Ohio State receivers try to catch more respect
Young squad says improving will get them more plays
By Tim May
The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday November 1, 2011
Label the Ohio State wide receiver corps? sudden return to relevance as a chain reaction.
One game after they had no catches for the second time this season, freshman Devin Smith made the grab of the year ? a wide-open clutch of freshman quarterback Braxton Miller?s 40-yard-long, 40-yard-high touchdown rainbow with 20 seconds left that upset Wisconsin on Saturday night. And during the game, sophomore Corey Brown led the team with four catches.
Granted, that?s a mere five, one fewer than Wisconsin?s Jared Abbrederis pulled in all by himself that night. Then consider that there are four receivers in the Big Ten alone who have caught more passes than the OSU wide receivers combined (39) this season.
?Everyone, the media and all, they don?t believe in us,? Smith said. ?But in that room, the receiver room, we all believe in each other. (Receivers) coach (Stan) Drayton has this chain with everyone?s numbers on it, and we all believe that we are locked in, that we?re linked up.
?That?s one thing that I really like about coach Drayton, that he is very family-oriented. That?s, to me, the most important thing.?
The five combined catches for a team that doesn?t throw it a lot is at least a step in the right direction, Brown said.
?Hopefully, we?re back,? Brown said. ?Hopefully, us catching a few passes gives coach Bolls more confidence in us, and maybe he starts to call more pass plays.?
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