Wide receiver Taylor answers call

Odeen Domingo - Aug. 31, 2008 12:11 AM The Arizona Republic

With one play, five seconds and two breaths, Arizona State sophomore receiver Kerry Taylor eclipsed almost everything he did the season before. Taylor caught a 12-yard pass in the middle of the field, turned and sprinted for 40 more defender-free yards in scoring ASU's first touchdown Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium.  The 52-yard first-quarter score was 1 yard shy of what Taylor totaled in all of his freshman season.  

ASU's season opener was Taylor's biggest game of his career - with four catches for 93 yards - in a 30-13 win over Northern Arizona. As a freshman, Taylor caught eight passes for 53 yards and one touchdown, which also came in the season opener. He hopes Saturday's performance signals a breakthrough - one year after a somewhat wasted season that yielded few chances.  

"I think I just have a better opportunity this year," Taylor said. "A lot of hard work in the off-season has paid off for me."  Taylor came into the Sun Devils program as one of the Valley's highly touted high school recruits: a 6-foot ball magnet with speed to burn. With a crowded receiver position, Taylor was expected to redshirt. His performance in preseason camps earned a spot on the game roster.  

Still, there weren't many passes to go around with Rudy Burgess, Michael Jones, Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams above him on the depth chart.  But this could be Taylor's time. With Burgess gone there's room in the slot position, and Taylor is there to fill the hole. But even then, Taylor is no Michael Jones, a redshirt senior and ASU's No. 1 receiving option who finished with six catches for a game-high 162 receiving yards.  

"We have so many guys at receiver who can go out there and play, so when you go out there and get your reps, you better make the most of it because anybody (on this team) can go out there and make plays," Taylor said. In the first half, Taylor showed he is capable of doing that.

Taylor's second catch was on a deep post route, a 27-yard pickup after losing a defender with a precision cut. He caught another pass for 6 yards two plays later, keeping alive ASU's third scoring drive of the game.  Taylor ended his night with an 8-yard catch just before the half for another first down to aid another scoring drive.

Notes

Running back Keegan Herring (hamstring) was on the field for pregame stretching but didn't step on it during the game.  "We talked about it," coach Dennis Erickson said of the possibility of giving playing Herring. "But there was no sense in it. In Herring's place, Dimitri Nance rushed for 30 yards on 11 carries.

Carpenter is now second on ASU's all-time touchdown passing leaders with 66, surpassing Jake Plummer. Andrew Walter is No. 1 with 85.