Scouting Miami: Special Teams

Travis Benjamin is a dangerous return man for Miami.

Special teams is always a key part of every game. Facing the speedy returners of Miami, the Bulls coverage teams will have to be at their best and make sure no one breaks a long return and changes the outcome of the game. Here are the special teams players for Miami.

Kickers

Junior Jake Wieclaw (6-2 200-pounds) is the starting kicker. He has connected on 8 of 10 field goals this season. He has a long of 43 yards and has had one kick blocked. He is also the kick-off specialist. Wieclaw has kicked off 55 times, averaging 65.2 yards a kick-off. Lamar will have a hard time returning kicks from him during the game, making the battle for field position that much harder for the Bulls.

Freshman Matt Goudis (6-0 160-pounds) is the reserve kicker.

Sophomore Dalton Botts (6-3 198-pounds) is the starting punter. He has punted the ball 39 times so far, averaging 41.9 yards a kick (slightly better average than JBK). He has a long of 58 yards and has dropped 7 kicks inside the opponents 20-yard line. Whoever returns punts for the Bulls, will have to be back deep to field anything from him. Wieclaw is the back-up punter.

Returners

The top punt returner for Miami is senior wide receiver Travis Benjamin (5-10 175-pounds). He has returned 10 punts for 103 yards, including a long of 44 yards. He has quick feet and can make his cuts fast, so USF (which is good in covering up returns) will have corral him quickly and get him down before he can get up field. Benjamin botched a punt return against FSU last week, so hopefully he duplicates that again.

Benjamin is also the top kick return man, returning 22 kicks for 533 yards, including a long of 54 yards (Kloss, keep it away from him please). Sophomore running back Lamar Miller (5-11 212-pounds) has returned 6 for 142 yards, so watch out for him as well.