The special teams could certainly improve but the seriousness of the problem is being way overstated - probably because they were so terrible in the JMU game.
Example: Punt return defense is 114th? So what? It's a meaningless stat. Net punting is the one that matters. According to the Sam Houston State game notes, NDSU was 38th in Net Punting going into the semifinal game but finished 80th largely because our punter got hurt in the championship game.
Heck, opponents returned punts for a total of 195 yards or 13 yards per game.
Punt Returns By Game
4-87 <- JMU
0-0 SHSU
1-6 Wofford
0-0 San Diego
3-16 Illinois Stae
0-0 USD
1-(-1) SDSU
0-0 UNI
1-0 WIU
3-17 YSU
1-54 <- Indiana State
1-14 Missouri State
0-0 Robert Morris
1-2 EWU
0-0 MVSU
I'd be OK (but not ecstatic) with finishing 38th in net punting... 80th is bad, but if you take away the JMU game where are punter was hurt and the one botched punt coverage against ISU-Blue, there were only around 50 yards of punt returns all year.
Another meaningless stat is "KO Return Defense." What we really care about it the opponents starting position at the beginning of a drive and apparently there isn't a stat for that. Towson was #1 in KO Return Defense but their average kickoff only went to the 13 yard line whereas NDSU's went inside the 5. Towson's opponents' average starting position after a KO was the 28 while NDS put them at the 24. Anything inside the 25 is a win, as far as I'm concerned.