Fresno State’s top wide receivers aren’t the tallest in the
nation, but they have still produced on the field.
Dalton Runberg / The Collegian
The Bulldogs’ trio of receivers will face a tall order this Friday with the 19th-ranked defense coming to Bulldog Stadium
Height has been a reoccuring factor for the Fresno State receivers, but it has never discouraged them from putting up conference and nation-leading numbers.
Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Saunders may stand at a mere 5-foot-9, but stands near the top of the charts with some nation’s best receivers in statistics.
Saunders has become quarterback Derek Carr’s primary target this season, becoming one of the nation’s leading big-play threats, averaging 27.2 yards per catch on 17 receptions for a total of 462 yards and four touchdowns. With the offense under Carr’s control, Fresno State has put an added importance on the deep ball to its offense this season and Saunders has been the main benefactor.
Despite being only 5-foot-9, Saunders, senior Devon Wylie and junior Rashad Evans have proven themselves to be defensive nightmares with their speed and athleticism. The trio is currently the three leading receivers on the team.
“I think, because we are short, a lot of teams underestimate us,” Saunders said before Monday’s practice. “They don’t think we can just jump up or we’re fast enough so we surprise teams with our athleticism and speed on the field.”
Saunders, Wylie and Evans have had little trouble bringing a “wow factor” on Saturday afternoons.
Last Saturday, Saunders scored on a 26-yard run in Fresno State’s 37-27 loss to Mississippi. He also eclipsed 100-yards receiving for the third straight game. Saunders became the first Bulldog to have three straight 100-yard receiving games since Bernard Berrian did it in 2001 with Carr’s brother, David, leading the charge at quarterback.
Evans has also been one of Carr’s favorite targets with his team-leading 23 receptions for a total of 193 yards and two touchdowns. Wylie has caught 16 passes for 214 yards as the Bulldogs’ primary slot receiver. Since the start of the season, Carr has delivered the ball at least 13 times each to five different players.
“The ball is just there, and once I see the ball I’m just going to go for it,” Saunders said of Carr delivering the ball where it needs to be for him to make the play. “We all go to the ball.”
Saunders has a 34-inch vertical leap that allows him to get up with the taller cornerbacks to help make up for his height. Carr talked about the chemistry that he and his receivers have developed.
“We’re all on the same page right now,” Carr said in a previous interview. “I trust where they’re going to be.”
And Carr’s trust in his receivers is clearly growing everyday with the amount of difficult passes he has been called on to deliver. Through roughly the first quarter of the season, Carr has had a knack for throwing back-shoulder passes to his talented players on the edges. Carr has passed for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns for a passing efficiency rating of 142.09 in the first five games of the season. His yards and efficiency rating are second in the Western Athletic Conference, only behind Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz, who is sixth in the country in passing yards.
The Bulldogs hope the numbers continue to climb with fifth-ranked Boise State coming to Bulldog Stadium this Friday. The Broncos will roll into Friday night sporting the 19th-ranked defense in the country. Although a daunting task awaits the ‘Dogs, Saunders acknowledged that the team will need to play its best game of the season on a national stage.
“It’s not going to be much of a surprise anymore, but we’re going to come out and show them up,” Saunders said. “We’re just going to have to play fast and be on our ‘A’ game.”