The Kicking Game
The Vols faced a tough task this offseason of replacing two very productive players on special teams. And so far this year, Tennessee’s replacements in the kicking game have looked up to task.
Punter Trevor Daniel graduated after last season, and he left a giant hole to fill for the Vols. Daniel had the ability to flip the field unlike any other punter in UT history, and he could make some spectacular kicks. But so far this year, walk-on Joe Doyle has been exceptional as the starting punter.
After getting off to a somewhat rough start to his career in Tennessee’s season opener against West Virginia, Doyle has been very effective at pinning teams deep in their own territory and stopping dangerous returners from burning the Vols. Of Doyle’s 25 punts on the year, 11 have been downed inside the 20-yard line, and he’s had nine returners fair catch his punts. He’s averaging 42.4 yards per punt on the year, and his punting has only allowed opponents to return four punts all season, and they’ve managed just negative two return yards.
At placekicker, the Vols had to replace four-year starter Aaron Medley after last season. While Medley wasn’t the most effective kicker the Vols have ever had, he still connected on 71.6 percent of his field goals in his Tennessee career.
As a freshman last year, Brent Cimaglia showed promise, but he only hit eight of his 13 field goal attempts. He showed a strong leg, connecting on a 51-yard attempt. But he struggled with consistency.
This year, he’s looked far more consistent.
Cimaglia hasn’t been called on much as a sophomore, but he’s made all four of his field goal attempts and is perfect on PATs as well. He’s off to a good start and looks to be showing more reliability in his second year.
