'Dogs revel in special teams success

Formula to block kicks effectively under wraps.

Published online on Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

There are certain things the Fresno State football program likes to keep to itself, no matter how many times it is asked or who is making the inquiry.

So even when NFL teams call to find out how the Bulldogs excel at blocking kicks year after year, special-teams coordinator John Baxter is flattered but coy.

"I'll talk about anything but field-goal blocking and punt protection," Baxter said. "It's like Colonel Sanders' secret recipe [for Kentucky Fried Chicken]. Or a magician and his tricks. You just don't give it out.

"We've got some trade secrets on some things. And the only ones who know are people who coached or played here."

Using their secretive scheme, the Bulldogs have led the nation with 83 blocked kicks since coach Pat Hill and Baxter began their Fresno State tenure in 1997.

This season, the Bulldogs have blocked four kicks and forced eight missed field goals on 17 attempts.

"We're challenging for every point," Hill said. "We usually have our hands on the flight path. You don't get them all, but if you apply enough pressure over time, kickers start to get a little nervous. If they start [messing around], we get to it.

"It's like the swinging log [on a miniature golf course]. You don't know just when the log's going to block the hole."

Rule changes over the years have forced the Bulldogs to devise different ways to block field goals, in particular. But their production has stayed consistent.

For the first nine seasons, the Bulldogs used a run-and-jump method for field-goal blocking that helped produce an average of 6.78 blocked kicks per season (Fresno State combines blocked field goals and punts into one category).

The Bulldogs would try to time the kick to match how far a player would run and when to jump toward the ball and the line of scrimmage.

The NCAA prohibited the run-and-jump technique prior to the 2006 season, concerned about injuries because the leaping player often would land on players on both teams.

So the Bulldogs went to a push method.

Fresno State would line up two big linemen, one behind the other, with the front lineman positioned in the ball's projected flight line. Then the back lineman would push the front lineman through a crack on the offensive line or simply power his way over a lineman to get the kick-block attempt.

Ex-defensive tackle Jason Shirley, at 6 feet, 5 inches and 330 pounds, was the primary kick blocker then.

The Bulldogs had seven blocked kicks in 2006 and five in 2007.

"It was great," Baxter said of the push method with a chuckle and smile. "You get these two big linemen and it seemed like the front guy could always get through."

But the NCAA also cracked down on the push method, deeming it unsafe for an offensive lineman to try to block the force of two rushing players.

So the Bulldogs went with their current secretive method.

The Bulldogs had six blocked kicks in 2008 and are on pace for at least six by this season's end.

In Fresno State's 31-27 win against Utah State last week, the Bulldogs got Aggies kicker Chris Ulinski to miss field goals from 32 and 31 yards. He entered the game having made 9 of 11 attempts.

The Bulldogs' new method to pressure the kicker appeared to be to overload the area deemed to be the ball's projected flight path -- essentially smashing over one offensive lineman with three rushers.

On Saturday, Fresno State's rushing players were 6-3, 225-pound linebacker Ben Jacobs, 6-5, 295-pound lineman Andrew Jackson, and 6-7, 310-pound lineman Kenny Wiggins.

Baxter said there's a geometric formula players use to figure out where to line up and project where the ball's flight pattern will be -- based on the field-goal distance and what hash mark the ball's on.

"Everything cracks under pressure," Baxter said. "It's just how much and where. So the whole thing is you've got to predict where it's going to crack and that's where you attack.

"But at the end of the day, it's also about having players who aren't going to be denied. And we've got that. It's a fun formula."

Mathews up for award

Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, given annually to the nation's best college football player.

Mathews, a junior, currently leads the nation in rushing by a significant margin with 1,316 yards and an average of 164.5 per game. He also has 11 rushing touchdowns.

Mathews was one of 16 semifinalists on a list that includes former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida. Three finalists with be announced Nov. 23, with the winner announced December 10.