Hardy

[GregInPitt]

I'm having a hard time getting over the fact that Hardy was a lightning quick returning in high school at Penn Hills and it took almost 5 years for the staff to give him a chance at returning punts at PSU. And in those 5 years PSU has not had a dynamic punt returner on the field. Yes, competent returners. Not no one that struck fear into an opponents special teams game planning. Maybe Dotson.

Any comments on who PSU's best punt returner has been the last 5 years and how that returner compared with the one game phenom that Hardy seems to be?

Penn Hills grad, Penn State Swiss Army knife Daequan Hardy ‘bringing it back to the old days’ with 2-touchdown game

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — James Franklin and Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith watched from field level as Daequan Hardy commanded all three...

www.post-gazette.com

 

[PSU Soupy]

Dotson was good and Parker Washington was pretty good.

Hardy was real surprise to me as to his effectiveness.

 

[GregInPitt]

Dotson was good and Parker Washington was pretty good.

Hardy was real surprise to me as to his effectiveness.

Did Washington have more than one return for a TD? I remember him being very sure handed, and remember Franklin stating that he wanted a sure handed returner (as if he didn't really have confidence in the other candidates)....

 

[BOSCO2]

We played UMass. What Hardy did was special, but it was UMass. Saunders came damn close to running one back too.

 

[bcspsu]

We played UMass. What Hardy did was special, but it was UMass. Saunders came damn close to running one back too.

I just was going to say that. Hopefully, his punt returns make a difference this weekend in a game that could go a long way to getting this team to the playoffs.

 

[GregInPitt]

We played UMass. What Hardy did was special, but it was UMass. Saunders came damn close to running one back too.

Yes Saunders did look better against UMass. I took that as he just watched Hardy take it to the house and that he better get with it or he will be out of a job, as Saunders has seemed to fair catch some punts where it looked as if he had a chance for a return. Maybe that was what he was told to do. Saunders was pretty sure handed the first 5 games other than the muff in the rain, but he really didn't come close to breaking one even though he faced his own share of medeocre teams including Deleware and Northwestern.

So I'm hoping that Hardy is now the first team punt returner with Saunders backing him up. Any increased chances for splash plays against the meat of PSU's schedule could end up the difference in the tougher games.

 

[tboyer]

Couple things:

-- Long punt returns are rare against big time opponents so staffs don't spend much time on it. 95% of the emphasis is on just catching the ball securely (or letting it go if it's dangerous to try to catch it).

-- Umass punts were short and low-trajectory so perfect for returns -- but PSU will not see another punter like that this year.

-- If Hardy had never been the punt returner before, there were reasons -- such as he was less secure catching the ball in practice. Or maybe he had trouble with the communication part -- returner is kind of like a QB back there.

Maybe they thought Umass was a good opportunity to try him out because if he muffed one, the team was in no danger of losing the game.

 

[Obliviax]

I think CJF values mistake-free punt returns. while he fumbled one, Saunders is remarkably quiet fielding punts. He just seems to catch everything and very smoothly.

CJF was laughing his ass off and declined to relay what he told Hardy after one of his TD returns. I think CJ liked it because it is now something tOSU has to account for and potentially distract. But I wouldn't be surprised to see him back there is we are looking for a big return (accepting a higher risk).

 

[mgkpsu]

Saunders has not been good in either direction (fair catches and returns) this season, and seems to lack both confidence and explosiveness, so I was pleasantly surprised to see someone else get a shot.

Saunders did have a good one later in the game on Saturday, but could be do it again against a different team?

 

[Obliviax]

Saunders has not been good in either direction (fair catches and returns) this season, and seems to lack both confidence and explosiveness, so I was pleasantly surprised to see someone else get a shot.

Saunders did have a good one later in the game on Saturday, but could be do it again against a different team?

I disagree. He's been great on Fair Catches.

 

[voltz99]

I'm having a hard time getting over the fact that Hardy was a lightning quick returning in high school at Penn Hills and it took almost 5 years for the staff to give him a chance at returning punts at PSU. And in those 5 years PSU has not had a dynamic punt returner on the field. Yes, competent returners. Not no one that struck fear into an opponents special teams game planning. Maybe Dotson.

Any comments on who PSU's best punt returner has been the last 5 years and how that returner compared with the one game phenom that Hardy seems to be?

Penn Hills grad, Penn State Swiss Army knife Daequan Hardy ‘bringing it back to the old days’ with 2-touchdown game

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — James Franklin and Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith watched from field level as Daequan Hardy commanded all three...

www.post-gazette.com

Which recruits were not great in high school?

 

[LemonEars]

Did Washington have more than one return for a TD? I remember him being very sure handed, and remember Franklin stating that he wanted a sure handed returner (as if he didn't really have confidence in the other candidates)....

Washington never played against UMass. He might have had 3 punt returns for TDs.

 

[mgkpsu]

I disagree. He's been great on Fair Catches.

Very first punt in the West Virginia game he fair caught it at the 5 with the closest defender at the 14. Let that bounce or try to make a guy miss, but the whole crowd reacted negatively to what he did. And that's just one example, but illustrates what I described.

 

[GregInPitt]

Which recruits were not great in high school?

No idea what you are talking about.

 

[GregInPitt]

Washington never played against UMass. He might have had 3 punt returns for TDs.

And Hardy might have had 4 punt return TDs had he played against ohio.

And/or Hardy may have had a punt return TD against any of the other 12 teams PSU played in 2022.

Or a 30+ yard return in any of the games that Saunders fair caught returnable punts this season.

We'll never know, but the fact that Hardy has 2 in 1 game puts him ahead of any punt returner in PSU history. And I can remember seeing Gary Hayman back in the day who I thought was the best I had seen at PSU.....

Gary Hayman - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hayman, at Penn State University, led the country in 1973 in punt return average (19.2 yard average, on 23 returns for 442 yards). He averaged 19.7 yards every time he touched the ball. Against North Carolina State he had an 83-yard punt return.

 

[Psubiomed]

Shhhhhh....there just might be an offensive package for 25 this weekend...

 

[Safety Blitz]

Give me the guy who makes good decisions and has great hands, even if he only averages a couple yards per return.
Perhaps Hardy is that guy. I haven’t seen enough to know, but the coaches who make those decisions certainly do.

 

[voltz99]

I'm having a hard time getting over the fact that Hardy was a lightning quick returning in high school at Penn Hills and it took almost 5 years for the staff to give him a chance at returning punts at PSU. And in those 5 years PSU has not had a dynamic punt returner on the field. Yes, competent returners. Not no one that struck fear into an opponents special teams game planning. Maybe Dotson.

Any comments on who PSU's best punt returner has been the last 5 years and how that returner compared with the one game phenom that Hardy seems to be?

Penn Hills grad, Penn State Swiss Army knife Daequan Hardy ‘bringing it back to the old days’ with 2-touchdown game

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — James Franklin and Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith watched from field level as Daequan Hardy commanded all three...

www.post-gazette.com

It took you 5 years and a week to figure it out.

 

[Psubiomed]

Give me the guy who makes good decisions and has great hands, even if he only averages a couple yards per return.
Perhaps Hardy is that guy. I haven’t seen enough to know, but the coaches who make those decisions certainly do.

There's no empirical evidence to suggest Hardy isn't reliable while Saunders is: We so far have Saunders with a muff that we flukishly recovered while we have Hardy with 2 touchdowns

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

Dotson was good and Parker Washington was pretty good.

Hardy was real surprise to me as to his effectiveness.

Parker was good? Please.

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

Give me the guy who makes good decisions and has great hands, even if he only averages a couple yards per return.
Perhaps Hardy is that guy. I haven’t seen enough to know, but the coaches who make those decisions certainly do.

Whats the point of a message board if you just respond to everything with coach knows best?

 

[GregInPitt]

It took you 5 years and a week to figure it out.

In general, there is nothing "to figure out" in the majority of your posts that seem to respond to imaginary posts.

Nothing much to figure out. I saw Hardy in high school and he was dynamic with the ball in his hands against good competition. And since I haven't see practices, don't know if the staff even tried him as a punt returner, how would anyone here know what or why Hardy never saw the field as a returner at PSU.

Like most of your responses, they make little sense.

 

[Safety Blitz]

Whats the point of a message board if you just respond to everything with coach knows best?

My point was made clear in the first paragraph. The second paragraph simply said I had not seen enough of Hardy to know if he was the right guy, so I would trust the coaching staff which sees practice every day.
I’m curious to know how many times you believe I have responded with “coach knows best.” Because, if you check the history, this was my first post in about three years.
I started reading and posting on the boards back in 2001. I made the decision to quit posting when too many of the new regulars couldn’t respond without calling names and hurling insults. When I found myself responding in kind, I quit cold turkey.
It seems to be a bit better now, so I thought I would give it a second chance.
Three years ago, I would have replied with something not very flattering. Tonight, I’ll just let it go.

 

[GregInPitt]

My point was made clear in the first paragraph. The second paragraph simply said I had not seen enough of Hardy to know if he was the right guy, so I would trust the coaching staff which sees practice every day.
I’m curious to know how many times you believe I have responded with “coach knows best.” Because, if you check the history, this was my first post in about three years.
I started reading and posting on the boards back in 2001. I made the decision to quit posting when too many of the new regulars couldn’t respond without calling names and hurling insults. When I found myself responding in kind, I quit cold turkey.
It seems to be a bit better now, so I thought I would give it a second chance.
Three years ago, I would have replied with something not very flattering. Tonight, I’ll just let it go.

Most of the board nanny's have followed Tom to ON3. A little less discussion here now but not as much attacking and critical posts without them.

Hope you stick around and join the discussions of PSU football as I remember you from years past.

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

My point was made clear in the first paragraph. The second paragraph simply said I had not seen enough of Hardy to know if he was the right guy, so I would trust the coaching staff which sees practice every day.
I’m curious to know how many times you believe I have responded with “coach knows best.” Because, if you check the history, this was my first post in about three years.
I started reading and posting on the boards back in 2001. I made the decision to quit posting when too many of the new regulars couldn’t respond without calling names and hurling insults. When I found myself responding in kind, I quit cold turkey.
It seems to be a bit better now, so I thought I would give it a second chance.
Three years ago, I would have replied with something not very flattering. Tonight, I’ll just let it go.

I think its pretty clear that Franklin made the wrong call here with his starting punt returner for this season. He basically even admitted it.

I'm glad that Franklin can admit his mistakes and try new players if his original starter didnt work out. To me thats a very important trait that not all coaches have.

Look at Narduzzi, took him forever to finally bench Jurkovec eventhough it was clear from the start that he just was not that right guy. Finally plays Veuilleaux and they beat Undefeated Louisville. If Narduzzi would have put in Veuilleaux earlier in the season I doubt that they have 4 losses.

 

[Safety Blitz]

What is “pretty clear” to you is not yet clear to me. I am not saying Hardy will not eventually be considered the superior punt returner. I have just not viewed enough evidence to come to your conclusion. I’ve been around a long time, long enough not to get overly excited about two returns against what amounts to a jayvee punter and coverage team. I very much hope Mr. Hardy can be a positive difference maker when he gets his chances in a “real” game. We shall see.

 

[LMTLION]

I am just as excited about Hardy as anyone, but let’s keep perspective that it was UMass.

 

[PSUWrestlingFanSince2011]

I am just as excited about Hardy as anyone, but let’s keep perspective that it was UMass.

I'm just glad that we have a guy back there that has the potential for a big play. Gives the other team something to prep for as well.