As expected, the breadth of Texas Tech’s receiving talent
militated against a single wideout having a monster Crabtreean season in 2012. And while it may or may not have
been expected, the receiving corps did prove to be a real
team strength, though.
The Red Raider wideouts proved
exceptionally well rounded. Job one of any receiver, of course, is to catch the
football, and Tech’s did just that with aplomb. At various points in the recent
past dropped passes proved to be a bugaboo for the Red Raiders. Not so in 2012.
Dropped passes were minimal and glue-fingered grabs the standard.
Almost equal in importance to actually catching the football
is running good routes. Doing so results in wideouts
getting open and being where the quarterback expects them to be. In 2012
opposing defenses were rarely able to suppress Tech’s receivers for long.
Invariably, after at most a few series of quiescence, the Red Raider wideouts would again emerge and begin separating from
defensive backs.
Blocking is the third component of receivership, and as
expected, Tech’s receivers did a great job in this area. Few if any receiving
corps could field a group as physical as Tyson Williams, Alex Torres, Eric Ward, Jace Amaro and Darrin Moore. The Red Raiders were a respectable number 47 nationally in rushing plays
of over 10 yards, and the receivers’ strong blocking was a key reason why. Were
Kenny Williams more of a breakaway back, that ranking would have been
substantially higher.
From an individual standpoint, Darrin Moore led Tech in
receptions with 92 and touchdowns with 13. For a receiver so obviously lacking
in foot speed, Moore was highly effective and maximized his potential. The
transfer from SMU was a fine pickup and had a very good if somewhat short Tech
career.
Fortunately, Eric Ward will return in 2013. With 82
receptions, 12 touchdowns and a 13 yards-per-reception average, Ward’s numbers
were very similar to Moore’s. He could be Tech’s go-to receiver next season.
If Ward is not the primary receiver, Jace
Amaro very well could be. He had a breakout game
against West Virginia where he looked like the Tony Gonzales/Kellen Winslow superstar many folks have been prophesying.
Unfortunately, he suffered a lacerated spleen in the second half of that game
and did not return to play until Tech’s bowl game. At any rate, Amaro at his best proved a mashing blocker and a galloping
force as a receiver. In his foreshortened season, Amaro
averaged a team best 16.4 yards per catch. Quite a figure for
six-foot-five 255-pound pass catcher.
Tyson Williams, while an exceptional blocker, was perhaps
less than expected as a receiver. He caught only 35 passes and did have a few
crucial drops. Prior to the season there was talk that Williams might have an
NFL future. He did not show enough in the pass catching department to indicate
that is still the case.
Freshman Jakeem Grant had a solid season with 33 receptions
and three touchdowns. Given Grant’s speed, quickness and acceleration, it is
surprising he averaged only 8.7 yards per catch. Finding ways to get Grant the
ball in the open field will be a priority for Tech’s new offensive coaching
staff.
Alex Torres and Austin Zouzalik,
injured off and on throughout their collegiate careers, turned in typical a
Torres/Zouzalik season. When called upon they
contributed. Torres, in particular, had a couple of critical catches in the
victory over TCU.
Javon Bell, like Jace Amaro, was developing into a
devastating weapon before injury struck. He was eliminated from active duty prior
to the West Virginia game. Still, through four games he had 17 catches and
averaged 15.8 yards per grab. A healthy, full-time Bell, will be poison to man
coverage next season, and should be Tech’s primary deep threat, filling the
role Darrin Moore played in 2012.
The only player to disappoint was Marcus Kennard. Despite
injuries in the receiving corps, Kennard was never able to take advantage and
emerge as an every-down player. The talent was there; perhaps the effort was
not.