Editor’s note: This is the third in a three-part series wrapping up the 2021 Arizona football season.
Special teams served as the perfect representation of the 2021 Wildcats.
Arizona unquestionably improved in that particular area. But inconsistency persisted, and untimely breakdowns proved costly.
Overall, the positives outweighed the negatives. As we head toward 2022, the special-teams units — in particular the specialists themselves — have the potential to be a team strength.
Personnel breakdown
5 key departures: K Lucas Havrisik, H Jacob Meeker-Hackett, KR Tayvian Cunningham, PR/ST Stanley Berryhill III, ST Thomas Reid III
1 possible departure: ST Rhedi Short
4 key returnees: K Tyler Loop, P Kyle Ostendorp, LS Seth MacKellar, ST Nazar Bombata
2021 awards
MVP: Ostendorp
The third-year punter led the Pac-12 in gross average — a school-record 49.2 yards per attempt — and ranked third in the nation entering Saturday.
Most improved: Ostendorp
To get an idea of just how much Ostendorp has improved, consider this: Arizona’s net punting average of 40.2 yards was higher than his gross average (39.7) the last time he played in 2019.
Unsung hero: Berryhill
Berryhill was almost always the first man down on punt coverage no matter how many snaps he played or routes he ran on the preceding offensive series; he finished the season with three tackles.
Top newcomer: ST Kenny Hebert
Pro Football Focus credited Hebert with a team-high five special-teams tackles, not a bad thing to have on your NFL résumé if you’re a 6-4, 231-pound linebacker.
2021 report card
Placekicking/kickoffs: B-plus
Havrisik and Loop combined to connect on 80.8% of their field-goal attempts, with Loop going 12 of 12; Arizona ranked among the national leaders in touchback rate thanks to Havrisik’s powerful leg.
Punting: A-minus
Ostendorp’s ratio of punts downed inside the 20-yard line (17) to touchbacks (11) could have been better; that was the only thing keeping him from an “A” grade.
Kickoff/punt returns: C-minus
Aside from Berryhill’s 51-yard punt return vs. NAU, the blocking was lacking in this area all season; Cunningham, who has legit track speed and returned six kickoffs for touchdowns in junior college, averaged just 19.3 yards per attempt.
Kick coverage/punt protection: D
Arizona’s coverage on kickoffs and punts was adequate, but the Wildcats allowed four punts to be blocked, including two that were returned for touchdowns.
Coaching: B-minus
Although the punt-protection issues never were fully resolved, Jordan Paopao and Keith Dudzinski deserve credit for upgrading Arizona’s overall special-teams performance; the Wildcats blocked two punts themselves, both by Bombata.
The big question
Do the Wildcats head into 2022 with the best pair of specialists in the Pac-12?
We haven’t done an extensive breakdown of the returning kickers and punters across the conference. But we feel safe in saying you’d have a hard time finding a more promising pair than Loop and Ostendorp.
Loop, a second-year freshman from Texas, wasn’t supposed to play this past season. Havrisik, a fifth-year senior, entered 2021 as the incumbent. He was even named a team captain.
But a handful of missed field goals early in the year led to a change: Havrisik would become the long-distance kicker, while Loop would handle shorter-range field goals and extra points.
Loop’s skill set clearly played a role in that decision. And his performance in games justified it.
Loop didn’t miss a single kick. He made all 12 of his field-goal attempts and all 12 PATs. He pitched a perfect game.
Loop didn’t have the same degree of difficulty as Havrisik, who had eight attempts from 40-plus yards, including four from 50 and beyond. But Loop passed every test. He was 2 for 2 on field goals between 40 and 49 yards. That included a 42-yarder in less-than-ideal conditions at Washington State.
Loop’s job will become harder next season. His duties likely will include kickoffs, which Havrisik handled exclusively in 2021, as well as long-range field goals. The early returns suggest Loop will have no trouble with those additional responsibilities.
Loop served as Arizona’s punter as a true freshman in 2020 when Ostendorp was injured. Loop performed well in that role, averaging 43.0 yards with an 8-2 ratio of punts inside the 20 to touchbacks. The two competed for the job throughout the offseason, and Loop was a slight favorite to win it based on what we had seen from them in game situations.
But it was Ostendorp — healthier, stronger and more confident — who took the job and ran with it. After a disappointing freshman season, Ostendorp showed why Arizona offered him a scholarship coming out of Phoenix Desert Vista High School.
The third-year sophomore regularly helped the Wildcats flip the field. Almost half of his punts (28) traveled 50-plus yards. One went for 71. He was named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week after Arizona’s lone victory against Cal.
As good as he was — you could make the case that Ostendorp wasn’t just the MVP of the Wildcats’ special teams but of the entire team — he still has room for growth. He struggled at times to place the ball on punts from midfield. That was especially evident in the elevation of Colorado, where Ostendorp had four touchbacks.
It was hard to quibble with his overall performance, though. Ostendorp and Berryhill probably have the best chance to land spots on the All-Pac-12 Team. Arizona has been lucky to place anyone in recent seasons.
Ostendorp and Loop both have a shot in 2022. They appear to be the Wildcats’ best punter-kicker combo since Drew Riggleman and Casey Skowron in the mid-2010s.
When you’re in Arizona’s position as a program — rebuilding and looking for any possible edge — that’s a comforting thought.
