Matt Weir / The Collegian
Tight end Vince Pascoe, the cousin of former Bulldog tight end Bear Pascoe, is affectionately called “Cubâ€Â by his Fresno State teammates, but hasn’t been able to fill the spot left by his older cousin Bear. Vince has only caught three passes for 13 yards in 2009.
The Bulldogs̢۪ tight end production has seen a decline since the departure of Bear Pascoe in ̢۪08.
For the last three seasons, the tight end position on the Fresno State football team was defined by one word: “Bear.â€Â
Bear Pascoe is no longer creating matchup problems for opposing defensive coordinators at Fresno State, and the current tight ends have not quite been able to fill the tracks left by Pascoe.
In his four years as a Bulldog, Pascoe had 112 receptions for 1,294 yards and ten touchdowns. In 2008, he ranked second on the team with 40 catches for 400 yards and four touchdowns.
“Bear was 6 feet, 5 inches and 265 pounds. He was a better blocker than all these guys,â€Â said head coach Pat Hill. “He was a big target and he was an NFL-type player.â€Â
The Bulldogs̢۪ two main tight ends, Isaac Kinter and Vince Pascoe, have combined for eight catches for 45 yards and have yet to find the end zone.
One reason the tight ends are lost in the fray is because this year̢۪s receiving corps has proven to be very productive.
“We don’t target to get the ball to the tight ends like we might for the wide receivers because we have great wide receivers this year,â€Â quarterback Ryan Colburn said.
The tight ends have assumed more of a blocking role, especially with the talented group of tailbacks.
“I just try to concentrate on my blocking assignment when I am on the field,â€Â Kinter said. “During a pass, I just try to run my route, and if the ball is thrown somewhere else, I try to make a block to spring the player.â€Â
In the Bulldogs̢۪ most recent game, Fresno State was able to utilize the tight ends in the middle of the field. Colburn connected with Kinter four times for 27 yards.
“The way that they were playing, they were giving us a lot of the naked bootlegs,â€Â Colburn said. “[On the bootleg play], Isaac is creeping out and they gave us that four times.â€Â
In his career, Kinter has more than 400 yards receiving and has five touchdown catches.
Filling the shoes of Pascoe is no easy task. However, Kinter does not feel the pressure or even want to try and live up to the expectations.
“Bear was a great player, but I really don’t try to compare myself to him,â€Â Kinter said. “I just try to be the best player I can be and do all the jobs that the coaches give me on the field. I don’t want to try and be somebody else.â€Â