Robinson shines in loss to Pack
Good blocking.
A few moves.
A burst of speed.
Seventy yards later, Kevin Robinson had put Utah State up by a touchdown, 21-14, over the University of Nevada – and in doing so, showed everyone why he was named to three mid-season, All-American teams.
Although it was a big play, one that brought the depleted crowd at Romney Stadium to its feet, the return all seemed so simple to Robinson.
“I just told my guys they get me a block, I’m going to try to field everything possible and they did a good job, had a couple good block,” he said. “I made a couple guys miss, and it was just me trying to outrun the kicker once again, and most of the time, like I said, I’m perfect doing that.”
But Robinson’s first punt return for a touchdown this season, which adds to the two kick returns he’s taken back, wasn’t his only contribution – far from it.
The senior wide receiver racked up 183 all-purpose yards in the 31-28 USU loss, the majority of which came off of returns. Robinson had 87 total punt return yards and 66 kick return yards.
It was 45 of those kick return yards that had fans on their feet again with about seven minutes left in the game.
After a 32-yard touchdown pass that put the Wolf Pack up 31-28, Robinson fielded a short kick from UNR kicker Brett Jaekle and took it back 45 yards to the Nevada 39-yard line, setting the Aggies up in good field position.
It wasn’t necessarily the amount of yardage on the return that had Romney Stadium excited. It was the zigging and zagging, the reversing of field – twice – that had fans anticipating another possible Robinson return for a touchdown.
He said they were kicking away from him all day, but he had total control on the field, calling his up-men off if he could field the ball, which is exactly what Robinson did on the long kick return.
After fielding it, his instincts just took over.
He said: “I was waiting for my boy Diondre (Borel) to hurry up and move that guy out of the way, but he was taking too long, so I had to get creative and go back the other way. It’s just one of those things. It’s my field instincts, whatever I feel like I just go with.”
Robinson may have run 100-total yards to gain those 45, and it’s that kind of effort that impressed Aggie Head Coach Brent Guy.
“Kevin Robinson’s effort was courageous,” Guy said. “I told (the team) the effort we’ve got to have the last five games is the effort we saw on that kickoff return by that kid. That’s the effort we’ve got to play with and we’ll win.”
Robinson’s effort was also shown in unusual situations.
Seeing him in the end zone or deep in enemy territory after a return is nothing new. Seeing Robinson in the shotgun, taking a snap at quarterback, is.
But that’s exactly where Robinson was for two plays to start out the Aggies’ fifth possession of the game midway through the second quarter.
“We’re trying to find ways to get Kevin the football,” Guy said.
Both plays, from a formation Guy said offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey and his staff drew up, were designed runs for Robinson. The plays netted 12 yards and a first down for Utah State, sparking a 10-play, 65-yard drive that tied the game at 14 with 3:37 left in the half.
Besides directly snapping the ball to Robinson in the backfield, the Aggies also looked to throw it to him downfield.
And they started early.
The first play of the game was a bomb from quarterback Leon Jackson III that was thrown a little too far for Robinson’s outstretched arms. Although they never hooked up on a long pass – Robinson only ended up with 18 receiving yards – Jackson kept taking shots for him downfield.
“We get him singled on somebody and we feel like we have a chance,” Guy said about throwing deep for the senior wide receiver.
With his 26 career touchdowns, mid-season All-American status and conference – and NCAA – leading 212.5 all-purpose yards per game (going into Saturday), anytime the ball is in Robinson’s hands Aggies’ coaches and fans have to think there is a chance.
– da.bake@aggiemail.usu.edu