Now that I've got my season tickets in my grubby little paws, it's officially almost time for some Northwestern football. God! It feels like it's been forever. Basketball and lacrosse kept my attention through June, but the malaisaic Phillies and US Soccer have left me longing for long snappers.
Speaking of which, why don't we start with the specials this time.
Special Teams and coaches after the jump.
Kicking and Screaming: Larscheid and and Howells. Words that flit through the breeze and alight upon the Wildcats kicking game. It seems we can't escape these two, so we may as well learn to love them. Yes, we may see Amado Villareal (P, PK) or Kyle Daley (P), but we shouldn't expect much from any of these.
Running (it) Back: Kick-offs may be Gerard Hamlett's only time to shine this year, if Sutton, Roberson and Jordan are all healthy. And Conteh and Shanks. Sorry Ham. The usual WR/CB punt returners are there, with Herbert and Cole in the roles of Patrick and Backes. Expect us to be in the top tier nationally in punt returning, barring injury.
Ahead of His Time: I think we all knew we'd see Pat Fitzgerald at the helm of BCS-conference team one day. And we all hoped it would be NU. Personally, I had him pencilled in to rise to Defensive Co-ordinator at Northwestern -- bringing the Cats' defense back to national attention for good reasons -- then getting tabbed as coach of another mid-range D-I team (MAC, maybe) before coming back to Evanston. Although all of that has been pushed ahead, the important thing with the season looming is this: are the guys gonna play for him? I'm sure that they will, and that a good start to the season will make him feel like a seasoned veteran by October.
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