The situation for the Oregon receiving corps heading into last Saturday’s game against Stanford looked something like this:
The likes of big-play receiver Demetrius Williams, the go-to guy a year ago who caught 59 passes and racked up more than 1,000 yards, was gone.
The team’s two leading candidates to fill that vacancy – James Finley and Cameron Colvin – were hampered by nagging injuries through fall camp, leaving three players (Jordan Kent, Brian Paysinger and Garren Strong) with a combined 22 receptions last season to carry the load in the starting positions.
That would be cause for concern for many teams.
But not so for this Oregon squad, which likely will rely on strength in numbers.
Six different receivers caught at least one pass, helping the offense rack up 236 yards through the air and 48 points against the Cardinal.
“Obviously, everyone’s been saying that we don’t have that go-to-guy like Demetrius,” Kent said. “Well, I think all of us can kind of pick up the slack. It’s not like we need to rely on one guy. I think, as a group, we are a heck of a lot better than we were last year because we’ve got seven to eight guys we can count on.”
Oregon coach Mike Bellotti believes, in some respects, this batch of receivers is the deepest he’s ever had.
“I think of big guys that can run, absolutely (it’s the deepest),” Bellotti said of a roster that includes plenty of speed and three guys taller than 6 feet 3 inches. “In my mind, they’re almost all interchangeable, and that’s not a bad thing. I mean that because they’re very talented. It’s a deep core and one
that we want to find different ways to involve in the
game plan.”
Much of the credit for the depth at wide receiver belongs to the improvement of players such as Kent, who is only in his second year of playing organized football.
The speedy three-sport standout caught just three passes for 114 yards and one touchdown last season and almost matched his reception total in the first game Saturday by catching two passes for 27 yards. While those statistics are not eye-popping, his progression and comfort level on the field, compared to last season, certainly
have not gone unnoticed by coaches or teammates.
“That’s the exciting thing. This sport is so new that every time you put in work, you see progress right away,” Kent said. “It’s exciting because it makes you want to work and keep getting better.”
In addition, for Kent, a different mentality this season has aided his vast improvement. With a year under his belt, the 6-foot-5-inch,
210-pounder, is hoping to do a little bit of everything
this season.
Last year, Kent was used sparingly and primarily as a deep threat.
“He’s the type of kid that will get better at whatever he does because he does it 110 percent,” Oregon wide receivers coach Robin Pflugrad said. “It’s just a matter of him understanding the game much better than he does. He’s got a bright future.”
One of the other biggest early surprises is Strong, who holds down the starting spot on Oregon’s single receiver side. Despite being plagued by health-related issues in his first two years with the
program, he completed 25
receptions. Saturday he grabbed a team-high six
passes for 78 yards.
“Garren played a pretty good game,” Pflugrad said. “He was pretty consistent. He’s definitely a go-to guy when we need first downs. He’s a hard guy not to like.”
Strong is the roommate of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, and the two meshed nicely in the spring when Strong earned the number one spot entering fall camp.
Working behind Strong to create a one-two punch is Oregon’s biggest receiver, sophomore Jaison Williams (6 feet 5 inches, 240 pounds). He caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
During one second-quarter drive, Dixon connected with Strong on a post route for 29 yards on the first play and delivered a 10-yard strike in traffic to Williams near the five-yard line on the next play. Williams fought off defenders and muscled his way for the touchdown, giving Oregon a 17-3 lead.
“I think Garren Strong and Jaison Williams rotating in some fashion at the single receiver side is good for us,” Bellotti said. “It keeps both of them going, and it keeps both of them fresh. That position had an outstanding game.”
The speedy Paysinger started at the other wide receiver position and hauled in three catches for 29 yards to round out an impressive day for the receiving corps.
“I was very impressed sitting on the sidelines watching the athletes and the size of the athletes they have at receiver and the number of athletes that were tall and fast,” Stanford coach Walt Harris said. “I didn’t spend much time admiring it because it proved to be very devastating for
our defense.”
So much for that early concern about who’d step up.
“I was pleased with the effort level,” Pflugrad said. “I was pleased with the ability to play a lot of guys and hopefully we’ll keep good chemistry. We’re going to need all those guys, and every game, someone’s going to have to step up. It’s by committee right now.”
And, as for those two
leading candidates to replace Demetrius Williams, together they had just three catches and 20 yards.
Don’t expect that to be the case all season.
Finley, an All-Pacific-10 Conference honorable mention returnee, caught one ball – a shovel pass – for 18 yards. He figured to be Oregon’s go-to guy this season after a year in which he amassed 57 receptions for 571 yards, tops among all returning receivers. During the annual media day, Bellotti said Finley is capable of catching 100 passes.
But, an elbow injury slowed his progress and set him back on the depth chart to start the season, though he’s completely healthy now and competing for playing time, Bellotti said.
Likewise, Colvin’s leg injury caused him to lose the starting role to Kent. Colvin caught two screen passes for three yards Saturday, but was commended for his blocking in the running game.
“I think they both tried to play through those (injuries) but, unfortunately, their performance wasn’t as productive as other players and now they are playing a little bit of catch-up,” Pflugrad said of Finley and Colvin.
Colvin said he is about 90 percent healthy but ready to become a much bigger part of the offense.
“I want to be the go-to guy,” Colvin said. “I’ve just got to get out there and get the ball in my hands. I guess I have to make my 90
percent better than other’s 100 percent in order to
prove myself.”
Until a leader fully emerges from the group, the coaching staff is content with rotating players. In addition to having certain routes and plays designated for each receiver, the depth allows for competition in practice and keeps players fresh during the game.
“I think right now, it is in a state of flux,” Bellotti said
of the receiving corps. “I don’t think I have a problem with that.”
The Ducks anticipate a much-stiffer challenge Saturday from Fresno State. The Cardinal primarily played a soft two-shell defense in order to prevent the deep pass, allowing Oregon to take advantage with its short passing game and screen plays.
But that’ll be much more difficult against a Bulldog team that likes to blitz often and mix up coverage in a secondary led by 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound senior cornerback Marcus McCauley.
“He’ll be a tough
matchup,” Bellotti said of McCauley, a two-year
starter who ran a 4.31 40-yard dash time in front of pro scouts. “But I like what our guys do.”
Oregon’s spread offense managed 534 yards of total offense against Stanford and hopes to get more
of the same. The Ducks also hope to get more of the same production out of a very deep receiving corps.
“Seeing other guys make plays, it felt good that our unit is starting to come together,” Colvin said. “The potential
is great.”
No matter who is on the field, Pflugrad just wants to continue to see players
making plays.
“I credit our offensive
line and our quarterbacks,” Pflugrad said. “I tell our guys, if they’re all doing their job, I expect you to do yours. You can’t let them down because they’re in the trenches, they’re sweating every play and they’re doing a great job. So we’re just kind
of the finishing product of a great play.”
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