Fresno State’s Derek Carr, Davante Adams Have Been Dominant in 2013
Nov 23, 2013; Fresno, CA, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to throw a pass against the New Mexico Lobos in the third quarter at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Lobos 69-28. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
We all knew coming into the 2013 season that Fresno State had a dynamic duo in quarterback Derek Carr and redshirt sophomore receiver Davante Parker. What we didn’t know was that they had the college version of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.
Completely on the same page, connecting with abnormal regularity, and absolutely unstoppable even though the defense knows what’s coming.
Carr has been phenomenal this year, and because of the conference he plays in and the national spotlight placing its attention elsewhere, he won’t be considered for the Heisman Trophy, just a bunch of other awards. In 10 games this season, Carr has completed nearly 70 percent of his throws for 3,948 yards, 39 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.
Why are those numbers so important? Well, because of a strange tendency to throw the ball off of his back foot, scouts questioned Carr’s ability to be consistent with accuracy and decision making. There were plenty questioning also that Carr had not proven enough against lesser competition that he could be a first round pick, but this is his second year with 37 or more TD passes and seven or fewer interceptions.
In fact, barring the unforeseen, Carr will not have thrown more than nine interceptions in a year of starting at QB for the Bulldogs, a stat which NFL teams will be very attracted to. He might need some time to develop to the speed and ability of the NFL, but there’s no doubt that at this point, Carr deserves first round consideration.
Perhaps Carr’s numbers are inflated, but you can’t deny the consistency with which he plays, nor the consistency and improvement of redshirt sophomore receiver Davante Adams, who joined Carr in having his biggest game of the season on Saturday, catching nine passes for 246 yards and a whopping four touchdowns.
It was Adams’ second game in 2013 with more than 220 yards receiving, and it put him over 1,200 yards total this year. He has also upped his reception total to 100 for the second straight year, catching 102 passes as a freshman. Adams has good size at 6’2″ 212 pounds and has 33 touchdowns in two collegiate seasons.
With Derek Carr graduating and heading for the NFL, it absolutely wouldn’t surprise me to see Adams follow him. It’s not going to get much better for the Bulldogs than what we’re seeing this year, where they are 10-0 and putting up video game stats, and by that I mean ridiculous numbers.
These two guys were impressive on Saturday, but this has been a two year stretch of dominance that won’t go unnoticed by NFL scouts.