Deep receiving corps gives 'Hawks options
Miami University football coach Shane Montgomery apparently thinks his receiving corps will specialize in big numbers this year.
Big numbers. As in the quantity of experienced receivers, both wideouts and tight ends. It also refers to what he hopes will be a large number of yards gained on individual plays. Something in the 50 to 90 range would be nice.
"I think we'll get a lot more explosiveness there," Montgomery said during the first of his weekly press conferences held Friday, Aug. 22, at Yager Stadium.
"This is probably as deep of a receiving corps as we've had in a long time," he said. "You might see four or even five guys have over 40 catches for us this year."
Chris Givens, a 6-foot-2, 207-pound sophomore wideout who averaged 17.2 yards on 25 catches last fall, has been moved to one of the inside positions.
"We've stuck Chris Givens in the slot, a big body who can go across the middle," Montgomery said.
That allows the RedHawks to use Dustin Woods and Eugene Harris, two burners who totaled 1,145 yards last year, at the outside wide receiving spots at the same time that Givens is working the inside routes.
And that doesn't even count senior tight ends Tom Crabtree, Jake O'Connell and Pat Shepard. All three played in all 13 games in 2007 and combined for 31 receptions for 299 yards.
"We're going to have to count on them and use them this year," Montgomery said. "After Matt Brandt left in '03, we sort of got away from using them."
Brandt was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection in 2003, one of only three Miami tight ends over the past 20 years to make all-league. The others were Damian Vaughn (first team, 1997) and James Patton (first team, '92).
"They're athletic and catch the ball well," Montgomery said. "They give us another weapon in the passing game.
"We don't have a fullback," he added. "We also use the tight ends as a fullback, so we can go into more multiple sets. ... I'm not sure anybody in the country has three senior tight ends who've played a lot of football."
