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Thank Moe for Barnes
Breakout day comes from confidence that stems from fellow receiver
University of South Carolina's Jason Barnes hauls in a touchdown pass over Ole Miss defender Marshay Green in the third quarter. Barnes scored two touchdowns on the day for USC.
Erik Campos/ecampos@thestate.com /Erk Campos
CommentsOXFORD, Miss. — Jason Barnes smiled at the Sidney Rice comparison. Not because he was appreciative.
No, the young South Carolina receiver thought it was laughable.
“Sidney Rice is a great player. I don’t think I should be compared to him,” Barnes said.
At least for one day, during USC’s 31-24 win at Mississippi, Barnes had the kind of day that typified Rice’s college career before he headed early to the NFL.
There were the numbers (seven catches for 76 yards). There were the two touchdowns. There was the toe-tipping sideline catch.
And there was the great hold-on while receiving a jarring hit. Except that Barnes hardly remembers it.
Early in the second quarter, Barnes went on a slant route from the left side, and quarterback Chris Smelley fired the pass into the end zone. Barnes caught it just as a Mississippi defender launched into him, but Barnes held on for the 20-yard touchdown catch.
“I didn’t remember nothing,” Barnes said. “I want to see it myself.”
He added that it took the rest of the quarter to regain his senses. But even with the return of top receiver Kenny McKinley, Barnes became Smelley’s favorite target.
Barnes’ next-best catch may have been in the third quarter, when he hauled in a 10-yard pass on third down as he went out on the sideline. The play was initially ruled incomplete, but reversed after a review.
The next drive, Smelley hit Barnes on a 6-yard touchdown pass on a fade route to the right.
The redshirt freshman from Charlotte had just four catches entering the game, three of them in last week’ s victory against Alabama-Birmingham. He was anointed the No. 1 receiver in practice (until McKinley was able to play), and coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday that Barnes “looked a little bit like Sidney.”
At 6-foot-4, Barnes is as tall as Rice. But he couldn’t escape a logjam at receiver.
“Everybody says, ‘Well, why didn’t you use him all year,’” Spurrier said Saturday.
The difference, the coach said, is Barnes has only recently practiced better.
“He’s catching everything, he’s running good routes, he’s learning how to use his speed,” Spurrier said.
Barnes said it was a matter of increased confidence, and credited fellow receiver Moe Brown for that. Brown, a competitor with Barnes for playing time, had three catches for 67 yards on Saturday.
“He’s (been) telling me how I could do better, how I could break a tackle, how I could catch it better,” Barnes said. “I owe it all to Moe.”
McKinley was among those impressed with Barnes.
“Coach gave him some more playing time, and he’s really proving his skills,” McKinley said. “I really can’t wait to see a couple years, maybe a year from now, when I’m gone. He’s a real good ballplayer.”
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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