Spring Football Outlook - Part 3
April 10, 2001
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The following is a preview of the University of Maryland's special teams unit as the team heads into week two of spring football practice. The unit will be spearheaded this year by special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski who comes to Maryland by way of Wake Forest.
The Terrapins have a few questions on special teams with the graduation of roommates Brian Kopka (K) and Scott Rudolph (LS). On the other hand, they return one of the top punters in the nation in junior Brooks Barnard.
Barnard finished fourth in Division I-A last season with a 44.7 yards per punt average. He has a strong leg and gets amazing hang time. He enters his junior season as Maryland's leader in career (43.5), single-season (44.7 in 2000) and single-game (53.8 vs. Temple in 2000) punting averages. Barnard will be backed up by Vedad Siljkovic, a player who was used 13 times as a pooch punter last year.
Siljkovic will also be competing for place kicking duties in 2001. He will be challenged primarily by redshirt freshman Nick Novak.
The long snapper position will be one where several players will be competing to replace Rudolph. Jimmy Connolly stepped in as his replacement last year when the four-year starter went down with a knee injury in the Clemson game and performed well. The concern with Connolly is his size (211 pounds on a 6-5 frame) and strength.
