College Football's Lethal Passing Combinations
One of the most beautiful things to watch in all of sports is when a great quarterback and an elite wide receiver are on the same page.
We’ve seen what can happen when guys like Tom Brady and Randy Moss are at their best and working together as an efficient pair.
If a team is lucky enough to have two standout players at such key positions, the result is usually pure offensive dominance.
There have been so many times in the past few years where we’ve seen a star receiver who suffers because he has no one that can get the ball to him or a star quarterback who has to work extra hard because his receivers are subpar.
It takes instances like those to really make you appreciate a quarterback-wide receiver combination that works.
So with that in mind, let's have a look at a few of college football’s most dangerous passing combinations for the 2011 season.
Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
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Oklahoma is going to enter the season as the consensus No. 1 ranked team in the country, and one of the main reasons people are so eager to jump on the Sooner bandwagon is QB Landry Jones.
Jones stepped out of Sam Bradford’s shadow last year and took the Big 12 by storm, throwing for over 4,700 yards and 38 TDs.
The junior QB is already hearing Heisman buzz surrounding his name, and if he can lead Oklahoma to a Big 12 title and an undefeated season, there’s no doubt he’ll be sitting in New York City in December.
Jones will have the benefit of throwing to one of the country’s most productive wide receivers, Ryan Broyles.
Broyles led the nation with 131 catches last year, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he comes close to repeating that feat again in 2011.
Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys obviously didn’t get the memo that they were supposed to finish in the basement of the Big 12 South last season.
Instead, QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon rose from relative obscurity to become two of the breakout stars of the 2010 season.
Weeden and Blackmon were the two main reasons that the Oklahoma State offense ranked second in the nation, averaging 345 passing yards per game.
Blackmon, who led the country with 20 receiving TDs in 2010, may be college football’s top returning receiver and Weeden, who threw for over 4,200 yards in his first year as a starter, is no slouch either.
It will be interesting to see how the offense adjusts to life after Dana Holgorsen but don’t expect too big of a drop-off.
Geno Smith and Tavon Austin, West Virginia
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This is almost a dream scenario for Mountaineer fans.
This offseason, West Virginia gave wasteful offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen the boot and replaced him with one of the brightest offensive minds in college football, Dana Holgorsen.
Hologorsen has brought his Air Raid offense to Morgantown, and it looks like strong-armed QB Geno Smith is exactly the right fit for his system.
Smith threw for over 2,700 yards and 24 TDs in his first year as a starter, and those numbers are expected to skyrocket with Holgorsen calling the shots.
Smith will have plenty of weapons at his disposal, but his key playmaker will be junior receiver Tavon Austin.
Austin, who accounted for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense and scored nine TDs in 2010, is one of the Big East’s most explosive offensive threats.
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Case Keenum and Patrick Edwards, Houston
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When QB Case Keenum went down with a knee injury in the third game of the 2010 season, Houston was forced to kiss its dreams of a Conference USA championship goodbye.
Luckily, the NCAA granted Keenum a sixth year of eligibility, and he’ll have a chance to break most of college football’s major passing records this season.
If he can return to full strength, Keenum, who has already accumulated over 13,000 passing yards in his career, should lead the Cougars back into conference championship contention
Keenum will have to break in a few new receivers this year, but he does have a clear-cut standout target in senior Patrick Edwards.
Edwards, who finished with 1,100 yards and 13 TDs last season, is the conference’s leading returning receiver, and he should be able to put up monster numbers with Keenum at the helm.
Stephen Garcia and Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
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It’s never too late to be what you might have been.
That’s a George Elliot quote that I keep taped above my dresser, and it’s one that I feel perfectly suits QB Stephen Garcia.
One can only wonder how good Garcia could have been if his head was on straight.
Garcia, who has found himself in Steve Spurrier’s doghouse for what seems like the 120th time in his South Carolina career, is currently waiting to be reinstated after being suspended a month ago.
If the senior QB finally decides to clean up his act, he has a chance to guide South Carolina to the SEC promised land in 2011.
Garcia will once again have the opportunity to toss the ball to one of college football’s best receivers, Alshon Jeffery.
Jeffery, who could be a future top 10 draft pick, finished the 2010 season with 88 catches for over 1,500 yards and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
Don’t be surprised if the 6’4’’, 235 lb. junior takes home the trophy in 2011.
Matt Barkley and Robert Woods, USC
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When WR Robert Woods arrived at USC, he had plenty of recruiting praise to live up to.
The former five-star recruit was expected to be a contributor on offense immediately, but not many thought he would be the go-to receiver for the Trojans right away.
Woods did just that, as he became the team’s most productive wideout, finishing the year with 64 catches for 786 yards and six TDs.
If this is indeed QB Matt Barkley’s last year in a USC uniform, he’ll be looking to go out with a bang.
Woods is a star in the making, and you would have to expect that Barkley will look his way an awful lot in 2011.
Ryan Tannehill and Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M
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When Ryan Tannehill made the switch to quarterback midway through the 2010 season, Texas A&M was 3-3 and in need of a savior.
Tannehill turned out to be just what the Aggies needed.
The receiver convert rejuvenated the offense and led the team to six consecutive victories to close out the regular season.
Now that Tannehill has a whole offseason to work with star WR Jeff Fuller, he should be even better in 2011.
Fuller, a 6’4’’, 215 lb. senior, is a future high NFL draft pick, and he will be looking to impress pro scouts and add to his resume.
Nick Foles and Juron Criner, Arizona
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QB Nick Foles has been the perfect poster boy for the underachieving Arizona Wildcats.
Foles, who has as much pure physical talent as any quarterback in college football, has had his fair share of hot and cold stretches these past two years.
Unfortunately, so has his team.
Arizona started off the 2010 season 7-1 before disappointingly dropping their final five games.
The Wildcats will be looking to finally put together a consistent full season campaign this year, but the only way they can do that is if Foles finds his top receiver Juron Criner on a regular basis.
Criner, who finished with over 1,200 receiving yards and 11 TDs in 2010, opted to postpone his NFL future to spend another season with Foles.
It could be a move that pays off in the end.
Tyler Wilson and Greg Childs, Arkansas
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Replacing Ryan Mallett won’t be easy, however, Tyler Wilson, the man who will be asked to do the job, is one of the most intriguing new starting quarterbacks in all of college football.
After a few great showings in relief efforts last season, Wilson enjoyed a superlative spring and demonstrated the type of skills it takes to be Bobby Petrino’s next star pupil.
Luckily for Wilson, the learning curve will be helped by Arkansas’ amazing group of offensive skill talent.
The Razorbacks not only have one of the best running backs in the country, Knile Davis; they also have one of the best receiving corps as well.
The leader of the talented and deep receiver group is Greg Childs.
Childs, a 6’3’’, 215 lb. senior, has the look of a future first-round pick, and if he can return fully healthy and capable after a season-ending patellar tendon injury, he should be a great weapon for Wilson to rely on.
Andrew Luck and Chris Owusu, Stanford
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This summer, Andrew Luck is going to be the most talked about and hyped up college football player.
Luck will be the universal favorite to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, and he will have plenty of pressure to deal with in 2011. But if there’s anyone who can handle it, it’s the Stanford signal caller.
The junior QB threw for over 3,300 yards and 32 TDs in 2010 and wowed college football fans and NFL scouts alike with his consistency.
This year, Luck’s top target will be Chris Owusu, one of the most dangerous receivers in the country.
Owusu struggled with injuries last season, but now that he’s fully healthy, he’s set to be one of the most explosive players in the Pac-12.
Dan Persa and Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern
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Northwestern QB Dan Persa may not be the biggest or the most physically impressive quarterback in the country, but he’s definitely one of the most fun to watch
Persa, who is the Big Ten’s most efficient returning passer, is one of those gutsy signal-callers who just knows how to get things done.
Before he was sidelined by an Achilles injury, the 6’1’’, 210 lb. senior was completing nearly 74 percent of his passes.
Persa’s favorite target was Jeremy Ebert, who nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2010.
If Persa returns to full health, he and Ebert should continue to help Northwestern climb up the Big Ten ladder.
Dominique Davis and Lance Lewis, East Carolina
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Last season, the East Carolina passing attack averaged 317 yards per game, which ranked eighth in the country.
Although the Pirates lose star receiver Dwayne Harris, they do return two key components to their passing offense, QB Dominique Davis and WR Lance Lewis.
Davis, a transfer from Boston College, finally found his comfort zone in Greenville as he threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 37 TDs in 2011.
Besides Harris, Davis’ main weapon was Lance Lewis, who finished the year as one of the most productive wide receivers in the country.
Lewis, a speedy 6’3’’ senior, finished with 89 catches for over 1,100 yards and 14 TDs.
The senior duo should continue to rack up big stats in 2011 as the two main figures in East Carolina’s pass-heavy offense.
Robert Griffin III and Kendall Wright, Baylor
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QB Robert Griffin III has pretty much single-handedly revived the Baylor football program since his arrival in Waco in 2008.
Last season, Griffin III totaled over 4,000 yards of offense and carried the Bears to their first bowl game in over 15 years.
Although he’s not known as the best pure passer, the junior QB showed how far he’s come as a passer over the past few years by throwing for over 3,500 yards and 22 TDs.
Seven of those scoring strikes landed in the hands of budding star receiver Kendall Wright.
The speedy senior finished the 2010 season with 78 receptions for 952 yards, and he now looks ready to cap off his illustrious Baylor career with another highly productive campaign.
Bryn Renner and Dwight Jones, North Carolina
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I’ll say it now: Watch out for this North Carolina team.
The Tar Heels are loaded with talent this year, and if new sophomore QB Bryn Renner can adapt to the starting role quick enough, they have a chance to be an ACC contender.
Renner, a former four-star recruit, spent last season learning behind T.J. Yates, and now, he’s ready to put his knowledge to good use.
The 6’3’’ sophomore has the skill set to be a star, and he'll also have the benefit of one of the best receiving trios in America.
The leader of that trio is Dwight Jones, a 6’4’’ senior who made the most of Greg Little’s absence last year, hauling in 62 passes and nearly breaking the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
Jones arrived on the scene in 2010; now, he looks ready to take it over in 2011.
Kirk Cousins and B.J. Cunningham, Michigan State
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Although Michigan State got trounced by Alabama in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day, that doesn’t take away from the great 11-1 regular season campaign the Spartans were able to put together last year.
Coach Dantonio’s crew will be looking to build on last season’s effort, and if they’re serious about making it to a BCS bowl, the team is going to need great play from their senior leader, QB Kirk Cousins.
Cousins threw for over 2,800 yards and 20 TDs in 2010, and he should be able to top those numbers this year.
WR B.J. Cunningham, who finished with 50 catches and nine TDs last season, is set to be Cousins’ main target in 2011.
While the Spartans will look to grind it out on the ground with talented backs like Edwin Baker and Le’Veon bell, there will also likely be a few aerial fireworks courtesy of the Cousins-Cunningham combo.
Terrelle Pryor and DeVier Posey, Ohio State
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This is an honorable mention of sorts.
If it weren't for a five-game suspension, QB Terrelle Pryor and WR DeVier Posey could have lit up the Big Ten this year.
While neither of the two seniors has yet to reach their enormous potential, this could have been the year it all finally came together.
You would have to think though that it's going to be difficult to build a cohesive rhythm since both will be entering the fold in the middle of the season.
It will be interesting to see where Ohio State stands after five games and how motivated Pryor and Posey are to get the job done.
The two have the talent, now we just have to wait and see if they can produce the results in their final year in Columbus.
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