GAINESVILLE — Florida senior analyst Joe Houston came to revive the Gators’ special teams rather than reinvent them.
Houston recalls a time when the third phase of the game was in full flight in Gainesville instead of stumbling at critical moments.
When Houston was a kicker for the USC Trojans from 2007-10 after an All-American season at El Camino College in ’06, Urban Meyer’s Gators were amid a run of two national championships in three seasons with special teams playing a vital role.
From 2006-09, Florida blocked 23 kicks and had 4 touchdown returns while going 48-6. UF has 3 blocks and no touchdown returns while going 11-14 under Billy Napier.
“The standard here is the standard,” Houston said. “When I was going to college, Florida was the standard.”
In 2023, the Gators’ special teams became a punchline.
Seven penalties included when cornerback Jason Marshall and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III — each donning No. 3 — ran onto the field simultaneously after the Gators forced a punt during a 24-11 season-opening loss at Utah. After the 5-yard penalty, the Utes got back the ball and scored three plays later.
UF also had 10 men on the field in Salt Lake City, one of five times it would field too few players on a special-teams play.
Following four seasons as a special team’s assistant for Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots, Houston arrived with a rudimentary fix.
“We’re going to implement a launch pad,” he said Tuesday at UF’s Media Day.
To eliminate confusion, crossover or a miscount, players on the return, coverage, blocked and kicking units will gather at a mat featuring 10 circles, with the specialist or return man assuming the final spot.
Think an extra-large Twister mat minus the colored dots.
“It’s like a home base for them,” Houston said. “They know where to find me. It’s an area where we can make any kind of calls or communications.”
Special teams confusion came to a head during a stunning 39-36 overtime loss Nov. 4 to Arkansas, the Razorbacks’ only SEC win leading UF to miss a bowl game for the first time since 2017.
A costly late-game substitution infraction after the field-goal unit ran onto the field as the offense looked to spike the ball led to a 5-yard penalty and a 44-yard missed field goal by Trey Smack.
Houston aims to alleviate chaos for the Gators and create it for opponents.
“When you’re dealing with 135 players … you guys have been at the Swamp on third down,” he said. “It’s not quiet.”
UF’s special teams struggles created a cacophony of criticism for analyst Chris Couch, who oversaw special teams in the role of GameChanger coordinator. But Napier retained Couch, who spent the 2021 season with Napier at Louisiana before joining him at UF, while hiring Houston.
Houston and Couch first met during a coaching clinic in ’15 at the New Orleans Saints facility and would remain friends.
“I believe in what he does and I look forward to working with him together,” Houston said of Couch.
Special teams play under Couch was not all bad.
UF finished fourth nationally in net punting behind Jeremy Crawshaw, whose 48.9-yard average on 42 punts would have ranked second nationally had he qualified. The Gators were sixth in punt coverage. Meanwhile, Smack assumed kicking duties in Week 3 and finished 17 of 21 on field goals.
“There’s a lot of good things to build off of,” Houston said.
Houston is confident a pair of topflight specialists, an athletic roster offering options in the coverage and return games and a recent NCAA ruling will get UF’s special teams on track. Analysts such as him and Couch can now interact directly with players during practices and game days rather go through a head coach or one of 10 assistants.
“We guessed right,” Napier said of the ruling’s fortuitous timing.
But Napier had his eye on Houston for some time. He actually hired him briefly at Louisiana before Belichick swooped in to lure Houston to the NFL.
When Belichick’s record-setting run in New England finally ended, Houston found a soft and special landing spot at UF.
“It was an easy decision,” he said.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
