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LOGAN — Amid a game full of success for Utah State, one sore spot occurred sometime in the second quarter against Idaho State, as an extra-point try was not successfully snapped and held for the kick.
Head coach Blake Anderson said both Stephen Kotsanlee, the Aggies' punter and holder for field goals and extra points, and Jacob Garcia, the Aggies' long snapper, took the blame.
"I don't know whose fault it was really," Anderson said. "They're super consistent and they take a lot of pride in their work. I've been really pleased that we just continue to get better there, and it is a weapon."
The mistake, which was just a tiny bit off the mark, according to Anderson, was rare for the two veterans.
Kotsanlee is a native Australian who played his first American football game as an Aggies player on the blue turf at Boise State, and Garcia, a highly recruited long snapper from Anaheim, California. The two joined the Aggies in 2020 and still have at least one more year of eligibility after the season.
Garcia started as the team's long snapper in 2021, and Kotsanlee has been the team's punter since 2020, while also serving as the team's holder for field goals and extra points.
"As a specialist, obviously, perfection is the name of the game," Garcia told KSL.com, adding that if his name is out there as a long snapper, it's probably because he messed up.
Garcia said he probably snaps a football up to 150 times per week to practice and achieve perfection. Kotsanlee said that although he has lowered his own daily reps in recent years, he used to punt the ball close to 50 times per day.
The duos work has paid off well. Kotsanlee has gained national recognition several times, including being named to the preseason Ray Guy Award watchlist. More recently, he was named to the "Ray 8," which recognizes the nations best punters each week after his Week 2 performance where he kicked a career-long punt of 69 yards and downed two of his three punts inside the 10 yard line.
Garcia has gained some recognition as well, being named to the Phil Steele All-Mountain West Preseason first team ahead of the 2023 season.
"The key word is trust; trusting yourself and trusting those around you," Kotsanlee said. "If you've done it 1,000 times, you're able to do it and do it again."
As a specialist, each has to have a short memory. Mistakes, like the one against the Bengals Saturday, will happen, but it's a matter of having to "move on to the next one," Kotsanlee said.
Though specialists are generally under appreciated as a whole, the duo agreed that at Utah State they have felt the love from their teammates.
"As you can see there, we make friends pretty easily," Garcia chuckled as a teammate ran by and said "I love specialists" during his interview.
The focus of the two players remains on the season, though a future career in the NFL remains in sight. For them, it's maintaining the day-to-day responsibilities at the collegiate level that will help them get closer to the dream.
The next test for the specialists will be Friday evening against Air Force, where they will seek to achieve perfection each time their team calls them onto the field.
