Williams, a redshirt junior who is becoming one of Wake Forest’s biggest deep threats at wide receiver, gets another shot against N.C. State. With it comes the opportunity to erase the stain of the mistake that ruined one of his best games as a Demon Deacon.
When the final gun sounded last year at Carter-Finley Stadium, the statistical line showed that Williams had a then-career-best day, catching seven balls for 116 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown.
That meant nothing when he failed to catch another pass for 25 yards and another touchdown. The play came in the final minute on a third-and-6 call with Wake trying to rally. Quarterback Riley Skinner put the ball within reach, but it sailed just over Williams’ hands near the back of the end zone. Skinner was sacked on fourth down as the Wolfpack escaped with a 21-17 victory.
“I replayed the video of that play a couple of times,” Williams said. “I replay it in my mind even more. It was a blessing in disguise because it caused me to go out in the summer and get motivated. I feel like I owe them one.”
Williams will try to cash in after what is now his best game statistically, 12 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown in a 27-24 loss at Boston College. Not surprisingly, Williams said the loss made the big numbers meaningless.
“It was a great game individually, but at the end of the day, I’d rather have the win,” Williams said. “It’s all about the team. I played well, but I want to become a better blocker. It is a bittersweet feeling. I also made some mistakes, like a (procedure) penalty that could have cost us an extra point.”
Williams finished last season as the Deacons’ second-best receiver by the numbers, catching 26 passes for 390 yards and two scores (in a year when no one caught more than three). Thanks to the Boston College performance, he leads Wake this fall with 20 catches for 329 yards.
“Last year was his first full year of play and most of it he was banged up,” Wake coach Jim Grobe said. “He’s stayed healthy this fall. He’s shown the kind of improvement that I hoped to get out of everybody four games in. Some of our guys took a step backward Saturday. Marshall stepped up. He has to be a better blocker and I think he wants to be. He has developed into a nice receiver. If we can get him to couple the pass catching and the running with being a better blocker, he can do some nice things for us.”
Even though he did nice things against the Eagles, Williams couldn’t take all the credit.
“The biggest difference that enabled me to have the chances that I did against Boston College is Riley having the time to find me in open spaces. This time he had an opportunity to see me. But, it was a great job by the coaching staff to see weaknesses in the defense that let me get as open as I did.
“After a while, I was catching everything clean and tucking them away and getting extra yards. With the plays I was making, Riley and the team were becoming more dependent on me to make a first down or make a catch. I wanted to be in there to make the play. Riley and I have always had a connection. He always puts the ball there, so it is my responsibility to catch it.”
Williams welcomes the chance to catch it and score the winning touchdown this weekend.
“I’m going to go out and make that play,” Williams said. “I’m not going to leave anything on the field.”
He wants to make amends. He’s tired of replaying last year’s game in his mind.
gsmith@hpe.com | 888-3519
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