I'll admit it, after the San Diego State game, I was beginning to worry about Jared Karstetter. His season numbers through three games were well below his 2010 totals and the competition was only going to get tougher. I thought we might have to wait for Jeff Tuel to return to see the old Karstetter in action.
I was wrong. Against Colorado, Karstetter was not only back to his old self, he was better. He caught nine of his 11 targets, converted six of them for first downs and finished with a well above average YPT of 9.55. Karstetter was so effective vs Colorado he raised his season catch rate nearly seven percent while boosting his YPT by 1.25.
Player
Targets
Catches
Yards
Drops
1st Downs
YPT
Catch%
Drop%
1st Down%
Isiah Barton
14
7
68
2
3
4.86
50.00
14.29
21.43
Bennett Bontemps
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Henry Eaddy
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Jared Karstetter
11
9
105
0
6
9.55
81.82
0.00
54.55
Isiah Myers
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Bobby Ratliff
5
4
36
0
3
7.20
80.00
0.00
60.00
Gino Simone
0
0
0
0
0
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Kristoff Williams
2
1
0
0
0
0.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
Marquess Wilson
9
6
121
1
3
13.44
66.67
11.11
33.33
WR Totals
41
27
330
3
15
8.05
65.85
7.32
36.59
Isiah Barton led the team in targets for the fist time this season, but also turned in his first below average performance of the season. The two drops didn't help, but his numbers were partially deflated by receiving targets on what essentially amounted to throwaways by Lobbestael.
Wilson again produces an elite YPT, but his 13.44 is a far cry from the 17.89 it would have been if not for the dropped touchdown.
Overall, the receivers had a good, but not great game. Their combined YPT is the lowest total of the season but a 65.85 catch rate on 41 targets is very good.
Player
Targets
Catches
Yards
Drops
1st Downs
YPT
Catch%
Drop%
1st Down%
Isiah Barton
30
19
241
4
12
8.03
63.33
13.33
40.00
Bennett Bontemps
2
1
10
0
1
5.00
50.00
0.00
50.00
Henry Eaddy
7
3
32
0
1
4.57
42.86
0.00
14.29
Jared Karstetter
32
22
235
1
12
7.34
68.75
3.13
37.50
Isiah Myers
8
4
51
0
3
6.38
50.00
0.00
37.50
Bobby Ratliff
18
12
136
1
8
7.56
66.67
5.56
44.44
Gino Simone
3
1
20
0
1
6.67
33.33
0.00
33.33
Kristoff Williams
9
6
109
1
4
12.11
66.67
11.11
44.44
Marquess Wilson
34
21
550
3
17
16.18
61.76
8.82
50.00
WR Totals
143
89
1384
10
59
9.68
62.24
6.99
41.26
Wilson's numbers remain in another stratosphere only he can reach. Last season, the highest YPT with at least 30 targets was 13.1. I would not expect him to keep running a YPT in the 16.00 range, but he has become more consistent. As a freshman, Wilson averaged 83.8 yards per game while receiving 7.8 targets per game. Through four games in 2011, Wilson is averaging 137.50 YPG on 8.5 TPG. He's receiving close to the same number of targets, he is just doing more with them.
It also seems the days of the party of nine are finished. There is a clear pecking order for targets with Wilson, Karstetter and Barton receiving the lions share. Ratliff has solidified his role as the fourth receiver while Williams will see an occasional target or two like he did against Colorado. I wouldn't expect to see significant contributions from the others unless injuries become a factor.