G5 Football Daily

Cure Bowl: Special Teams Crucial To Appalachian State's Preparation

Miami is recognized as one of the best specials teams units in the country.

Kevin Barral

Β© Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
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The Miami RedHawks have been recognized as one of the best specials teams units in the country this season.

Kicker Graham Nicolson won the Lou Groza award. Special teamer Silas Walters finished the season with the most special teams tackles in the nation. Special Teams Coordinator Jacob Bronowski was recognized by 247Sports as Special Teams Coordinator of the Year and the Miami punt team finished with the highest net punting average in the nation.

With how good of a unit the RedHawks have been able to mesh together, Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clark has spent a lot of time preparing for how to deal with it in the Cure Bowl.

RELATED: Miami (OH) Coach Chuck Martin Assesses QB Situation, App State Matchups Ahead of Saturday

"Special teams is a third of the game," said Clark during his Wednesday media availability. "We put starters on special teams and we practice 36 minutes a day on special teams. We try to make special teams special because we know those are game changing plays. We invest in scholarships for our specialists. We have a punter, kicker and a long snapper on scholarship...Our receivers play special teams, our whole defense plays special teams."

Clark recognized that especially in the possible conditions that the game will be played in, with a 90% chance of rain on Saturday, that they will need to execute against the All-American selections on the RedHawks' special team units.

The Mountaineers and Miami square off in the Cure Bowl, which will kick off on Saturday, December 16 at 3:30 PM ET on ABC.

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Kevin Barral
KEVIN BARRAL

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