Column: Special Teams play is important

A game can be determined through the play of special teams, and if you don’t think so, take a look at East Carolina’s 54-17 loss to Virginia Tech Saturday. The matchup perfectly showcased how a poor special teams performance can dictate a football game.

This year’s Virginia Tech team is one of the best it's had in this decade, the Pirates proved they were outmatched in all three facets of the game Saturday, but they were undoubtedly destroyed on special teams.

The first score of the game came on a first quarter, 87-yard punt return, in which punter Worth Gregory out punted his coverage team. The punt return alone is enough to put the Pirates special teams under the microscope, but it was only…