Special teams is an important factor in football games, it could be the difference between winning and losing in close games. In the following, I will preview the punter, kicker, kick returner and punt returner positions for Penn State in 2009.

Punter, Jeremy Boone returns, one year after leading the Big Ten with a 43 yard per punt average. Boone, a senior this year, has a career punting average of 43.0 yards, after also recording a 43 yard season his sophomore year and first year with the punting duties for the Nittany Lions.

His career average of 43.0 is currently in a tie for first on Penn State’s all-time record book with George Reynolds who punted from 1980-1983. If Boone can better a 43 yard average this season he will move into first place in the school history books.

Last year Boone booted six of his 39 punts more than 50 yards and pinned 15 of them inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

He will be a strong candidate for the best punter in the country this year, let alone the big Ten.

The kicker position is less stable for Penn State this year though. Kevin Kelly, who graduated as Penn State’s all-time scoring leader with 427 points will be missed no doubt. Last year Kelly was 20-24 on field goals.

His replacement will be former walk-on Colin Wagner. Last year, Wagner, as a sophomore, made his only field goal attempt, a 43 yarder. He also kicked off three times in 2008, averaging 67.7 yards a kick, which was 1.5 more yards than Kelly averaged.

There is no questioning that Wagner’s leg will be important this season and he will have to be accurate on field goals if the Nittany Lions want to get to their ultimate goal.

Kick return duties are expected to go to running back Stephfon Green and wide receiver Chaz Powell. Green did not return any kickoffs last year and will be taking over for Derrick Williams, who averaged 25.8 yards per kickoff return and scored two touchdowns in 2008.

Powell returned nine kickoffs last year and averaged a monstrous 28.8 yards per return.

Someone will have to step into punt return duties vacated by Williams as well. The only player on the current roster who returned a punt last season was cornerback D’Anton Lynn. I’d expect Powell to get the first crack at the job this season. If it’s not Powell I’m sure Penn State will find someone to step up and do a good job, they have enough playmakers to pick from.

Over all, the Nittany Lions special teams should be in good shape. The key will be how well Wagner performs.