Kicking Team Works to Become Special

Seven kicks were blocked against USC last season--including a 41-yard field-goal attempt that could have won the UCLA game in regulation instead of allowing an overtime loss.

That means the major task facing the otherwise impressive special teams is putting an end to blocks.

One problem was the low trajectory of Adam Abrams’ kicks. Another was the protection provided by an inexperienced line.

“On film, of the seven that were blocked, I felt two or three were mine and on four, someone got deep,” said Abrams, who made 13 of 21 field-goal attempts and had five blocked. There were two blocked kicks after touchdowns.

Coach John Robinson spreads the blame around for a kicking game he says went “haywire.”

“It was protection, holding, snapping and kicking,” Robinson said. “We had some real problems with our protection, and I think we’ve straightened that out.”