Iowa Special Teams Coordinator Explains Botched Punt

Last week, in what turned out to be a 20-15 loss to the No.8 Indiana Hoosiers, the Hoosiers blocked a punt with 9:05 to play in the third quarter, with the score knotted at 10-10. Ultimately, the punt from Iowa’s 29 still was fair caught at the Iowa 42-yard line, but it’s the principle of it all, right? When Iowa takes on Wisconsin on October 11th, the game may be decided by a blocked punt.

Hey, it has happened before.

During the coordinator conference day, special teams coordinator LeVar Woods spoke on the blocked punt.

“Again, going back to consistency in operation. So snap location, getting the punter pulled off his line, not great. So that definitely doesn't help.”

Woods has coached Iowa’s third phase of football since 2017.

How was Indiana able to block Iowa's punt — Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods walks along the sideline during a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game against Indiana, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Again, those are some of the things, consistency, that we're looking for and we need to improve upon. Again, I don't attribute it really to anything really other than that. I wasn't overly upset, because it's, like, man, we just have to be better. It's just hard for me to not be upset about those things, but I'm trying hard. Trying to keep that blood pressure down a little bit.”

“In regards to that, again, just we need to be better than that. I expect us to be better, but I don't see anything, like, oh, it's Rhys's [Dakin] fault or this's fault, the snap's fault. I don't see that.”

“We're a unit. We have to just be better, be cleaner.”

Woods coaches, All-American Kaden Wetjen, who led the country in combined return yardage, including returning two kicks for touchdowns in 2024.

Iowa ranked first in the country in net punting (44.2), fourth in blocked punts (2), and eighth in kickoff return defense (15.6) in 2023. Punter Tory Taylor and return specialist Cooper DeJean were each recognized as unanimous consensus All-Americans. Taylor also became the first Hawkeye to be voted the Ray Guy Award.

It is clear Woods has some work to do with streaky kicker Drew Stevens and a punting core that has its own problems, but Woods has also flexed his special teams coaching ability for nearly a decade at Iowa.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!