Collegiate Corner
Receivers Catching National Praise In Big East
By Tony DeFazio, Associate Editor

With the college football season just under way, hardcore fans like to look ahead to what may happen come October and November; what teams will be looking toward conference championships, what players will be rising to the top. The preseason top 25 is out, and Nebraska and Florida State have assumed their customary perch atop the rest of NCAA.

The Heisman talk centers around two very different quarterbacks, Drew Brees of Purdue and Virginia Tech's all-everything Michael Vick.

Much talk also has surfaced about the quality of the quarterbacks in the Big Ten: the afore mentioned Brees; the "other" Drew (Henson, Michigan's two-sport superstar); Indiana's Antwaan Randle El, the most exciting player in the conference; Illinois' rising star Kurt Kittner, and Penn State's playmaker Rashard Casey.

Other conferences have their specialties as well: the offensive lines of the Big 12; the speedy defenses of the SEC. The Big East has its own claim to fame in 2000 - wide receivers.

CNN/SI recently rated Miami and Pitt Nos. 1 and 2 in the nation as far as receiving tandems.

The 'Canes boast a top five team led by a defense that reminds many of their '80s squads, a deep rushing attack, and an even deeper group of receivers. Santana Moss is an explosive talent, a sure-fire top NFL pick, and a Heisman candidate. Alongside Moss is Reggie Wayne, who appears to have recovered from a 1998 injury. The 'Canes lost tight end Bubba Franks, the NCAA's best in 1999, to the NFL Draft, but junior Robert Williams, ranked 20th in the country by The Sporting News, steps in. Not bad.

Pitt senior Latef Grim wasn't bad in '99, either. In fact, he was actually more proficient than Moss, setting the conference record for receptions in a season with 75. He led the conference in receiving yards (100.5 per game) and catches per game (6.82), and makes acrobatic catches that remind fans of Lynn Swann. Alongside Grim is 1999 freshman All-American Antonio Bryant, who averaged 76.7 yards per game. The duo combined for almost 2,000 yards and 10 scores.

Most publications don't look beyond the Panthers and Hurricanes, but the Big East goes much deeper in wide receiving talent. West Virginia's group might be mentioned just as often as Pitt's or Miami's if its quarterback had been iinjury-free in 1999. Khori Ivy turned in a solid season, with 666 yards and five scores in limited action because of injuries. He's healthy and back for another go, and junior Antonio Brown, with 5.56 catches per game, will challenge Pitt's Bryant as the best Antonio in the conference. Carlos Osegueda is solid also.

The receivers at Virginia Tech are among the most talented in the country; their numbers simply aren't very impressive because the Hokies don't put the ball in the air all that much. When Vick does air it out, senior Andre Davis hauls it in with the best of them. Davis set the school record (hear that, Antonio Freeman?) for yards with 962, and yards per catch, an amazing 27.5. Emmett Johnson is a solid complement, and tight end Derek Carter averaged 18.9 yards per catch last season -- yeah, I said tight end.

Keep an eye on these guys, as well as talented receivers at Rutgers, Syracuse and Temple. They help put The Big East at the head of the receiving class.

(c)PSR