By Doug Flanagan
State Press
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Williams |
BERKELEY, Calif. -- Entering Saturday's game at Cal, ASU wide receivers not named Tariq McDonald had combined for just four receptions, underscoring the need for a second dependable pass catcher.
Richard Williams now considers the position filled.
The junior college transfer caught four balls for 103 yards and two touchdowns -- the Sun Devils' first two scores of the game -- in ASU's 24-23 loss. Williams, who has started all three contests opposite of McDonald, has made a slow transition to Division-I football coming from Mesa Community College; coming into the Cal game, he had made only two catches and was reprimanded by ASU head coach Bruce Snyder for missing several assignments in the team's Sept. 6 win over Texas Tech.
But thanks to health, increased reps in practice and the knowledge that comes with experience, Williams had a breakout performance on Saturday.
"I feel more comfortable now," he said. "In camp I was hurt, but when I came back (wide receivers) coach (Robin) Pflugrad started putting me in more. This game I knew what to expect. I was ready."
Williams' first touchdown came on ASU's opening drive. The Sun Devils drove the ball to the Cal 48, and on first-and-10 quarterback Ryan Kealy called for a "fake crack," a play designed for Williams to trick the defensive backs on his side of the field into thinking that a running play had been called and then break free across the middle of the field.
He did just that, and the result was a breakdown in coverage and a wide-open Williams -- no Cal defender was within 15 yards of him. Kealy lofted the ball to him and he coasted into the end zone. "We ran it so much in practice," he said, "that I had confidence that I was going to make the play."
After the Bears responded with a touchdown of their own early in the second quarter to tie the game at seven, Williams struck again. He capped off an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown reception to once again give ASU the advantage.
Williams put an exclamation mark on his day by hauling in another long bomb, this one coming late in the third quarter with the game tied at 14. Kealy called for a post route, and once again saw a streaking Williams a step ahead of the Cal defensive back Delthea Harris. Williams reeled it in for a 41-yard gain to the Golden Bear 20-yard line.
"Coming in, we knew he could run," ASU offensive coordinator Dan Cozzetto said. "The one thing we needed is a guy that can really run by people and get deep behind the safety, and that's what he did today. He's really going to help us down the road."
Williams said he welcomes the challenge of becoming the Sun Devils' second go-to wideout, something they will need if they plan to crawl out of the 1-2 hole they have buried themselves in so far this season, according to Snyder. Kealy, who in the past two games had a tendency to force the ball to McDonald even if he was tightly covered, spread the wealth against Cal, completing passes to nine different offensive players.
And Williams was the main beneficiary.
"All this week it was planned for me to get the ball and see what I can do," he said. "This week, coach told me to step up. It finally came to me, and I made plays."
Bringin' the heat
ASU finally had the chance to debut its expanded nickel and dime packages on Saturday, and the results were mixed.
The varying formations were put into the Sun Devils' playbook this season thanks to their improved depth in the secondary but weren't revealed in the season's first two games because the teams they played were primarily running teams. The purpose of them was to catch Cal -- and true freshman Kyle Boller, who was making his first collegiate start -- off guard.
In the first half, they did. When ASU went into the sets, in which they brought in additional backs Alfred Williams, Nijrell Eason, Kyran Jones, or Patrick Wilson, a blitz was often called to make Boller react. On Cal's first drive of the game, on second-and-11 from the Sun Devils' 21-yard line, Adam Archuleta lined up as the sole linebacker and burst through the middle to sack Boller for a 9-yard loss. Later in the quarter, on first-and-10 from the Cal 43, the pocket collapsed on Boller, and ASU defensive end Erik Flowers took him down for a 3-yard loss. In the second quarter, with Cal at its own 38, Courtney Jackson came from the left side on a cornerback blitz and got to Boller for a 6-yard loss.
"That was part of the plan," Archuleta said about the packages. "I don't think they were expecting it. Nobody's ever seen us come out with it before. It caused a lot of problems at first."
However, in the second half Boller made adjustments. He sliced his drop to three quick steps, which allowed him to deliver the ball a split second before he got creamed. Most often, he would only be able to get off short passes in these situations -- tailback Marcus Fields caught three passes for 42 yards and a 16-yard touchdown reception. "They knew we were going to blitz (and) went to the three-step game," Archuleta said. "It's fairly hard to get a hit on a quarterback when they go to a three-step game."
Boller played the entire game and completed 17 of 32 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.
"He's a good kid," ASU cornerback Craig Koontz said. "He proved himself. We came after him, and if Cal can continue to protect the kid, he's got a future."
