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STORY: Kenny Perry ponders Kelly's punt return decisions, kicking competition pres. by Prosper Energy Management

J. Apodaca

Mickey Mouse Staff Member
Staff
Mar 7, 2022
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Here's some interesting quotes on special teams from Kenny Perry this afternoon. @J. Ramirez will have another story off this interview tomorrow.

How does the kicking battle continue?
"We're 100% so it's going to continue. Those two, they're doing everything. The coolest part about those guys, you know, you guys are aware, specialists are a little bit different breed. We've got a great group of specialists. So those two, they just feed off each other. And you know, Reese going to get his opportunities. Gino is going to get his opportunities. Reese is going to kickoff like he's been. Stone finally kicked one right, he's got a huge leg that first time we put him in there, first game, kind of freaked out. So I want to give him another chance, because he's another young kid that's got a really big leg. So I like giving everyone a shot. You know, these kids work hard to get a chance, and it's good to have a game like that where I could feel comfortable doing that."

How do Reese and Gino push one another?

"I hope they do, because I've created competition with them since last spring. But they don't act like it. I mean, they like each other, they help each other out, they hang out. So it's not a situation where, you know, you remember Roger Staubach and whoever he got into a fight with back in the 70s. it's not one of those situations. But, you know, I just love being around them.

Is there a kicker that has the bigger leg, like if you faced a 50-plus yarder?
"You know what? They're both pretty much the same. They both can hit the ball 50 plus. So you know, once you want to be whoever's up, and then the next one, if he makes it or misses it, and that next guy's gonna get the next chance at it."

Have you discussed how this may end? Does it just end if a guy misses one kick?

"I'll just kind of move on. They know it, it's about performance. You miss a 50 something yard field goal, that's a different deal. The hardest part of me is, you know, those 40 yard field goals, those are the ones we got to make, you know, we kick a field goal under 40 yards. That's the ones. You know, you kick some over that, obviously, their odds go down. Coach has done a good job with those kicks this year, you know, we've given them opportunities to hit some kicks and get on a roll. Your first kick being a 58 yard kick out of the box, and you know that's nothing comes good after that."

How have you felt about Josh Kelly as a punt returner? I saw you got Drae in the game late on Saturday.

"You know, we're trying to get Drae some more touches back there, because, you know, people aren't going to kick to him, and I don't blame them. But Josh, you know, we gotta work on some decisions. That's probably been the biggest. We gotta help him blocking wise, but we've made some bad decisions back there. Now, decisions. When I say bad decisions, Josh is trying to make a play. It's a big difference of, you know, just not knowing and trying to make a play. However, that affects you and affects your field position, which you guys know, I'm a big deal on that. And so we've got to get better helping him clear lanes, and then he's got to make better decisions. And then, yeah, we're trying to get Dre, you know, just more comfortable back there. So we'll see what happens."

On Kelly's return at Washington State where he picked it up at the two, would you have preferred him to just let it get downed?
"You just gotta live with that, you know, kind of what went against us on that type deal. You just don't want to get into habit of doing that, because bad things happen. We just gotta make better decisions. He knows that. I know that. But yeah, that's that happens sometimes, and you just, you know, good, good kick by them."

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Prosper Energy Management is a mineral management company based in Dallas/Fort Worth with a Red Raider as a founding member. With over 35 years of experience in oil and gas management, Prosper provides full start-to-finish management, as well as tailored service, with the mission of serving their clients above all else. Prosper specializes in petroleum engineering, giving their clients that competitive edge when tackling the complexities of leasing, land & title, division orders, accounting, forecasting, etc.

www.prosperenergymgmt.com

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