UTC's Nick Pollard has been a consistent weapon as a kickoff specialist and punter, giving opponents a lot of field to cover against the Mocs' strong defense.Nick Pollard hasn't made a single tackle all season, but there's an argument to be made that the slightly built senior is one of the most valuable players in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive rotation.
Through the first three games Pollard's punts have pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line six times and he has had five kickoffs go for touchbacks.
Forcing opponents to drive the length of the field against one of the top defensive units at the FCS level is a recipe for success as the Mocs prepare to begin the Southern Conference portion of their schedule next Saturday against Samford.
"If we had a 12th guy, it'd be Nick, all day," said Mocs defensive lineman Josh Freeman. "He keeps pinning them down there, and I like to think with the defense we have it's going to be really hard to drive on us.
"He helps us out. Nobody should be able to drive 80-plus or 90 yards on us, so when he pins them inside the 10, are you kidding me? Shoot, it's going to be tough sledding on any offense to drive on us. His punts and kicks are critical for us."
Pollard was an all-state kicker at Father Ryan High School but never had punted in a game before he arrived at UTC. His first punt in a game was as a sophomore, from his own end zone against South Florida. He learned the rugby style -- taking a few steps toward the line of scrimmage before kicking a low, end-over-end punt in the opposite direction of the returner -- from former UTC player Joel Bradford. Last year Pollard averaged 40.7 yards per punt and also handled all kickoff, extra-point and field-goal duties for the Mocs. He made all 43 extra-point attempts and was 5-of-9 on field-goal tries.
He ranks sixth in Mocs history in career field goals made (24) and is fourth in program history in scoring, but he may not get a chance to move up that list since Henrique Ribeiro has taken over the extra-point and field-goal chores. That has freed Pollard to concentrate on kicking off and punting, and the rugby style continues to be a weapon.
"We've had a lot of success since we've gone to the rugby style, and he's done a great job with that," Mocs coach Russ Huesman said. "But I think one of the biggest things, and it gets overlooked by a lot of people, is his kickoffs. We've pinned them back deep with how we've executed, and that's so important.
"I think not kicking field goals has really helped him. It's kept him fresh, and the pressure of having to deal with that is off him now."
Just once has an opponent driven for a touchdown after starting inside its 20 following a Pollard punt, and no one has gone 75-plus yards when he's had a kickoff go for a touchback.
In a battle of nationally ranked foes two weeks ago, Pollard backed Jacksonville State up to its 11 or worse four times, and one of those resulted in a Mocs interception return for a touchdown. Last week he pinned Austin Peay inside the 10 twice, tied a career best with four kickoffs for touchbacks and had two other kickoffs deep enough that the Mocs coverage stopped the Governors before they returned it to the 20.
"It starts off with the snap, and Emory [Norred] is doing a fantastic job getting the ball back to me quickly, and protection is good, too," said Pollard, a preseason all-conference selection who has averaged 40.8 yards on 21 punts. "Generally I'll scan for the return man, find where he's lined up and kick it to the opposite hash or side. The rugby style is right up my alley with a soccer background.
"I tell people all the time that punting and kicking is at least 90 percent mental. Maybe more like 99 percent mental. If you go out and worry you'll have a bad kick, then chances are you'll mess up. When I jog out there I try to imagine a perfect kick, and if we can pin them inside the 10, I'm looking at it as a chance to get a safety. I'm just trying to help set up the defensive guys as best as I can."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.