StarBulletin.com

Kelly and Mouton spark the much-maligned special-teams units


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POSTED: Sunday, October 05, 2008

FRESNO, Calif. » Give an assist to another Kelly.

With a shot to give Hawaii a victory in overtime, Hawaii kicker Dan Kelly's thoughts left Bulldog Stadium, drifting to the days leading up to that moment and the time he'd spent with his girlfriend, Kelly Braden.

“;I was thinking about her and the weekend we had, and after that my mind shut off,”; Dan Kelly said.

The senior, who entered the night 2-for-6 on field goals this season, then drilled his 33-yard kick to send the Warriors to a rousing 32-29 overtime win over No. 22 Fresno State last night and trigger a Warrior celebration.

“;That's something I should do more often,”; he said of his pre-kick thoughts. “;I should just stop thinking, because when I think I screw up. I should just be a dumb animal, run out there and do my job.”;

Kelly's fourth field goal of the night, a career high, capped a special teams effort that ignited, then ultimately decided, the Warrior win.

Ryan Mouton gave Hawaii the lead with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter and Tua Mahaley's block of Kevin Goessling's 36-yard field-goal attempt with 50 seconds left gave the Warriors a shot at winning in overtime.

The kick coverage team forced one of Fresno State's six turnovers and contained A.J. Jefferson, who began the weekend 13th in the nation in kickoff returns.

“;The kids on the unit take a lot of pride,”; special teams coach Ikaika Malloe said. “;I just thought the special teams unit did such a good job of executing.”;

Kickoff coverage was one of Pat Hill's concerns after giving up 206 yards in returns to UCLA the previous week, and it bit the Bulldogs early last night.

After Fresno State's first drive ended in a field goal, Mouton fielded the ensuing kickoff near the right sideline, bolted through a seam and cut across the field on his way to the end zone. It was his second career kickoff return for a score.

“;The wedge hit it and opened it up and I just had to run,”; Mouton said. “;And I don't have a problem running.”;

Jefferson fumbled it away on his turn, and Jayson Rego recovered for Hawaii at the Bulldogs' 30. The turnover led to Kelly's first field goal.

Fresno State, known as one of the nation's top kick-blocking teams, knocked down Kelly's 49-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. But Hawaii answered when Mahaley, a reserve defensive end, went high to block Kevin Goessling's 36-yarder with less than a minute left.

“;Tua studies film on how to block a kick,”; Malloe said. “;He goes out for that one thing, that's his only chance to make a play and he took advantage of his opportunity.”;

Goessling then missed two tries at a field goal in overtime to set up Kelly's game-winner.

“;I knew it wasn't straight, but I was more concerned about getting height,”; Kelly said. “;All I had to do was get it over that line. I didn't feel a single rusher next to me. All the credit goes to them.”;

Kelly made clutch kicks against Louisiana Tech and Nevada in UH's WAC title run last season and his latest prompted head coach Greg McMackin to declare, “;He got that Iceman name back tonight.”;