2004 Cardinal Football Preview - Receivers
August 12, 2004 | Football
Aug. 12, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Cardinals are blessed at wide receiver with some of the best talent in the country. Fortunate to have everyone back from last season, the Cardinals add the likes of a major college transfer and a top-flight red-shirt freshman to a stable of outstanding pass catchers. The Cardinals have so much talent and depth at this position that the only problem facing the coaching staff is figuring out how to get so many talented athletes on the field at once. Senior wide out J.R. Russell, an All-America candidate, returns after posting one of the top seasons in school history. The 6-3 senior recorded 75 catches for a school-best 1,213 yards and eight touchdowns, closing the season with three straight 100-yard games. He ended the 2003 campaign with a seven-catch,144-yard and three touchdown performance against Miami in the bowl game. Russell enters his final campaign with 113 catches for 1,651 yards and 12 touchdowns in his remarkable career. Junior Joshua Tinch is another talented receiver, who had a great spring. In the Red-White game, Tinch proved his mettle by catching six passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns and was impressive in two other scrimmages. One of the fiercest competitors on the team and never afraid to make the tough catch over the middle, Tinch caught 26 passes for 401 yards and a score in 2003. Junior Broderick Clark proved what he could do when he was healthy. Coming off an injury-plagued 2003 season, Clark was back at full speed in the spring and gives the Cardinals another deep threat to team with Russell and Tinch. Nagged by a high hamstring injury last year, Clark caught 23 passes for 313 yards, but seemed to be slowed late in the year due to the injury. Clark, one of the top kick returners in the conference, hopes to regain his freshman form that saw him rank in the top five nationally in kickoff returns. Petrino found a way last season to utilize junior Robert Haskins into the offense, and the 5-6 wideout didn't disappoint. Arguably one of the fastest players on the team, Haskins made big plays, catching eight passes for 115 yards, but also rushed seven times for 93 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run on a reverse against Houston. Senior Tiger Jones is a possession-type receiver who has plenty of game experience and has shown through the years that he's capable of making plays. The Cardinals red-shirted a talented group of wideouts in junior Montrell Jones and red-shirt freshman Harry Douglas. Jones transferred last year from Tennessee and worked with the scout team. The coaching staff is excited about getting Jones out on the field with the first unit and getting him involved in the offense. As a freshman with the Volunteers, Jones caught 22 passes for 306 yards in 2002, and is an explosive, big-play receiver. Douglas possesses sprinter-type speed and owns great hands. He had a solid red-shirt season, and is ready to fight for playing time. Freshman Mario Urrutia was one of the top recruits in the state of Kentucky. At 6-6, Urrutia caught 65 passes for 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior and was first team All-State. The big loss for the Cardinals comes at tight end where four-time All-C-USA performer Ronnie Ghent and Richard Owens have graduated, while Wayne Riles left the team leaving only 6-4, 239-pound senior Adam McCauley with game experience. A pair of talented freshmen will be forced into the mix in Scott Kuhn and Gary Barnidge. Kuhn, at 6-5, 235, was a three-year letterwinner at Conner High School and caught 20 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns as senior. Barnidge, who hails from Middleburg High School in Fla., is 6-6 and is another big target in the Cardinal offense.
