’ punt-return touchdowns.

“When you have a special guy and then you have the guys that believe in what you’re doing and that push to get better every single week, then that’s how you end up with four punt returns for touchdowns and back-to-back special teams scores in a big game,” Houston added.

On top of the blocked punt for a score, Davis’ punt-return TD and Brandon Ravenel’s kickoff return for a touchdown against New Hampshire in the second round, the Dukes have also executed a fake field goal and had their long snapper Brett Siegel recover a fumble in the postseason.

But perhaps the toughest task for Houston’s special teams is still to come on Friday when the Dukes meet top-seeded North Dakota State at the FargoDome in the national semifinals.

North Dakota State hasn’t allowed a punt-return yard all year and Bison return man Darrius Shepherd has a punt-return touchdown of his own.

NDSU coach Chris Klieman has taken notice of JMU’s special teams.

“We won’t change, but we’ll emphasize more,” Klieman said. “Their special teams have been dynamite.

“They’ve faked punts. They’ve faked field goals. They’ve returned kicks for touchdowns. They’ve blocked punts. They’ve done everything well on specials teams, which is the sign of a good football team.”