Belcher emerging as go-to receiver for 2-0 football team

More and more teams seem to want taller wide receivers who create mismatches against opposing corners.

Damarlo Belcher fits that bill.

At 6 feet 5 inches, Belcher is close to half a foot taller than any defensive back who might cover him.

Belcher’s big frame has helped him become IU’s leading receiver for the first two games this season. He has hauled in 17 receptions for 227 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The junior wideout has been a crucial weapon in the Hoosiers’ first two games of the season. Whether by converting on third down with a five-yard out or going over the top for the deep ball, Belcher has been the catalyst for IU’s offense.

“It’s definitely an advantage being my size,” Belcher said. “I just turn into an assassin, definitely when it’s a smaller corner.”

With junior receiver Tandon Doss on the bench for the first game against Towson, Belcher had added responsibilities to make sure the offense did not skip a beat.

The upperclassman rose to the occasion, recording seven catches for 92 yards and a 41-yard touchdown on a wide-open go-route down the sideline in the second quarter.

The Fort Wayne native led IU’s offensive attack en route to a 51-17 victory against Towson.

Belcher has worked to become a more reliable game-to-game receiver and made it a point not to peak during the season opener.

“My biggest problem has been my consistency,” Belcher said. “The coaches told me a while back that sometimes I play like an All-American and sometimes I play like another Big Ten receiver.”

Belcher had no drop-off in IU’s second contest following a 16-day layoff.

With Doss back in the lineup, Belcher did anything but play like a second-fiddle wideout. Belcher had his best game as a Hoosier with 10 catches for 135 yards. Both were career highs that carried the Hoosiers to a 38-21 victory at Western Kentucky.

“I was focused, and I was in the zone,” Belcher said. “We hadn’t played in 16 days, and I was just ready to play.”

Most college football fans look at a guy like Doss and consider him the No. 1 receiver. Doss ranked second in the Big Ten with 77 receiving yards per conference game as a sophomore in 2009, but right behind him at No. 4 in the conference was Belcher, raking in 71.1 yards per Big Ten contest.

The coaching staff knows that it is unfair to call Belcher a No. 2 to Doss.

“We’re not ranking them,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said about Belcher. “He is certainly one of the premier receivers in the league in my opinion.”

Doss garnered preseason All-Big Ten honors, but Belcher has been making a name for himself. Through three weeks of play, Belcher ranks second in the conference in both receptions (17) and in receiving yards (227).

In addition, he accumulated his statistics in just two games while all other Big Ten teams have played three.  

Height alone has not been the main reason for Belcher’s fast start.

The coaching staff noticed the receiver filled out more in the off-season, adding muscle to further develop his repertoire.

“He’s turned into a man out there,” wide receivers coach Billy Lynch said. “He’s always had unbelievable feet and allusiveness for his size, but adding the physicality has really made him a complete receiver.”