By Mike Brohard
Jahvid Best is fast. Really fast, and Ivory Herd has seen it up close and personal. The Colorado State defensive back who leads the team in special teams tackles watched Best — Cal’s explosive running back and return man — win a state title in the 100 meters in a blazing 10.31 seconds. With that, Herd was glad he was a hurdler. With that type of speed at hand, coaches like to use it, and Best will see the ball a lot this weekend. “If he’s touching the ball in space — which is going to happen both on offense and in the kicking game — the guy’s a dangerous player,” CSU coach Steve Fairchild said. “There’s no question about it. It’s a lot like when we played CU, we’re going to be tested athletically in space this game. We’ll see where we’re at.” As Herd noted, the Rams need to see where Best is at all times in the kicking game, as he enters the contest averaging 234.7 all-purpose yards a game, 29.8 per kickoff return with a long of 54. That doesn’t present any special tactics this week for Colorado State, however. “I don’t think so. We know he’s a great athlete, we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing the past couple of weeks, our assignments,” Herd said. “It’s basically back to assignments. The first week, our assignments were a little messed up. After that, each week has been getting better. Our coaches are pleased with us, so we just have to keep improving.” Colorado State has given up some returns, including a 93 yard score by Colorado’s Josh Smith. Special teams coach Larry Lewis said he’s seen improvement, but admitted Best does make one think. He feels a key is to keep Best wondering what exactly is coming.
“I look at that every week,” Lewis said. “I think the more you keep a return team off balance, the better off you’re going to be. Now, saying that, you also can’t screw your kids up. It has to be kind of within your scheme. With this guy, you might want to kick it into the bleachers.” That’s choice No. 1. Jason Smith may be the best option to get that done, but Lewis basically said he’d have to run off the field to protect his healing broken right arm, so it’s not much of an option. Freshman Ben DeLine has kicked off 14 times this year — all in the state of Colorado — and has registered just four touchbacks. Cal has traditionally been strong in the return game with Pete Alamar running the units, and head coach Jeff Tedford says credit goes to him and the players involved. Best — who Tedford said is completely healthy after a rib injury — has taken over in kick returns what DeSean Jackson did for punt returns last year. It all comes with work, Tedford said.
“I don’t think you ever fall into a comfort zone like that. You want to expect you’re going to do good things, but I don’t think it’s something you just roll it out there and say this is going to happen,” Tedford said. “You have to pay attention to details, people have to play hard, people have to be in position to make good decisions. In special teams, decision making is huge and critical as far as not blocking people in the back and so on and so forth. So it’s not something you take for granted; it’s something we really need to work hard on.” Something the Rams feel they need to work equally hard to stop. “I believe that if we do things right, use the proper techniques, anything can happen,” Herd said.
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