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Extra detail on legwork: Badgers work to reverse slide on punt coverages

MADISON — The downward trend is unmistakable.

In Bret Bielema’s first season as University of Wisconsin head football coach, UW finished third in the Big Ten Conference in net punting with an average of 38.8 yards.

In his second season, UW slipped to sixth at 38.1 yards.

In his third season, UW slipped to eighth at 36.8 yards.

No single factor is responsible for the slip, but the UW staff is using spring practice to examine a possible solution.

Beginning with practice today, the staff is set to begin implementing a new punt-coverage scheme that has grown in popularity over the last several seasons.

The scheme differs from the traditional punt-coverage formation, which generally features two outside gunners, in that the cover men are spread out across the line of scrimmage similar to a kickoff-coverage unit.

Most teams deploy three men on each side of long-snapper, with three “personal protectors” in front of the punter.

“The big thing is it allows you to have more coverage at the point of attack,” said Bielema, who studied several teams after UW finished 7-6 last season.

Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, who works with UW’s punters and kickers, was ready to implement the scheme at Pittsburgh before joining UW’s staff last season.

“I did all the research and we were geared up and ready to go,” Partridge said. “The college rules that allow you to release on the snap, as opposed to the pro rules that you have to release on the kick, really plays into that style of punt.

“And as teams have gotten the protection ironed out over the years it is a lot more sound now and you feel good about putting something like that in.”

UW fans may recall Bowling Green used the scheme against the Badgers in the 2006 opener, Bielema’s first game as head coach.

Linebacker Jonathan Casillas took advantage of a missed assignment to block a punt and scoop up the ball in the end zone for a second-quarter touchdown to give UW the lead for good in a 35-14 victory.

Partridge acknowledged when teams began using the coverage scheme five or six seasons ago there were kinks in the system.

“When it was in its early phase I think it was simple to a fault,“ he said. ”Now there is a true system in place, which allows you to have answers for issues that come up, answers for things teams are going to do.”

UW’s punt-coverage unit struggled last season for a variety of reasons.

After getting off to a tremendous start, freshman punter Brad Nortman struggled with hang time and distance. The work of the gunners was inconsistent and too often players strayed from their coverage lanes.

UW surrendered two touchdowns on punt returns, a 60-yarder against Penn State and a 40-yarder against Cal Poly.

Those two big returns came after UW hadn’t allowed a punt return for a touchdown from 2005 through 2007, on a total of 93 returns.

“I have to do a better job teaching coverage,” Bielema said.