AUBURN, Ala. – It's easy to forget about special teams. It's rare that you see a big play in the return game and aside from a game-winning field goal, the only time you hear about the kicker, the punter or the coverage teams are when they're not doing their job.
But since the beginning of the season, Auburn special teams coordinator Larry Porter has been preaching to his guys that if you make plays on special teams, you will win games. Between a blocked punt, multiple long punt returns and a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Saturday's 34-3 win over Arkansas was a prime example of the impact special teams can have on a game.
"Really, a lot of teams just leave those plays out there," sophomore cornerback Jordyn Peters said. "They're plays that nobody really pays attention to. But in the long run, they do add up. So we have to go out there with the mindset that every play counts, just like offense and defense, because it does on special teams.
"Every day in practice it's pounded in our head that we've got to make a play on special teams. Not offense and defense, just special teams. Every day. Game-changing plays."
Peters was the one who got a hand on a punt late in the first half. Because of the deflection, the ball traveled only eight yards where it was picked up by Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt and returned inside the Arkansas 10-yard line. A few plays later, Jarrett Stidham ran in for a touchdown to extend Auburn's lead to 17-0.
Peters nearly blocked another punt earlier in the game but ran past the punter.
"I was too fast," he said. "I ran past him. I really should have tackled him, but that's never happened to me before. I'm just thinking, 'Go get it.' It doesn't matter if I get blocked or whatever. I'm still trying to go get it and take it off the punter's foot every time. The idea of failing is not in my head at all. It's just, 'Go get the ball.'"
The Auburn special teams unit made another one of those game-changing plays early in the third quarter when Noah Igbinoghene returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. It was the perfect boost for the team and for the fans following a sluggish start to the third quarter.
"I feel like I can reboot the fans and everybody to get into the game again just like we did today," Igbinoghene said. "And I want to continue to do it."
Though he couldn't quite break it and get to the end zone, wide receiver Ryan Davis got the fans up out of their seats two different times on punt returns. The first one he took back 48 yards – a career long for him – and it led to Auburn's first touchdown of the game. Then later, he returned a punt 36 yards all the way to the Arkansas 15-yard line that resulted in three points for the Tigers.
"I was close really every time," Davis said. "I'm just going to have to find a way to get in the end zone."
Between the two returns from Davis and the one from Britt, Auburn finished with 95 punt return yards – the most in an SEC game since Tennessee in 2013 (127) and the most in any game since Louisiana Tech in 2014 (129).
"It creates a spark for everyone," Davis said. "It's like 'OK, now we can get something going.' It gets everybody in a rhythm, gives everybody that confidence that 'Boom, we got one. Now let's go finish.'"
On the flip side of that, Auburn punter Arryn Siposs also enjoyed a career day Saturday. The sophomore, who arrived in July, averaged 47.2 yards per punt on his five punts. He also kicked one 60 yards, a new career long for the native of Australia.
So no, not everybody pays attention to the special teams. Sometimes, they can lose a game. But on Saturday, they played a major role in helping Auburn win.
"It showed out today," Igbinoghene said.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf
