Erich Toth: A player looking to spend less time on the field

Erich Toth, a senior from Indianapolis, punted the ball 77 times last season, setting a school record. The kicker also had 34 of his punts result in a fair catch, often times giving the Hoosier defense an advantage on the next drive. Toth was a strength that many Hoosier fans overlooked last year, but still have the chance to notice in the 2015 season.

His preparation with the special teams was key in being able to perform when he was needed.

“The team only sees us for 20 minutes a day so they may not think we do a whole lot,'' Toth said. "But we’re always doing muscle memory stuff, working on our timing, just doing little stuff to help us perform on the field.”

He may spend limited time with the team during practice, but Toth’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by IU coach Kevin Wilson.

“We’ve done a lot of coverage work without doing a lot of full cover,” Wilson said Tuesday. “A lot of fundamentals of protection. I think Toth’s looked awesome.”

The Hoosier kicking team, led by Toth, started practicing 11-on-11 kicking drills on Monday. Redshirt sophomore Griffin Oakes has been taking more snaps in practices due to redshirt sophomore Aaron Del Grosso’s aggravated groin injury.

While Toth works to push himself to a consistently competitive level, he is also trying to pass on his own knowledge to his younger teammates. Toth is working with fellow punters Joseph Gedeon and Nick Campos to solidify a game plan. Gedeon is a redshirt freshman and Campos is a redshirt junior.

“Muscle memory is critical, that’s something that I’ve been trying to instill in these younger guys who are kind of up and coming,” Toth said. “I do that every single day. I do muscle memory, I do drops, I do my steps, everything is so critical.”

Toth also wants them to realize that quickness for a punter is a necessity.

“When you have 1.25 seconds to catch the ball and get it off, you don’t have time to think about the drop needs to be here and my step needs to be here,” Toth said. “It’s all about what you’ve taught yourself.”

Indiana and its fan base would like to see Toth on the field as little as possible, simply because IU can't win while the punter is out setting records. That's where quarterback Nate Sudfeld and company enter the picture.

Sudfeld is back from a shoulder injury and is ready to put Indiana in the end zone.

In the 2015 campaign for the Hoosiers, Toth trusts that his fellow Hoosiers will deliver on the offensive end.

“Last year I was on the field a lot, and that’s not always the best thing for the team,” Toth said, “but I have high expectations for the offense. Sudfeld is looking better than ever and is more confident than he has ever had. The offense has so many weapons, so many guys at each position.”

While Toth hopes to see the offense perform well, he is also ready to accomplish his own goals.

“I don’t expect to be on the field as much as I was last year,” said Toth. "But if I do get called out I’ll be ready to go and I’ll try to put the defense in the best spot I can.”

The Hoosiers look to keep Toth off the field beginning Sept. 5 against Southern Illinois.

@theronjohn1