Special Teams Loom Large

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's quest for football excellence, its ability to take a championship step, could come down to special teams.

Kasey Teegardin prepares for that.

He's the Hoosiers second-year special teams coach seeking to improve a unit that ranked fifth nationally in special teams efficiency last season according to ESPN.

What does that mean?

"It's development, development, development," Teegardin says.

Yes, it helps to have a field goal kicker who almost can't miss in Charles Campbell, a couple of game-altering return specialists in Reese Taylor and D.J. Matthews, and plenty of guys seeking to make their special teams mark.

But it's the little things that matter, and Teegardin pushes that hard.

"We are very heavy fundamentals and technique right now, and that is across the board. I think our punt team was one of the best in the country. Efficiency-wise, we were very good. We want to build off that.

"I want to develop depth. I've taken the 1s at times and made them the look team and made them work against the 2s and 3s, and coaching up other players. Iron sharpens iron. That has been the main focus for us.

"The other part of it is our kick return game. We didn't have a lot of opportunities last year. Technically, statistically we were a little better than we were two years ago. We returned six or seven kicks last year. That was it, opportunity-wise.

"It's techniques and fundamentals, a few scheme adjustments here and there. It's getting the depth of the players, the younger guys, bringing them along and executing at a higher level."

As far as player specifics, Teegardin is breaking in a couple of difference-making newcomers in punter James Evans and Matthews.

The 6-1, 222-pound Evans comes to IU via New Zealand. He's never played football or visited the U.S. before. A pair of trips last year were canceled because of the pandemic.

Matthews was a three-year receiver/return specialist at Florida State before joining the Hoosiers. While he projects as a slot-receiver as the likely replacement for Whop Philyor (off to NFL opportunity), he also is set play a big special teams role.

Evans trained as a punter in Australia at the same facility that produced former punter Haydon Whitehead. He is raw, but promising, Teegardin says. He also is athletic, having played rugby and squash in high school.

Evans was brought in to replace the graduated Whitehead, a Ray Guy Award semifinalist last year whose 43.4-yard punt average ranked fourth on IU's single-season list.

"It's interesting when you get a guy like that," Teegardin says. "The first time he ever wore pads was practice three. You kind of take it for granted. The dude is out there, taking his helmet off before he even gets off the field. You have to tell him, that is a penalty.

"He is very raw. He is new to a lot of this. We are having to take him day by day, step by step. He is learning a ton. This spring is so important and valuable. To get him at mid-year is a huge deal."

Another big deal is having Campbell around to help with Evans' adjustment.

"James is transitioning very well," Campbell says. "All of the specialists have really taken him in and kind of put him under our wings. He is doing really well in practice, so I am proud of him."

Getting a full dose of spring practice (something that didn't happen last year because of the pandemic) is crucial given Evans projects as the starting punter for the Sept. 4 season opener at Iowa.

"You don't have a lot of time," Teegardin say. "You can't take time to say, 'Hey, man, you can't take your helmet off before you are off the field.' He is tying his shoe and coach is calling an emergency punt. I love when Coach Allen does that, to keep everyone on their heels in the flow of the game and James is out there tying his shoe. You don't have time to tie your shoe. The play clock is running.

"It has been a learning curve for him, but he has taken everything in stride. He is a tremendous young man. He is mature for his age. He is 19. He has a big leg and we expect a lot out of him."

Then there's Matthews, whose 582 punt return yards rank 10th in Florida State history. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.

Add Taylor, an All-Big Ten punt returner last season, and Teegardin won't lack for options.

"D.J. has been phenomenal," Teegardin says. "We had two really good punt returners last year, too. We had Reese and Whop battle it out. Reese won the job and was All-Big Ten.

"D.J. has a wealth of experience and it is great to have those two battle it out."

Matthews also could help on the punt team, which is what Philyor did last year during the Wisconsin victory.

"D.J. can help us at gunner, as well, running down the field," Teegardin says. "You get a guy that has good ball skills and you can get a goal punt to hang up there on the 1-yard line. That is a game-changing type of play for us."

Then there's Campbell, who has been scary good. All he did last season was go 10-for-11 on field goals while making all 25 of his extra points.

He wants more.

"I have been working on my field-goal height and accuracy from distance. But I feel the most important piece that I have been working on in spring ball is breaking in our new holder, Chase Wyatt. I have been getting a lot of reps with him trying to get that togetherness down."

Specifically, Campbell says, that means timing.

"Chase and I are roommates, so we are very close. We normally work a lot together over the summer, so it is just getting in those live reps and getting under pressure with Chase to see if he does well, which he has done really well. That is probably about it. Everything is going very smoothly."
Besides special teams, Teegardin will coach outside linebackers after coaching the husky (a hybrid safety/linebacker) last year and safeties the two seasons before that.

He will work closely with defensive line coach Kevin Peoples, defensive graduate assistant Ben Black, safeties coach Jason Jones, and new defensive coordinator Charlton Warren, who also will coach linebackers.

"It's a lot of meeting time amongst the coaches and staff," Teegardin says. "Between us, we divvy that stuff up.

"The key is getting those guys coached up off the field if you can't get it on the field. There is a lot of coaching going on every play."

The development of the outside lines, Teegardin adds, is "exciting."

"They have been awesome and take everything in stride."

Players Mentioned

Charles Campbell

James Evans

D.J. Matthews Jr.

Whop Philyor

Reese Taylor

Haydon Whitehead

Chase Wyatt

Indiana University Athletics