Williams not getting due credit

With the midpoint of the season in the rearview mirror, college football award speculation is in full swing. Let the complaining begin.

Monday’s announcement of the semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award for quarterbacks drew a few surprised looks when USC’s Matt Barkley made the cut. For all of his accomplishments, Barkley has the fewest touchdown passes of the 15 signal-callers on the list.

Snubbed · Despite his stellar play, USC’s Damian Williams is not a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver. - Dieuwertje Kast | Daily Trojan

But Barkley’s inclusion as a semifinalist wasn’t Monday’s biggest awards injustice.

Despite being named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Oregon State, wide receiver Damian Williams was left off the list of semifinalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award. After all of the memorable games and plays that the redshirt junior has had, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t staked his claim as one of the country’s best receivers.

The statistics don’t work to Williams’ favor. He has fewer receptions and receiving yards than all of the 10 receivers that made the list.

But many of the semifinalists play on pass-happy teams that force the ball to their top playmaker. And among those in competition for the award, only Texas’ Jordan Shipley and Cincinnati’s Mardy Gilyard play for a top-10 team like Williams.

Think back to almost any USC game this season. The likelihood is that somewhere along the way, Williams made a key contribution that gave the Trojans an important edge.

“Damian has been tremendous for us,” USC coach Pete Carroll said after defeating Oregon State. “When he has his chances, he’s just a big play guy.”

As consistent as Williams has been, his most recent performances may be his most impressive. His 66-yard punt return for a touchdown against Cal helped deliver the knockout blow to the Golden Bears. Against Notre Dame, he made a 41-yard screen pass for a touchdown look easy with a little help from fellow receiver Brice Butler.

And on Saturday against Oregon State, his sideline dash to the end zone ended up being the difference in USC’s 42-36 win.

“The punt return was exhilarating,” Carroll said. “I thought it was one of the plays of the year.”

Williams now has two punt returns for touchdowns on the season, becoming the first USC player to achieve that feat since some guy named Reggie Bush. But if the Biletnikoff Award wants to look at his credentials strictly as a pass catcher, Williams has plenty to show off there as well.

Consider his impact on a USC offense that is just now finding its stride. Through seven games, Williams has 34 catches — or eight more than the rest of the USC wide receivers combined. Even when you include catches by tight ends and running backs, Williams is accountable for roughly 30 percent of the USC passing offense’s production so far.

Barkley has received most of the fan adulation so far this year, but given all the close games the quarterback has been a part of and his reliance on Williams, maybe some of that praise should be going to the deserving wide receiver.

With wide receiver Ronald Johnson sidelined for the early part of the year with a broken collarbone, Williams had to do most of the heavy lifting for the receiving corps. After Johnson announced his return with 99 yards receiving against Oregon State, Williams might have another partner in crime split out wide.

“Damian’s always going to be open,” Johnson said after Saturday’s win. “He does whatever he has to do on the other side, so now I just have to get open, too.”

The job description of “doing whatever he has to do” has included being a well-rounded receiver. Williams is a willing and able blocker in the run game. Against Washington State, he helped spring Joe McKnight for a 21-yard gain with a near perfect block that was called holding in the infinite wisdom of Pac-10 referees. Carroll took issue with the bogus call, but Williams humbly shrugged it off.

In all, it’s not surprising that Williams was left off the list of Biletnikoff semifinalists — just disappointing. He likely won’t end up with inflated stats like many of his pass-catching counterparts to garner the kind of national attention he deserves.

But if college football aficionados keep watching for the rest of the season, maybe they’ll keep an open mind for once.

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