This weekend in Los Angeles Sun Devils' fans will have to keep their eyes peeled on more than just one Mike Williams.
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A 6-5, 210 pound true freshman, USC wide receiver Mike Williams, will be a thorn in ASU's side at the LA Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
A product of Plant High School in Tampa, Fl., Williams has caught 58 balls for 913 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's averaging 101.4 yards per game and did not make a start until the sixth game of the season against Washington.
"Stud," ASU head coach Dirk Koetter said about Williams. "That guy is a great player and does not look like a freshman, he's very, very impressive. I knew nothing about him until I saw him on film and in my opinion he has gone from off the radar to one of the top two or three receivers in the league."
The top receiver in the conference will be Williams' counterpart this weekend, Sun Devil junior wide receiver Shaun McDonald. As impressive as Williams' statistics have been, McDonald tops the charts in all categories, as he has caught 71 balls for 1207 yards and 12 touchdowns, an average of 109.7 yards per game. Still, McDonald can appreciate what Williams has done at such a young age.
"Being a true freshman, to put up numbers like that you have to be a great talent," he said. "I think our (defensive backs) are up for the challenge so I don't think we need to be worrying about it."
They will have to worry about the Trojans two other wideout weapons in junior Keary Colbert and senior Kareem Kelly. Although neither has put up numbers like Williams, the two have combined for over 1000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.
"The hard thing about defending (Williams) is the two other guys they have," Koetter said. "Kareem Kelly has been feared in this conference for his speed the past two or three years. I think the nuts and bolts, the guy that holds them together, is Colbert. It seems that whenever they need a tough catch he's the guy that gets it."
With that frame of mind, Koetter said he plans "first and foremost to defend their offensive scheme." Therefore Koetter will go with junior cornerback Brett Hudson to match up against Williams.
"He's definitely a great receiver," Hudson said. "He's really good, he's fast, he's tall, he can jump, he's got good hands, he's got it all."
Hudson, who moved from the safety position to play corner on Stanford's junior wide receiver Teyo Johnson earlier this season, has remained at that position since. He is tied for the team lead with four interceptions. Nobody wants the weight of a game to lie on their shoulders, but it might be Hudson's turn this weekend, and he's ready for the challenge.
"I'm going to take the same approach I take on anyone," he said. "I'm going to put my hands on him, be physical with him and try to hold him down."
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
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