FAYETTEVILLE — Too bad it would have been improper for Garrick McGee to lobby Mackey Award voters.
Otherwise D.J. Williams likely would have been a Mackey Award finalist again.
McGee, the Arkansas Razorbacks’ second-year quarterbacks coach who recently became offensive coordinator, gave the fullest explanation yet about tight end Williams doing more in 2009 despite less stats than 2008.
Last year as a sophomore, Williams caught a Razorbacks tight end record/team-leading 61 passes for 723 yards. Those numbers led to him being a finalist for the Mackey Award, which honors the nation’s best tight end. They also netted Williams Associated Press 2008 first-team All-SEC recognition.
Going into Saturday’s Liberty Bowl game against East Carolina in Memphis, Williams has caught 31 passes for 399 yards this season.
The junior from Little Rock and Central Arkansas Christian wasn’t among the 2009 Mackey Award finalists. His best postseason conference honor was making the coaches’ second-team All-SEC team.
Yet because of Williams’ improved blocking, Williams and Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino insist Williams posted a better 2009 than 2008. That helped Arkansas improve from 2008’s stayat-home 5-7 to 7-5 and in the Liberty Bowl.
McGee concurs.
Williams’ new role, McGee explained, wasn’t just Arkansas’ quarterbacking evolution from 2008 senior Casey Dick to 2009 strongarmed, All-SEC second-team sophomore Ryan Mallett.
“Last year D.J. was Casey’s favorite target,” McGee said. “When Casey got boxed in and got in trouble, he threw the ball to D.J.”
Williams’ good hands became overused insurance.
“There were a lot of tough catches that probably shouldn’t have gone to D.J.,” McGee said. “That’s why his numbers were up.”
With Mallett it was inevitable long passes would increase and dump passes to the tight end would decrease.
Surprisingly, McGee said that would have been true in 2009 with Casey Dick, too.
“From what we saw from the SEC defenses last season,” McGee said, “we wanted to attack them in a different way. That wasn’t Casey’s fault. Our staff was learning the SEC.”
Other than Bobby Petrino coordinating Auburn’s offense in 2002 and holdover running backs coach Tim Horton, the SEC was all new to Arkansas’ 2008 offensive staff.
“The SEC defenses play a lot of man coverage,” McGee said. “This year we really wanted to run the ball and we wanted to play-action and throw the ball deep downfield. D.J. is part of the blocking scheme in that. He’s got to block the defensive end when we make those deep play-action pass throws. That’s why his numbers are down but his blocking is up.”
So instead of the unquestioned go-to guy catching twice as many passes as any 2008 Arkansas wide receiver, Williams has played statistical second fiddle to wideouts Greg Childs, Jarius Wright and Joe Adams.
Nonetheless, he’s deemed a better player on a better team improved by his less spotlighted yet essential role.
“Amazing how that works,” Mc-Gee said. “It shows he’s definitely not a selfish kid. His body is bigger and stronger. His personality and attitude is a lot better. I am really proud of D.J. He’s a young man that’s growing up.”
Sports, Pages 16 on 12/28/2009