LEXINGTON, Va. - Throughout fall camp, VMI Athletics will do a Q&A session with the offensive and defensive position groups in addition to special teams.
Today's report is on the status of the specialists and how they are preparing for the Idaho State season opener this Saturday.
First-year Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
Edgar Weiser provides his thoughts on Fall Camp and how the specialists are coming along. Junior kicker
Jack Joyce and senior All-America punter
Ben Shrewsbury also provide insight below.
Special Teams Coach Edgar Weiser
- Teams hate to use the punter because it means the drive stalled, but how does it comfort you as the Special Teams Coach to know you have one of the best punters in the country in Ben Shrewsbury?
Our team is very fortunate to have Ben as our punter. He is a great player, and a great person with a strong work ethic and passion for punting. It's not always a bad thing to have to punt. Punting can be a great asset in the battle of field position throughout the game.
- We have a great kicker in Jack Joyce who has a proven ability of sending kick-offs to the back of the end zone for a touchback. What does it bring to the team to have a reliable kicker?
It means a lot to a team. Again, getting back to the issue of field position….. We want the opposing offenses to have to go as far as possible to score after they possess the ball. Having the ability to get touchbacks will make opposing offenses have to go a long way to score.
- Who will handle field goal and extra point duties this season? How has he progressed throughout the spring, summer and Fall Camp?
Jack Joyce will handle the field goal and extra point duties. He has made great strides since the spring. He has had a strong camp and we look forward to him having a productive season.
- Who will be our long snapper and how is he performing at camp?
Zander Atwell and Cam Clinton are handling the long snapping duties. They have done a good job during camp.
- How are we looking as a unit on kick-offs and punt coverage teams? On the flip-side, how are we coming along as a kick return unit and punt return unit?
The main thing is there is great buy in from the coaching staff and players. Coach Ingram and our Offensive Coordinator,
Brent Thompson, and Defensive Coordinator
Jared Backus, have been excellent to work with in terms of use of personnel, practice time, and meeting time. The coaching staff is all new and we are installing all our schemes for the first time to this team. The players have been great to work with and coach. We have looked good on our coverage teams so far. We know the ultimate test is on Saturdays in the fall, and I think the players look forward to the challenge and opportunity. In the return game, we expect
Halim Hardnett and
Aslin Shipe to be key contributors.
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The Specialists Speak
You have a proven ability of sending kick-offs to the back of the end zone for a touchback. What does it bring to the team to have a reliable kick-off guy?
Joyce: Touchbacks take the pressure off the coverage team and stop the opportunity for a big return. This also puts our defense in a better position on the field. My goal this year is to stay consistent and become a reliable asset to the team.
Who will be our long snapper and how is he performing at camp?
Joyce: Zander Atwell, a true freshman, will be our snapper this season and has been performing well at camp. Adjusting to the demands of college football is challenging on its own, but doing so while navigating the rigors of Hell Week and the Ratline at VMI makes that transition even tougher. Despite these obstacles, I have no doubt that he will persevere and perform well this season.
Teams hate to use the punter because it means the drive stalled, but how do you rise to the occasion to do your job as the punter whether it's to flip the field or to pin the opponent deep in their own territory?
Shrewsbury: I think of punting as another play in football where it's not just one play but has a chain effect. If I can effectively hit a good punt, then I put our defense in a much better spot to make a stop and keep the other team from scoring. Alternatively, a bad punt puts our defense in a tough spot to make a hard stop.
