Michigan Tech punter Brenden Lach punts a football during a game against Davenport on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Throughout spring practices, the Michigan Tech Huskies football team spent time focusing on all aspects of their game. None of those may be as important as special teams, which can make a huge difference in a battle during the season against the likes of Ferris State or Grand Valley State, if the Huskies want to compete with the top teams in the GLIAC year in and year out.

“So through the spring, a big thing for us, knowing that we don’t have opponents at the end of the week, and have to worry about the schematical part of things,” said assistant coach and special teams coordinator Phil Milbrath, “is really just solidifying a lot of our fundamentals, the techniques we use on special teams.”

Special teams is one area of a college football team’s lineup that can see the most change from year to year, depending on whether players move into starting roles on offense or defense, or they graduate.

“Spring is a great time for new guys to emerge,” said Milbrath. “We do a lot of different competitive drills and those are based on effort. Special teams, a lot of times, is just being a football player based on effort. So, whether we want to run, block, tackle, be physical, kind of have that pursuit, relentless, we do a bunch of things during practice, and throughout the week, that put the guys in those types of situations.

“We’re looking for guys that really (are ready) to emerge before we get to the fall.”

Milbrath said that one player who really emerged in the spring is a soon-to-be-sophomore linebacker from Marquette.

“A guy, he played for us last year on some special teams, but Desmond Mullen, an outside linebacker for us,” Milbrath said. “He did a tremendous job throughout the spring, whether it was the drills, when we got into competitive situations, just kind of showing the type of football player he is, whether he’s running down to cover something, he’s getting blocked, the pursuit, getting off blocks, making your way to the ball carry, or even being a little bit of an undersized guy.

“Some of the guys he was asked to block last year, and even this spring, just his kind of scrappiness and his knowledge, right, move my feet, put myself in position, always going to give me a chance. So Des Mullen’s been a guy that’s really stood out from that stand of things.”

Another player who impressed Milbrath was another defender, Dante Basanese, a soon-to-be junior from Iron Mountain.

“A guy that also does a really good job, and he’s emerged as a really good defensive player, as well, is Dante Basanese,” said Milbrath, “a kid from down in Iron Mountain, as a defensive back. Again, just kind of that scrappy mentality.”

Sticking with kids from the Upper Peninsula who seem to fit the type of player Milbrath likes among his group, is freshman wide receiver Luke Gorzinki from Powers.

“Luke Gorzinski, same thing, kind of a slot receiver build where, ‘Hey, I can run, I can go keep up with anybody, but I’m probably going to have to be a little bit more scrappy to get into some of the players the size that we play against,” Milbrath said.

All three players bring the same type of attitude to their work, which is just what Milbrath is looking for.

“So, guys like that have really done an excellent job throughout the spring, whether it’s been in drills or situations we put them in, that have really done a nice job in the past four weeks,” he said. “(They) give us, as a coaching staff, the confidence as we go forward saying, ‘Hey, you know, these guys work their tails off at their primary positions, but we know for sure we can count on them, OK, for one third of the game in special teams.”

One thing that Milbrath tries to instill in his players is that, just because they are on special teams now, does not mean they won’t get other chances to have an impact on the game down the road. Of course, Milbrath would still love to have them play on special teams, even if they get an opportunity on offense or defense.

“When you get to see a guy that’s, especially early in their career, go through, make themselves a name through special teams, and really kind of get their experience that way, whether it’s the travel part of things, the prep part of things, and actually the game part of things, it is a little bit rewarding to see them,” he said. “‘Hey, this was kind of my stepping stone, essentially, to kind of get myself vaulted, give myself the confidence, give myself the ability to play at this level.’

“So, when they go get into their primary positions, or contribute a little bit more, I’m still a greedy guy. I still would like them to contribute to special teams. That’s one thing that I’ll say at Michigan Tech has always been something that’s part of our culture.”

A great example of that is defensive back Hunter Buechel.

“Look at Hunter Buechel, an All-Conference outside linebacker,” Milbrath said. “Well, he started his career on kickoff and punt. Well, hey, he used that as kind of his stepping stone and opened some doors for himself.

“So, I’d like to think that trickles down into the rest of the roster as well. They see guys like that and say, ‘Hey, how did he get a start?’ Well, by busting his tail, getting on the bus, playing special teams.”

As far as the kicking game goes, Milbrath is excited to have punter Brenden Lach back for one more season.

“Feel really confident there,” said Milbrath. “We’ve got Brenden Lach back now for his senior year, an All-American punter from last year. As a matter of fact, I think the past two years that he’s been our primary punter, he’s set our school record for punt average, and, I think, his first year he’s like second or third, the yearly punt average, so (he) obviously has an impressive leg.

“He does a great job getting the ball off, putting the ball where we need it to.”

Helping Lach succeed remains the task of long snapper Chandler Ward, who has a great relationship with Lach, and both the punter and Milbrath agree that Ward is a huge reason for Lach’s success.

In the other area of the kicking game, the Huskies have their biggest unknown as they enter this fall without the services of kicker Drew Wyble, who finished out his eligibility. The Huskies have two kickers in their incoming freshman class that might fit the bill, but after the spring, the starting spot is still up for grabs.

“We’ve got two freshman kickers coming in that were very highly rated out of high school, have done a nice job, continued kicking even through the spring here, and kind of giving us updates as we go,” Milbrath said. “That, as you can imagine, gives me a little bit more nerves than the punting game, just knowing that a true freshman is going to come in and handle some of those duties.

“At the end of the day, the guys, whether it be on the field goal unit, or the kickoff unit, are all going to be veteran guys,” said Milbrath. “Like I mentioned, even for a young kicker that’s going to come in and do our place kicking, his short snapper is going to be a four-year starter. His holder, Brendan Lach, held all of last year for him, and his backup, Cody Daraban, held out the year before. So, he’s got experience all around him, and guys that can help him.

“I also think that what help these two young kids come in and compete for that spot, and get comfortable with it, is during practice time. They get to spend a lot of time with the snappers and punters, and the guys that they’ll be doing primarily everything with.”

Despite the unknown of who will be doing the place kicking, Milbrath remains confident that things are in a great place with the group as a whole.

“It would be nice to say, ‘All right, we’ve got an established guy coming in,’ but at the end of the day, a little competition is not bad,” he said. “Either the youth, or the green in this, obviously got a little nerves in me, but at the end of the day, these guys were recruited here, and signed here, for this exact reason, knowing that there’s probably gonna have to be a void of kicker we have to fill.”