By Anthony Gimino
For the first time since 2001, USC doesn't have the best offensive player in the Pac-10. The Trojans have a lot fewer "bests" this season, in part because of massive personnel losses to the NFL. And in part because several of Cal's players have matured in a hurry. So, meet your Pac-10 Midseason Player of the Year - Bears sophomore receiver DeSean Jackson. Jackson has touched the ball 46 times this season, scoring 10 touchdowns, including a 65-yard Reggie Bush-like cross-field scamper on a punt return against Oregon. His postgame delivery was as good as his running. "I was trying to run away from Ducks," Jackson said of the punt return. "I went right - lots of Ducks. Went left - lots of Ducks. Then I went right and I didn't see a lot of them." He has scored twice on punt returns and eight times on 29 receptions, making him the most dangerous playmaker in the conference. Jackson had 38 catches for 601 yards and seven touchdowns as a true freshman after a heated recruiting battle between Cal and USC. The Trojans wanted Jackson (6 feet, 166 pounds) as a Steve Smith-sized receiver to complement their horde of 6-5 receivers.
"He's got tremendous speed, that's the very first thing," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said of Jackson. "If he gets in the open field, he's gone. "As a punt returner, he has the ability to run across the field, change direction and beat your team back across the field. The other thing is he can track the ball very well as a receiver. He had the speed last year, but he become a more consistent receiver this season."
No comments:
Post a Comment