Improvement sought with kickoff returns

Posted Sep 29, 2010 by Adam Adkins

Updated Sep 29, 2010 at 08:25 PM

One area of special teams USF football coach Skip Holtz would like to see some improvement is with kickoff returns. USF currently ranks last in the Big East and 118th nationally (out of 120 FBS teams) with a 15.9 yard-per-return average.

“It starts with consistency and stability. I mean, obviously, that’s the key to any success with it,” Holtz said. “You look at it we started the season with (Dontavia) Bogan returning them, then we went to Kayvon Webster and then we’ve gone to Lindsey Lamar. Right now Lindsey Lamar is the guy I’d like to see get the nod back there with what he’s doing and we’ve just got to continue to work on our return game.”

Lamar has been the team’s best performer, averaging 29 yards on his three returns this season.

Holtz did indicate, however, that he is more concerned with starting field position than anything else. Through three games, USF’s average starting field position (on 10 returns) is its own 29, and Holtz said that isn’t too far off from what he wants.

“We’ve started with some pretty decent field position,” Holtz said. “If we can start up around the 30, 40 yard line every time, I look at that as a win.”