Blocks, Blockers & Blocking

I am completely and utterly impressed with the way the 2009 Cyclones have embraced the promise made by Paul Rhoads in his inaugural presser. The Cyclones are beyond well coached, beyond all-heart, beyond focused…they are the essence of team sport.

Three questions remain in fans minds: 1) When will Austen be back to 100%?; 2) How about A-Rob?; and 3) Why is the PAT/FG team struggling so, and when will it be fixed?

Since I don’t have a medical degree, I’m gonna tackle number 3.

Defending the PAT/FG starts with identifying the weakness on the FG team. Options for the defense include a block off the edge—inside or outside the wing, or a middle block—with or without a jumper.

I spent two seasons (my freshman & sophomore years) as a guard on the FG team. There is no play for an o-lineman that is more intense than a PAT/FG with a middle block. When teams go for the middle block, most will put three men on the guard, one on the inside shoulder, one on the helmet, and one on the outside shoulder. At the snap of the ball, the only job of the outside two guys is to roll you into a ball at the foot of the kicker. The inside guy is typically an explosive athlete like Ndomukong Suh (see more about Suh below). His job is to blow up your shoulder, then get skinny and put his hand up at the 2- to 3-yard deep point. Do the math - there is 900 pounds of angry headed your way. My first few reps in practice against this look did not go well for me or our kicking team. After being yelled at to toughen up and get lower and getting blown up again, I asked the coaches what I should do to block all three guys at once. They responded by telling me to punch the inside and outside with my hands and block the guy in the middle with my helmet. After a few more tries, I got it. The middle block is a test of your manhood; it is a nightmarish responsibility on game day. Simply put, this is a VERY hard thing to do, if only for a second or two.

In each fall camp of my career, the Cyclone staff gave our teams a solid piece of advice I use today in coaching: Don’t be the weak link early in the season, or you’re going to see that same block all year long.

In the KSU game, Snyder & Co. decided to go with a middle block all day. They got good penetration on several reps but never connected. On the final play of the game, they coupled a middle block with a jumper…the Cyclone guards did a good job, but the blocker got up and got lucky.

It seems like the results of that play got into Grant’s head for a game (at Kansas), but he’s swinging his leg with rhythm now. Saturday, the guards had to take on Suh, Jared Crick, and Barry Turner. Having watched both blocks on replay, I’d say the kicks were good. But the plays by Suh were UNBELIEVABLE.

So can you move the ball back a yard or two? Nope – if you do, you make the outside block an all-the-time thing. There is a reason teams setup where they do for PATs/FGs.

Cyclone fans, I think this unit is doing a pretty good job. You don’t play the best player in college football—who happens to be a scarlet-and-cream-clad defensive tackle—each week. You don’t get blocked by a jumper flying high and making a once-in-a-career play, like happened vs. K-State, all the time. The Clones have some adjustments to make at the guard spot; it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn good.

Ndamukong Suh is the best defensive lineman I’ve ever seen. He’s better than Casey Hampton and Shaun Rodgers, all-pros whom I played against when they were at the University of Texas. He’s better than Tommy Harris from Oklahoma, Harris had more raw talent, but Suh is bigger, stronger, smarter, and plays harder. He is the best player I’ve seen this year, regardless of position…he’s that good.

The writing is on the wall: Middle block will be coming. I look for ISU’s unit to perform better in the coming weeks. They’ll weather this storm.