The good news about Georgia’s kickoff coverage team? Kirk Olivadotti isn’t a man who sounds like he’s in need of a challenge.
When Kirk Olivadotti found out about college football’s new touchback rules, he went to work. Should the fact a touchback will now be brought out five yards longer, to the 25-yard line, change his kickoff strategy?
Olivadotti , the assistant coach in charge of the Bulldogs’ kickoff coverage, came to a conclusion: No, not really.
The strategy is still going to be to try to boot the kickoff through the end zone, or at least far enough that there is no return.
“To me, a 75-yard drive or an 80-yard drive, that’s still a long way to go,” Olivadotti said.
The bad news? They’ve still got to get it there and cover it. That’s been a little spotty so far.
Part of the solution is putting more veterans and starters on kick coverage. Olivadotti said he had winnowed it down to 14 players for the unit, but he would like to expand that, in case of injuries or players not being available as the game goes on. He didn’t break down the veteran-to-freshman breakdown of the unit, but said there were “a couple freshman that will have a chance to be on it,” but may not open the season on the unit.
So far in the preseason, according to Olivadotti , the performance of the kick coverage unit has been “some good, some bad.”
Hoo, boy.