‘Dos Amigos’ big for Bulldogs
T. Scott Boatright, Reporter
08-07-2008
Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley liked what he saw as his Bulldogs donned shoulder pads for the first time on Wednesday.He also liked what he saw from starting receivers Phillip Beck and Phillip Livas.
And that’s good, because he knows they’ll be needed.
Tech struggled to pass the ball last year, ranking 88th in NCAA passing stats last year with 195.7 yards per game. Dooley knows he’ll need more through the air if his Bulldogs are to eclipse last season’s 5-7 mark and become bowl eligible, and he knows Tech’s “Dos Amigos” will again be a big part of the passing game.
Beck led Tech wide receivers last season with 30 catches for 359 yards and a score, while Livas came on strong late in his freshman season, hauling in 28 passes for 504 yards and three touchdowns, including a team-best 70-yarder.
Neither are the big, strong receivers seen so often in today’s game. Beck is listed at 5-10 and 190 pounds while Livas is 5-8 and 175 pounds. But both played big for the Bulldogs last year, and Dooley said “they’ve picked up right where they left off” during the first week of training camp.
“Those guys produce,” Dooley said. “They have all the qualities to be good. Both were part of our first signing class, and that’s something I’m proud of. Football is like everything else, it’s results-oriented, and at receiver you’re looking for guys who can consistently catch the ball and make plays.
“That’s Beck and Livas.”
But while Tech’s dynamic duo can be counted on, Dooley knows he needs more production from his receiving corps, and having one or two with solid size would be a good complement to Beck’s and Livas’ abilities.
Josh Wheeler was out most of last season with a leg injury, and Dooley is still waiting to see what the 6-4, 204-pound speedster can do on a consistent basis. And while they aren’t coming off major injuries like Wheeler, Dooley’s also looking for veteran receivers like Shane Womack, Brian Jackson and Earl Griffin to step up and show they can perform consistently.
“That’s something we didn’t have last year and it killed our passing game,” Dooley said.
“And it hurt our season. Our passing game was the difference between going 4-4 in the league as opposed to 5-3 or 6-2.”
An infusion of new talent could help Tech’s receiving corps as Dooley said five new Bulldogs have the potential to become solid players. Those five are R.P. Stewart (6-3, 205), Cruz Williams (6-3, 195), Eric Fiege (5-8, 165), Houston Tuminello (6-0, 173) and Richie Casey (5-11, 175).
“Stewart has good size, and Williams is another one with good size and good speed,”
Dooley said. “Eric Fiege is like Phillip Beck Jr. — the same size and same kind of player.
Tuminello is a very instinctive receiver with good hands while Casey is probably the fastest of the group. He’s extremely athletic.
“Those five guys have been a positive in the early practices. All have shown great attitude and work ethic, and they all love to compete.”
Dooley will be pleased if those young Bulldogs come through, but Livas said he and Beck
still have more in store this season.
Tech’s “Dos Amigos” also do their part on special teams, with Beck leading in punt returns last season, averaging 17.4 yards per return with a long of 54 while Livas added seven returns for a 7.0 average and long of 20 yards. Livas came on strong on kick returns, averaging 26.4 yards per return and returning one 78 yards for a score while Beck
averaged 19.0 yards on seven returns.
“They’ll both be back there again — they’re too dangerous of weapons not to,” Dooley said. “They can make more yardage returning punts than catching passes. We’ll rest them on a run play if they need rest, but they’ll be out there on passing downs and special teams. We know they’re going to produce when they’re out there.”
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