Quotes from the local papers

About how Fresno State emphasizes special teams, Dennis McKnight said:
"They understand the importance of special teams. They emphasize it. They don't give it lip service. When they practice it, they practice it at full speed. They attack all the way. Like I tell our guys: 'You will play Saturday night the way you practice Monday through Thursday.' You can tell watching them on film they practice hard Monday through Thursday." (HA)

HA Note: "The Bulldogs have four blocks this season, and 74 in Pat Hill's 11 years as FSU head coach."

HA Note: "To prepare for an all-out rush, the perimeter defenders were aligned a step inside the offense's side during UH's punt and kick drills yesterday."


About how the punt block team has been lining up closer (or past) the line of scrimmage this week to emulate Fresno State, long-snapper Jake Ingram said:
"The coaches are making it harder on us. The scout team is bringing it. They line up offsides. They come to us faster than if we were in a game." (HA)

HA Note: "Most teams set a snap-to-punt goal of under 2 seconds. The Warriors have been able to perform the snap-catch-punt sequence in as quick as 1.6 seconds."

About how they have been speeding up their speed they get kicks away, punter Tim Grasso said:
"The faster you go, the farther they're away from you, and it's less likely to get blocked." (HA)

HA Note: "Most punt defenses have to pick a poison: go for the block or set up a return. The Bulldogs have found the formula to fuse both. They are ninth nationally in punt returns with an average of 16.2 yards.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are ranked 118th (out of 119 Division I-A teams) in punt defense, relinquishing an average of 19.5 yards per return. They are 116th in net punting, averaging 29.9 yards per punt play."


About how they have to execute on special teams against Fresno State, kicker Dan Kelly said:
"We have to do our job." (HA)

HA Note: "When Kelly was a freshman in 2005, the Bulldogs blocked a field-goal attempt and a point-after kick. In last year's game, the Bulldogs blocked two of Kelly's PATs."


About how Fresno State has had success in blocking his kicks, Kelly said:
"We've shot ourselves in the foot — whether it's me kicking a low kick, not covering the ball right, not doing our jobs. They have, yes, great special teams. They capitalize on mistakes. That's what great special teams do. We've given them many mistakes to capitalize on over the last two years. We have to not make mistakes in our kicking game. If we don't make any mistakes, that takes out their weapon, and their weapon is their special teams." (HA)

HA Note: "The Warriors spent extra time on team kicking drills yesterday. The two wings who serve as perimeter blockers received extensive work against full-speed rushes."


Cameron Allen-Jones is the left wing blocker and said:
"I just have to go out there and submit the block." (HA)


Timo Paepule is the right wing blocker on placekicks and said:
"The main thing is to knock (rushers off course). We don't worry about Jake (Ingram) or Tim (Grasso). Jake's snaps and Tim's holds are always perfect." (HA)

HA Note: "Kelly also said his leg strength has improved. Even with the tee moved back 5 yards, to the 30, Kelly was booting kickoffs into the end zone during preseason workouts. But during the season, his average kickoff is reaching the 6. He has induced five touchbacks in 68 kickoffs."

About how his kickoffs have not been reaching the end zone like they were in preseason, Kelly said:
"It was me going through a little slump. I'm getting a little better. The break sure helped. Now it's getting back into the swing of things." (HA)


About having a chance to play against Fresno State with Pilares hurt, Jason Laumoli said:
"The coaches are giving me a chance to showcase. I can't ask for more than that." (HA)


About his limited playing time so far, LWJ said:
"I think the coaches are taking their time with me, making sure I get my stuff down. I'm not in a rush to get on the field. They're not going to put me out there if I don't know what I'm doing. I've just been patient. ... I might be getting the ball more and getting more playing time. It's a good chance for me to step up and show Coach I do know what I'm doing." (HSB)


About how Fresno State never recruited him even though he wanted to go there, Bess said:
"I wouldn't say they recruited me. I got a letter showing interest, but they never pulled the trigger. That's pretty much it. My school has a history of sending players to Fresno State. I wasn't fortunate enough. I wasn't as gifted as those guys. It definitely motivates me. I'm going to go into this with a chip on my shoulder, Ready to play, ready to fight, not literally fight, just compete." (HSB)

HSB Note: "In 2005, Bess caught a school-record 14 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown in UH's 27-13 loss. Last year at Fresno, he grabbed eight passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns, part of the carnage as the Warriors strutted out of Bulldogs Stadium after a 68-37 romp. Bess said the home loss two years ago is a rallying point. But the nastiest memory to erase comes from 2004, when he wasn't even officially a Warrior yet."


About how they are motivated by past losses to Fresno State, Bess said:
"We definitely want to take (the 2005 loss) into consideration. But we also want to look at what they did to us three years ago in 2004 when we were in Fresno." (HSB)


About how he watched Fresno State beat UH 70-14 in 2004, Bess said:
"It was a pretty bad show that day. It was ugly. I was this close to de-committing." (HSB)

HSB Note: "This time, the smile means he is joking."

Making clear that he was joking about do-committing, Bess said:
"I'm just playing. I was already part of the Warrior family." (HSB)


About speculation that he will turn pro after this season, Bess said:
"I've been getting a lot of calls from people, but I'm trying to just think about this season for now." (HSB)


About moving up from the scout team to get significant reps after Monteilh's injury, Spencer Smith said:
"It feels good. I wasn't getting too many reps from the start of camp and last spring. It's been a long season, but I just tried to keep working hard. Hard work pays off." (HSB)


About how he never thought of transferring after Glanville (who recruited him) left, Smith said:
"I didn't have any thoughts of leaving. I made such good friends out here and I respect all the other coaches too." (HSB)