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For the first half of the football season, many wondered why Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd was largely MIA. Boyd, though, is showing up in a big way recently.
Through six games, Boyd had a modest 30 catches for 428 yards. In the past five, however, he has 34 for a whopping 649. In four of those past five games, Boyd has topped 125 yards in each one. Through the first six of the season, he managed only one 100-yard game.
The resurgence of the Pitt receiver has also earned him some recognition. Boyd is now second in the ACC in receiving yards, sitting only 71 yards behind leader Rashad Greene of Florida State. And while his 64 catches only rank Boyd 28th in the nation, his 1,077 receiving yards are good for 13th.
After his 126-yard day against Syracuse last weekend, Boyd became the first Pitt wideout since Larry Fitzgerald to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Panthers. He will return next season and barring injury, it's starting to look like he'll be the first Pitt player to put up three such seasons in a row.
Really good to see Pitt utilize him a bit more. I'm of the mindset that they have to take a few big shots to him down the field just because there's such a good chance he'll come down with a catch if the ball is anywhere near him. The Panthers have been beyond successful with the running game, but Boyd is simply too big of a weapon not to use. And truthfully, the bigger the threat of a passing game, the more things will continue to open up on the ground for James Conner and company.
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