READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
Sensational catch solidifies Garrett’s status as elite receiver
Published: 10/22/2012 7:06 AM
Last Modified: 10/22/2012 3:01 PM

Even after having watched Keyarris Garrett practice nearly every day in August, and even after having watched him play seven previous games, I didn’t realize the University of Tulsa sophomore wide receiver was this good until the second quarter of last week’s 28-24 Golden Hurricane victory over Rice.

On most of his big plays, Garrett benefited from being 6-foot-4 with a long wingspan. He would outreach smaller cornerbacks and steal the football. But at the midway mark of the second period of the Rice game, Garrett shifted into a higher speed gear and made the most sensational catch of the season for TU.

On first down from the Tulsa 34, quarterback Kalen Henderson released a deep pass. Garrett and a Rice cornerback raced down the east sideline at H.A. Chapman Stadium. From my vantage point in the press box, the ball seemed significantly overthrown. At the ball’s highest point, I didn’t believe Garrett had any shot at a reception. He intensified his effort, going from fast to faster. He dived, got his hands on the football, bobbled it, collected it and secured it before crashing to the turf with a 46-yard gain. It was an NFL-caliber reception.

Ja’Terian Douglas’ 75-yard run later in the game qualifies as TU’s Most Important Play of the Year thus far, but from a degree-of-difficulty standpoint, Garrett’s 46-yard catch was no less remarkable.

If there were a draft involving all of the major-college wide receivers in the state of Oklahoma, Garrett might be the No. 1 pick. OU’s 6-foot-1 Kenny Stills has 38 catches. OSU’s 5-10 Josh Stewart has 42. Because the Golden Hurricane passing game lacks efficiency – it has fallen to 49 percent for the season – the 205-pound Garrett doesn’t get as many opportunities, but he does have five TDs on a team-high total of 28 receptions and averages nearly 16 yards per catch.

Before the Rice game, Garrett’s most impressive play occurred at Marshall on Oct. 6. With QB Cody Green having sustained a first-half shoulder injury, Tulsa became extremely run-game reliant during the second half. But with Marshall leading 38-37 in the fourth period, and with the Hurricane in a third-and-5 dilemma from its own 39-yard line, Green found Garrett with a strike in the middle of the field. Garrett then displayed stunning speed, blazing past a Thundering Herd safety and downfield for a 47-yard gain. The Green-to-Garrett connection led to a Jordan James touchdown, and Tulsa escaped with a 45-38 triumph.

As a 175-pound freshman last season, Garrett appeared in seven games and totaled only two catches. He had an excellent spring, but senior Bryan Burnham was expected to be Tulsa’s go-to receiver this season. When Burnham sustained a serious knee injury in the opener at Iowa State, Garrett was promoted to the status of primary receiver. He now is among the more prominent reasons why Tulsa has a seven-game win streak and a 5-0 record in Conference USA.

If Garrett improved this much from one season to the next, what can he be in 2013? Ultimately, he may be destined to become TU’s next NFL wide receiver.

-- Bill Haisten



Reader Comments


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


TU Sports

Tulsa World Sports Writer Bill Haisten was named the 2010 Oklahoma Sportswriter of the Year. He is the World's only staff member to have covered OU, OSU, TU and ORU sports on a beat basis. He was on the OSU beat from 2004-2012. A Texas native, he has covered two Super Bowls and two national championship football games for the World.

Follow Bill Haisten on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

 
Bill Haisten's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.