Alabama’s special teams not playing so special

TUSCALOOSA — A special start to the season for Alabama could be threatened if lackluster special teams play continues.

Alabama’s huge 31-0 halftime lead over then-No. 3 Georgia dwindled thanks to some dramatics in the kicking game.

“The special team errors in the game were huge, monumental, in terms of field position and allowing the other team to get back into the game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.

z— P.J. Fitzgerald had a punt partially blocked, setting up a Georgia touchdown late in the third quarter.

z Prince Miller returned Fitzgerald’s next punt 92 yards for a touchdown.

z A 41-yard kickoff return set up Georgia’s next score.

z The Bulldogs then recovered the onside kick and scored again to make it 41-30.

Saban stressed that there isn’t a common thread to the errors.

“They are all things that are correctable,” the coach added. “Two weeks in a row we have made mental errors in punt protection. ... This week it cost us a blocked punt.

“Kickoff coverage has been good sometimes and bad sometimes. We need to fix that.”

Kentucky leads the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 38.5 yards per return. Last week, Kentucky’s Derrick Locke returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown against Western Kentucky. Alabama surrendered a kick return for a touchdown to Clemson and has been spotty in kickoff coverage.

“In punt protection, we have one guy that has not blocked the right guy two weeks in a row — and he is the guy who calls who’s blocking who. So that is a hard one for me to understand,” Saban said, referring to Baron Huber.

The coach said he saw at least two penalties that weren’t called on Georgia’s long punt return for a touchdown.

He also noted Alabama’s return teams have cooled off simply because teams are kicking away from Javier Arenas.

“People are not kicking the ball to (No.) 28,” the coach said. “They don’t do it on kickoffs, but our drive start has been good. In other words, they are squib kicking all the time and sky kicking and we’re getting the ball in good field position. ... On punt return, they don’t kick the ball to the guy.”

Arenas said the value of special teams can’t be overlooked.

“Special teams sets the momentum,” the junior return specialist and cornerback said. “So it’s a huge momentum shift to us not having that. ... We just gotta get it together, play like we know how to play.”

Roy Upchurch, who plays on several special teams units, winced when asked about the breakdowns.

“I believe last year we had more experienced guys who really understood it,” Upchurch said. “This year guys are really trying to grow into it and that is the biggest problem. But we can do it.”

Upchurch said the problems aren’t major.

“Yeah, just little bitty things that you have to get corrected,” he said. “Just spaces where you are supposed to fit.”

Nick Walker of Brundidge rolled his eyes when his special teams nightmare came up. Walker missed the onside kick that Georgia recovered. He said he didn’t use his usual technique for recovering the kick.

“The way I catch it at practice I always catch it with my hands, basically trying to protect it like this,” he said, gestures like he was doing a bicep curl. “Something knocked it out from under me. It got away from me.”

Walker said Alabama practices its “hands team” kicks at least three days a week.

“Coach didn’t rip me that bad about it,” Walker said. “He told me do what I’ve been doing, like I do at practice. Use my hands. I just figured if I could haul it in and fall to the ground and I’d be all right. And I kinda didn’t haul it in.”