For the Penn State football team to be successful this season, three things need to click: Offense, defense and special teams.

And with the statistics of the Nittany Lions kickers and punters last season, Penn State might not be too pleased.

Lions punter David Royer ranked No. 9 in the Big Ten in the 2000 season and placekicker David Kimball wasn't much better, finishing the year No. 8 in field goals.

Even worse for the Penn State kicking game was Kimball's unsteadiness when it came time for extra point attempts. Kimball ranked 10th in the Big Ten, only behind Michigan State in that category.

But Penn State football coach Joe Paterno isn't as concerned with his kicking game as much as how the Lions will defend their opponents' special teams.

"There are four or five teams on our schedule that have just absolutely superb kickers, coverage teams and return people," Paterno said. "We are playing against some people that really have some of the more outstanding kicking operations that I have seen that we have played against."

With the second toughest schedule in the nation, Penn State has to count on every intangible to work in its favor. By starting further back on offense and not pinning the opposition deeper in its territory, the Lions are going to be faced with long Saturday afternoons.

Undoubtedly, Penn State's kicking game will be better with more experience this season, but the special teams were dealt another blow when long snapper Eric Rickenbach was sidelined for the year with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament.

Now, defensive end Bob Jones, center Joe Iorio and defensive back Eric Dare have all been mentioned as replacements at long snapper.

"The whole operation, everything is equally important to kick a good ball," Royer said.

"You're out there for one play, you can't mess up, you can't do anything wrong. It has to be exactly right because you only have one play."

The other side of the special teams game, returning punts and kickoffs has been average and senior cornerback Bruce Branch, Penn State's main return guy, wants the job to make sure it only gets better this season.

Branch has been returning punts since he's been in Happy Valley and wants to continue double duty. The Richmond, Va., native said he doesn't mind being a part of both the defense and special teams, he actually looks forward to it every game.

"I'm very hungry right now," Branch said. "That's something I've been doing since I've been a freshman. This year I'm going to try and make it the best I can."