New Mexico State senior wide receiver Chris Williams might be the most electrifying player in the WAC.
The speedy, slippery Williams is well on his way to leading the league in catches and receiving yards for the second time in three years.
Two years ago, he burned Boise State for 13 catches and 191 yards. He'll try to carve up the Broncos again Saturday at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M. (5:07 p.m., KTVB).
"He's very scary,"
Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "I remember the first time I saw him. He's just so light on his feet. You watch him on tape and he's just a glider, covering so much ground."
Williams (5-foot-8, 157 pounds) is the centerpiece of the Aggies' pass-happy offense. He uses his speed to get deep and open a cushion for screen passes, which give him the ball in space.
"You can't tackle him,"
New Mexico State senior safety Derrick Richardson said. "You can't press him because he's too fast. He's just a threat out there."
Williams ranks in the top six among active Football Bowl Subdivision players in career receptions (214), receiving yards (3,048), receiving touchdowns (27), receptions per game (5.8) and receiving yards per game (82.4).
This year, Williams has 54 catches for 764 yards (14.1 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.
He has four straight 100-yard games and two straight games with at least 12 catches.
"You get him one-on-one with a DB and he'll make him look dumb, period,"
New Mexico State offensive lineman Polo Gutierrez said. "He'll be running down the field, they've got two guys coming to tackle him, and they almost freak out. It's funny to see them break down on Chris and they don't know where he's going."
"Boise's DB's, even though they think they're good, I'm pretty sure he's going to prove to them exactly why he's an All-American."
Williams was named an honorable-mention All-American by SI.com in 2006, when he led the nation with 92 catches for 1,415 yards. He also was named to the All-WAC first team.
He was named to the All-WAC second team and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award last year despite missing the final five games with a shoulder injury.
"He's a terrific competitor,"
coach Hal Mumme said. "He's really meant a lot to us because he's been a consistent guy. Last year, when he got hurt it was really apparent."
The Aggies were 4-4 with Williams. They were 0-5 without him.
"We just didn't play our best,"
Williams said. "For me to be on the sideline and not be able to help fix it, to not be able to go contribute, was really painful."
The Rio Rancho, N.M., product chose the Aggies over Ohio and Air Force because he figured Mumme's pass offense would fit his skills.
He always has had a knack for escaping defenders.
"You've just got to feel it,"
he said. "It's either something you have or you don't. I just play it by ear."
That elusiveness is the reason many teams double-team Williams.
The Broncos, who are second in the nation in pass-efficiency defense, likely will use a variety of coverages.
"It seems like everybody we play has done something different,"
Williams said. " Hopefully Boise will play us more straight up."
If so, expect quarterback Chase Holbrook to attack.
"It takes two guys to cover him most of the time,"
Holbrook said. "If it's not (double-coverage), we're going to give him the ball whenever we can."
