By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Al Hunter snuck in from the right side to block a
field-goal attempt in the second quarter.
Special teams made plays
By Dave Reardon
when they counted most
Special to the Star-BulletinIf University of Hawaii football coach Fred vonAppen is going to start writing thank-you notes, some should go to the heroes of the Rainbow kicking game for the bonus big plays they provided Saturday. As the Rainbows went into their season opener against Minnesota, the Hawaii special teams were not expected to be especially special.
"The idea was for us just to be solid and not make mistakes," special teams coordinator Doug Semones said. "We didn't set up any blocks or fakes. We just didn't want to give (Minnesota) any advantage."
Well, you've heard the one about the best laid plans.
It's true that Hawaii's kick, punt, block and return teams made few errors, but they also were spectacular at times and played a major role in the Rainbows' 17-3 victory. An audible of sorts by Semones created a pivotal play and punter/kicker Chad Shrout consistently pinned the Gophers in a hole.
"They were outstanding," vonAppen said. "I was particularly impressed with Eddie Klaneski fielding the ball cleanly in some very important situations and using impeccable judgment on whether to return (punts) or not."
VonAppen's comment reflects his happiness with the filling of the order of no screw ups. But he'll take kick blocks and booming punts, too, thank you very much.
The block, though unplanned, was huge.
Late in the second quarter, with Hawaii leading, 7-3, the Gophers Thomas-Hamnered their way down the field. Hamner carried seven times, gaining 62 yards, leading Minnesota to the Rainbow 3. But the drive stalled, and the visitors set up for a field goal.
That was when Semones told Al Hunter, who usually lines up on the left edge of the field goal defense formation, to get on the right side this time.
"He told me, 'Al, you block it,' " Hunter said.
Untouched, Hunter did just that.
"I got in so fast, I was afraid I would go past it," he said.
"And it rolled right to the guy you want to get it," Semones said.
Klaneski -- who also had an interception and a fumble recovery -- sprinted 96 yards for an apparent touchdown.
"I just saw the ball, scooped it up and scored," he said.
It was brought back to the Minnesota 33 because of an illegal block -- by, of all people, Hunter -- and the Rainbows did not score. But for Hawaii, it was still a fortuitous conclusion to the Gophers' only sustained drive of the game.
One reason Minnesota couldn't put anything together was poor field position. And Shrout was a big -- 249-pounds big -- factor there.
"He's not only the best punter in America, he's the biggest," Semones said.
Shrout averaged 47.4 yards on eight punts and his kickoffs consistently reached the goal line. More important was the end result: With the help of cover men Robert Kemfort and Wesley Morris, he kept the Gophers deep on their side of the field.
Minnesota's best field position to start a drive -- other than when Hawaii committed its one turnover, setting up the Gophers' only three points -- was its own 35.
In the second half, Shrout's kicks and punts gave Minnesota an average starting spot of the 16 yard line, with two beginning at the 9 and two at the 8.
"It was nice to go out and do well," said Shrout, who missed all of last season because his mother passed away. "I was kicking for a lot of people; the team, our lost warrior Shannon Smith (a teammate who died in a drowning accident) and my mother."
If there was a downside on special teams, it was field-goal kicker Eric Hannum missing a 33-yard field goal early. But he came back to make a 31-yarder that helped ice the game.
"Our special teams are really good, and we're going to get better as the season goes on," Shrout said.
See also, Notebook
UH Rainbow Warrior
Football Schedule
