Washington State Football: The Return of Isiah Myers Offsets Loss of Marquess Wilson

Sep 14, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington State Cougars wide receiver Isiah Myers (88) runs after making a catch while getting a block from wide receiver Brett Bartolone (19) as UNLV Rebels defensive back Kenneth Penny (17) defends during the third quarter at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

Isiah Myers missed the last 2 games and his absence was certainly understood by the Cougar offense, now that we look back. To be honest, I had no idea Myers was gone until the other day when we learned that he’ll play against UCLA. That’s not to say that his absence was overlooked though, because his quick crossing and hot routes that have saved Jeff Tuel and Connor Halliday more then a few times this season, were non-existent from other receivers in the offense.

With the absence of #86 this week (at least), Myers will have an expanded role as well as he is another downfield threat over the middle. You see, the redshirt freshman is a big weapon that can be used in a variety of ways and Mike Leach has exploited a few opportunities for Myers to shine throughout the season. As I mentioned, he has a real knack for finding ways to get open quickly and is a prime hot-read target, but he has made some very athletic plays this year down the field.

In fact there have been several times this season where I simply couldn’t tell if it was Myers or Wilson with the ball. This could be blamed on the number similarity, but the fact is that Myers emulates Wilson well when going after the ball. Once the ball is in his hands, Myers is less north and south than Wilson and possesses the ability to flip a play direction with a quick cut, which is a product of his high school punt returning. Definitely looking forward to having him back.

Go Cougs!