Another weapon in the arsenal
10/16/2013 7:31:00 AM | Football
He's wide receiver and punt return specialist Torrance Williams.
Back from a knee injury that forced the senior from Waco to miss much of the 2012 championship season, Williams is his usual explosive self again. The Connally High School product has given the passing game and special teams an added dimension and is having a large impact.
“He's just one more weapon we have offensively,” Kats quarterback Brian Bell said. “Having him is a big impact. He's a great player for us and it works out having him back here for us. I felt that he was kind of a guy that no one saw coming into this year. I'm sure they see him now with the impact, the touchdowns and the yards he's had for us.
We knew he was going to be a playmaker because of the work ethic he has.”
The Southland Conference recognized Williams this week as special teams player of the week after he sparked the Kats to a 14-3 victory over Lamar in the league opener last Saturday. Williams helped SHSU win the field position war with five punt returns for 138 yards including a long return of 53 yards.
In six games, Williams has helped make the passing game a downfield threat with his elusiveness and speed.
Williams has caught 19 passes for 371 yards, an average of 19.5 yards per catch. He has caught seven touchdown passes.
On special teams, Williams not only leads the Southland Conference in punt returns (16 for 358 yards), he is tied for first place in the national FCS statistics with 22.4 yards per return.
“Last season, all I could look forward to was the next year. Next year, I'll be healthy. Next year, I'll be ready to go,” Williams said. “It's finally here. Six games down this year, it's going good so far. I keep praying every day that I stay healthy.
“I'm there whenever the team needs me. When they call my number, I'm ready for whatever happens after that. I'm grateful for the offensive line that we have. I'm really blessed."
Williams now is a member of the Sam Houston 1,000 yards receiving club with 75 career catches for 1,114 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has totaled 2,053 career all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving and returns).
The Kats boast the 14th-best total offense (484.8 yards per game) in FCS play this fall.
“We went through most of last season and I really didn't know what it was like to have him around, he missed so much time. About the time we thought we'd get him back, he'd have another setback,” said Sam Houston State offensive coordinator Doug Ruse. “It's great to have him back. Not only is he doing a great job of making plays on Saturdays, but just as important, he's giving us great leadership every day. He's a high-energy guy and he comes to work each day. He's been playing his tail off on Saturdays, too. It's nice to have him.
“He's got great speed. He's not just a speed guy. He's got top-end speed and he can run by people. He's a senior and a veteran. He's taken a lot of live snaps for us and he's football-savvy. He knows how to run routes and mix it up on you.”
Due to his quickness, Williams can make things happen when plays break down. An example of this was in the Kats' last game against Eastern Washington. Bell had to scramble out of the pocket due to pressure and Williams found a way to streak past the Eagles defensive backs to make himself a wide-open target in the end zone that he ended up scoring on thanks to a 50-yard touchdown pass.
Plays like that are the reason why the Kats also rank third in passing yards per completions (16.63 yards) and pass efficiency.
“Torrance and I, we're really good buddies so we have a good connection, staying after practice and catching a lot of balls,” Bell said. “We're both pretty football-savvy, so I kind of know where he's going to be and we're on the same page.”
Williams had also made an impact on special teams, taking over punt return duties this fall. The shifty senior has accumulated 220 yards on 11 returns, including a few returns for more than 40 yards that have also set up the offense with good field position.
“He's a very, very explosive football player. When you get the ball in his hands in the open field and he gets a head of steam going, he is fast,” Bearkats head coach Willie Fritz said. “He's a smart football player. He's not real big, but he's extremely tough, too. Last year, he had a tough season with getting hurt. It doesn't surprise us with how he's playing.
“If we can get him catching the ball with a head of steam, he can be really fast and explosive. He's just another big-time weapon we have.”
Sam Houston and McNeeseState, both 5-1 for the year and 1-0 in Southland action, meet Saturday in a battle of the league's two top-ranked teams.
The Bearkats return home to Elliott T. Bowers Stadium to play host to NorthwesternState on Saturday, Oct. 26, then meet SFA in the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” Nov. 2 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Tickets for the remaining two home games at Bowers and the SFA game at Reliant are available now online at www.gobearkats.com.
Fans also may purchase tickets at the SHSU athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
