X’s and Oooh’s: How Devin Ross’s kick returns helped Michigan fend off San Antonio

Image via X @TheUFL

Each week, X’s and Oooh’s will bring you inside the game with some film analysis of a topic that caught my eye during the weekend slate of action.

Up until he was named UFL Special Teams Player of the Week, I thought Michigan Panthers WR/KR Devin Ross’s contributions to the team’s victory over the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday had largely gone overlooked. In a league where teams are searching for every offensive boost they can get, the ability to get the offense in good field position to start a drive takes some of the pressure off the 11 players on that side of the ball.

Ross returned six kickoffs for 212 yards, an average of 35 yards per return. The Panthers had nine drives on offense, six by kickoff return, and their average drive start was their own 39-yard line. With the game knotted at 23 late in the fourth quarter, Ross’s return crossed midfield, to the San Antonio 46, just a few yards away from field goal range. It indeed led to what turned out to be the game-winning field goal from B.T. Potter.

So what happened? How was San Antonio unable to stop Ross, particularly at the most critical juncture of the game? Let’s dive into the film to find out.

Third kickoff return, Brahmas up 9-0, 5:59 left in 2nd quarter

San Antonio managed to keep Ross under wraps during his first two returns. With the Brahmas up 9-0 and trying to ride momentum, Ross snatched that momentum away with his first lengthy return of the day.

The first thing I noticed was that Michigan lined up differently on this third return than in the previous two: Backup running back Toa Taua had lined up as the up man in the return, positioned just ahead of Ross in the landing zone. On this third return, Michigan removed Taua from that spot. The Panthers also pulled off a fake reverse here, peeling Samson Nacua off the edge to test the eye discipline of San Antonio’s coverage team.

Ross was sprung by a dubious block on the outside, one in which Brahmas receiver Jontre Kirklin tried his best to get a flag thrown. It was to no avail - and Payton Pardee did not challenge it - so Michigan ended up with the ball right near midfield, scoring a touchdown to close the drive. Kirklin was the man on the outside contain, so once he got engaged, there was no one else until Tavante Beckett ran him down from behind. After suffering a neck injury making a tackle last year, it’s fair to wonder to what extent kicker Donald De La Haye really wants to get involved in stops as well. As the last line of defense, any hesitancy on his part could lead to a longer return.

Fourth kickoff return, Panthers up 10-9, 15:00 left in 3rd quarter

Another key moment as Michigan had grabbed momentum away from San Antonio before the half, taking the lead into the break. San Antonio could’ve come out of the locker room with a big stop to make a statement, but instead, Ross had another stellar return.

It’s a similar play to the third return: Ross fakes a reverse to Nacua and heads to the right side of the formation. Kirklin is again engaged with a blocker, unable to break free. Ross seems to be reading #32 for San Antonio, Henry Black: If Black fills the gap to Kirklin’s right, Ross takes it to the outside. If Black were to take the sideline, Ross would have a route to the other side of Kirklin. A nice seal block by Taua makes that lane even wider. Black commits to the inside gap, so Ross goes outside, and Black doesn’t have enough time to recover laterally before Ross makes it up to the 40-yard line. The quality field position again worked to Michigan’s advantage as they capped off this drive with a TD as well.

Sixth kickoff return, game tied 23-23, 4:46 left in 4th quarter

San Antonio had again taken momentum with a Jordan Williams interception return for a touchdown, capped off by a one-point conversion to tie the game. A big stop on the kickoff return would’ve put the Panthers offense in a bind, with the Brahmas’ defense feeding off their previous drive’s TD. Devin Ross, though, had other ideas.

This one was a little more difficult to look at because half the screen on the broadcast was being taken up by an interview with Jordan Williams. I identified the key coverage players with arrows, and once again, Michigan took aim at the left side of San Antonio’s alignment. The player closest to the 30-yard line appears to get caught too far inside, believing Ross to be going more up the middle of the field. The second arrowed player is once again filling that gap on the inside of the outermost player. However, Ross shows great vision and knows that the sideline is open.

At this point, all Ross needs to do is use his speed to turn the corner, as there are no defenders keeping contain on the edge - one player was sucked in too far and the other was blocked by Michigan. Though the numbers are hard to decipher, it appears to be Black and Kirklin again as the guilty parties. Michigan started this drive in San Antonio territory, and the rest is history.

Final Analysis

Credit to Panthers special teams coordinator Jason Fairman, who appeared to find a weakness in San Antonio’s coverage. Michigan exploited the same avenue, the same side of the formation, on all three of Ross’s big returns. With Payton Pardee taking over offensive coordinator duties during the week and becoming the de facto head coach on game day due to Wade Phillips’s illness, it’s fair to wonder if the Brahmas’ special teams (which Pardee coordinated up to this point) suffered because of these changes, either in game prep or in the lack of adjustments that were made during the game.