By Joshua Davis, Sports Writer
Junior wide receiver Corey Coleman had a record-breaking night as he hauled in four touchdown passes in the Bears’ 66-31 win over the Lamar Cardinals.
Coleman was too much for the Lamar secondary to handle as his performance broke a school record. Coleman was tabbed as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the week on Monday.
Though Coleman had wild success against Lamar, he struggled to get started early. It took the Bears three possessions before the Richardson native made his first reception. After his first catch, he wasn’t shy about letting his presence be known on the field. From that point on, Coleman seemed unstoppable.
“I’m a passionate player and I like to get involved, so when it wasn’t coming my way early, I had to tell [Russell] that I’d be happy with one [pass] coming my way,” Coleman said.
Coleman showcased his ability to run by defenders on a 42-yard pass from junior quarterback Seth Russell late in the first quarter, which gave the Bears a 13-7 lead (PAT missed).
That touchdown set off a chain reaction as Coleman was the recipient of three of the next four Baylor scores. Over the past week, the Bears had preached about being teammates in a system where it seems impossible to spread the ball around evenly.
“That’s the thing – there’s not enough balls [to go around]. But guys understand that and you just have to be excited [when one of the wide receivers scores],” Coleman said.
Russell said it’s impossible to ignore Coleman because of his tremendous skills and game-breaker ability, but you never know who’s going to be the top threat.
“Corey’s a freak athlete. Anytime he gets the ball in his hands, he’s going to make a play,” Russell said. “Last week was Jay and this week it was Corey, but next week it may be KD. That’s the good thing about our offense – you never know who’s going to strike.”
One of Coleman’s most impressive catches came in the second quarter off of a back-shoulder throw from Russell, which resulted in a 21-yard touchdown. Coleman adjusted in traffic to reel in his second touchdown of the night.
Coleman made his presence felt again in the second quarter as he burned the Cardinals’ secondary for a 61-yard touchdown. The All-American’s production came as a relief to Baylor’s offense as it generally struggled in the first half.
Coleman completed his historic night on his final reception, which came early in the third quarter on a 34-yard pass from Russell. Last week, senior wide receiver Jay Lee was the prime scoring threat, as he scored three times. However, tonight was Coleman’s night.
Head coach Art Briles gave Coleman high praise by saying that he (Coleman) may be one of the best receivers that he’s ever coached.
“We’ve had some great receivers here … but what makes Corey great is that he’s very dynamic with the football,” Briles said. “He’s a very aggressive receiver going after the ball – very sudden, strong, powerful and confident. That’s what separates him [from the greats]. He’s a very passionate guy that plays with a lot of emotion and when his emotions are in check, he’s about as good as there is.”
The six receptions for 182 yards and four touchdowns added to Coleman’s campaign for the 2015 Biletnikoff Award (awarded to the best WR in college football). He’ll look to add to his remarkable numbers when the Bears take on Rice on Sept. 26.
