Davis could provide spark in return game
By JON STYF
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jstyf@daily-chronicle.com
For more NIU coverage, visit HuskieWire.com
DeKALB – It was one of those coaching moments where it’s hard to know how to react.
Early in the third quarter of Saturday’s 38-3 win over Western Michigan, Northern Illinois redshirt freshman punt returner Tommy Davis kept drifting backwards on a punt that kept soaring through a windy Huskie Stadium.
Davis lost track of where he was at, fielding the ball at the 3-yard line and making the coaching staff wonder what he was thinking.
But, as soon as he caught the ball, Davis made it around the edge of the defenders and took off for a touchdown run, only to have it called back on a holding penalty.
It wasn’t all good, it wasn’t all bad, but the end result was the Huskies starting a drive at their own 5-yard line.
“You never want a kid to catch a punt inside the 10-yard line, that’s a rule since the game was invented,” NIU coach Jerry Kill said. “He caught the ball [inside] the 5-yard line. Then he takes it the distance and you wonder, How you going to coach that?
“Fundamentally that is not a good decision and we let him know that pretty good.”
On the positive side, however, the Huskies have been looking for a kick and punt returner that can break the big play. After Saturday’s run, it looks like they found one.
“He’s one of those guys, he’s young and green and explosive,” NIU special teams coach Jay Sawvel said. “Sometimes you just have a lot of different combinations like the wind at work.
“It’s unfortunate we got the penalty because that would have been a record that would be hard to break since most people don’t field it inside the 10-yard line. When you get a 98-yard punt return, not many people are going to break that one.”
Davis didn’t see that his return wouldn’t count until he reached the end zone. At that point, it was disappointing, but he knows he’ll have more chances.
“I figured it was [called back,” Davis said. “I didn’t see anyone chasing after me.”
That might have been because of the flag, but was more likely the result of the burst of speed that Davis showed. A burst of speed that could end the Huskies’ run of four and a half seasons without a punt return touchdown.
Dan Sheldon was the last player to do it, on Oct. 2, 2004 against Akron. Michael Turner was the last Huskie to return a kickoff for a touchdown on Sept. 29, 2002 against Wake Forest.
The Huskies hope that Davis, whose father (Tommy Jr.) played running back at Iowa State, can be the guy to stop that streak.
Sawvel, who also coaches Davis in the defensive backfield, said Davis’ most important traits is his size at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds.
“He doesn’t go down with arm tackles,” Sawvel said. “We’ve always felt that we want a physical returner back there. The first guys will have a tough time getting him down.”
Davis entered the day with just nine punt return yards on four attempts, something Sawvel attributed to not having any good chances to return the ball. And after Saturday, teams might hesitate to kick the ball Davis’ way again.
“The encouraging thing and the positive thing is that we need a guy that can do that,” Kill said. “And Tommy can run.”
