BOULDER — Colorado assistant football coach Toby Neinas said he has never seen anything comparable to what Utah’s special teams have accomplished this season.
“They lead the Pac-12 in about everything,” he said.
Neinas, who coaches CU’s special teams, isn’t exaggerating by much. With one regular-season game remaining, Utah (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12) enters Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup with Colorado (2-9, 0-8) at Folsom Field topping the conference in at least six special-teams statistical categories and ranking no worse than fourth in any of them.
The Utes rank first in the Pac-12 in kickoff returns (averaging 24.5 yards), net punting (42.7), field goals made (tied with 20, by Andy Phillips), points-after-touchdown accuracy (tied for first at 100 percent, 36-for-36), punt returns by an individual (Kaelin Clay with a 17.7-yard average) and individual punting (46.5, by Tom Hackett).
Utah ranks second in team punt returns (16.2) and individual kickoff returns (25.4 by Clay), third in field-goal accuracy (.833) and fourth in kickoff coverage (39.9 net average).
Any questions?
“We’ve tried to emphasize this with our team but, arguably, (special teams) is the best thing Utah does,” Neinas said.
The breadth and depth of the Utes’ special teams is more than amazing, Neinas said. Teams typically will be adept in certain segments of special teams. But all of them?
“They’re electric with their special teams,” CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said.
Colorado is especially concerned about Clay (5-foot-10, 193 pounds) taking a kick the distance. He has three punt returns for touchdowns and one kickoff return for a TD this season, the only returner in the nation with a trio of punt returns for touchdowns and four overall returns for scores.
A senior speedster from Long Beach, Calif., Clay played two seasons of junior college football before transferring to Utah. He also is coming on as a wide receiver, having recorded a career-best 152 yards in receptions during a game this month against Oregon.
“We’ve had some breakdowns in recent weeks in coverage,” Neinas said. “We cannot afford to let No. 8 (Clay) get out and run down the field the way he does. And he does it almost every game.
“He’s had a lot of big returns called back (because of penalties). On film, you see him stretch the field vertically a whole lot.”
Each of the past three meetings between Colorado and Utah has been decided by seven points or fewer. Coaches have said for years that more often than not a close game will be decided by special teams.
“That’s what we’ve tried to impress on our team,” Neinas said. “Utah is a wonderful special-teams team. We have to play at a very high level on a team basis to give ourselves a chance to win.
“My point to our players is, (special teams) is how Utah gets going. This is what starts their engine. This is what cranks them up. If they come out and start whipping us on special teams, it’s going to be very difficult for us to win.”
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
