"Countdown To Kickoff": Special Teams
Editor's Note: This is the eighth and final installment of
an eight-part series produced by the FSU Athletics Communications
Office looking at different position groups as the Bulldogs prepare
for their 2010 season opener on Friday, Sept. 3, at
Hillsdale.
Big Rapids, Mich. - If the Bulldogs hope to experience success
this fall, an improved special teams area will likely play a major
role.
In terms of the kicking game, the Bulldogs should have one of the
conference's better place kickers in junior Shawn Snoor
(Diamondale/Holt), who handled virtually all of the kicking duties
last fall.
Snoor made six of eight field goal tries along with 14-of-15 extra
point attempts a season ago while ranking among the program's top
20 all-time single season leaders with his six made field
goals.
"Shawn's the one guy we have back on the roster with experience in
the kicking game and we expect him to be consistent and improve
again this fall," said FSU head coach Jeff
Pierce. "He's been around for a couple of years and
will be counted on to produce in terms of the special teams
area."
The 6-1 Snoor is also projected to handle the Bulldogs' punting
duties this fall with the departure of last year's punter Mitchell
Voss. Snoor punted only five times in 2009, but averaged 40.8
yards per punt.
Behind Snoor, the Bulldogs have several young kickers and punters
with little if any game experience. They include sophomores
Cody
Hillman (Holland) and Catlin Porter (Midland) along with
redshirt freshman Austin
Kantola (Ravenna). Freshman Ethan
McCarthy (Fremont) also joined the mix this fall
although it will take a strong push for anyone to unseat Snoor.
FSU should be solid in terms of long snappers as senior Brian
Bush (Coopersville) is back after being the primary
snapper for most of the past few seasons. Sophomore
Tyler
Uekman (Alpena) will be in his second season with the
Bulldogs and should serve as the backup.
The return game also figures to be solid with the return of
juniors Damien
Miller (Elsie/Ovid-Elsie) and Mike Ryan
(Howell), who have both served as return men for the past two
years. Sophomore backs Tyler
Thomas (Jackson) and Skyler
Stoker (Jackson/Grass Lake) both have the ability to
break the long return as well and could see action. Newcomer
John
Webster (Richmond, Calif./El Cerrito) is another name
who could surface as either a punt or kick returner on the
Bulldogs' special teams unit.
In terms of the punting game, the Bulldogs also have the luxury of
possibly using either quarterback Tom
Schneider (Jerome/Addison) or Stoker, both of whom
have shown the ability to kick the ball away and could force
defenses to think as FSU leaves its offense on the field.
Finally, Miller is projected to be the holder once again on kick
attempts with Ryan or Schneider perhaps other viable options.
