Despite a game-winning touchdown catch by junior receiver John Dunlap in the final seconds of the football team’s ACC opener against Boston College on Sept. 23, redshirt sophomore quarterback Daniel Evans said the receivers have been overlooked since the team’s 17-15 win.
Junior tight end Anthony Hill said Evans has been the center of attention since Dunlap’s catch. But Evans said the team just needed a way to get the receivers the ball, and that when given those opportunities, the receivers made plays against the Eagles.
“They’ve been the steady force — the [offensive line], receivers and running backs. This whole season, they’ve been playing well,” Evans said. “It’s just finding a way to get them the ball.”
But Hill said there is a good reason why Evans receives all the attention — and that it doesn’t bother him one bit.
“If we were losing a lot of games, it would all be on him, on the quarterback,” Hill said. “So, now that we have won a game, I have no problem with that.”
In his first game as a starter, Evans completed 15-of-31 passes for 179 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
His only interception came late in the fourth quarter on a pass to Hill, who said he was partially to blame for the turnover.
“He had one interception that could have been my fault because I choked down on my route,” Hill said.
Evans’ touchdown pass in the Boston College contest was the one to Dunlap with 8.5 seconds remaining in the game. And Dunlap, like Hill, said he didn’t care who received the glory.
“He deserves all the credit,” Dunlap said.
Asked how the receivers could get the attention shifted back to their group, Dunlap said he likes the attention being with the quarterback.
“I’m not worried about it,” Dunlap said. “All the hype, I’m not too big on that kind of stuff.”
For his career, Dunlap has only two touchdown catches — both from Evans. His first was in the Sept. 16 game at Southern Miss late in the fourth quarter, with the most recent coming at the end of the Boston College game.
Evans said he and Dunlap formed a bond after working out together during their first summer with the Wolfpack.
“We came in together. We were in the same recruiting class,” Evans said. “That whole first summer that we came in, we worked together a lot. I feel like we are on the same page a lot.”
He said he looks to Dunlap and knows he can just throw it up and “not do a whole lot.”
Dunlap said he believes Evans has done that with him so far.
“If you believe in a wide receiver, you’ll just throw it up to them and let them make a play,” Dunlap said.
But junior wide receiver Darrell Blackman, who missed the game against Boston College due to an MCL sprain, said he didn’t think the receivers have been overlooked since Evans got his first start.
He said they have just needed to give Evans a chance to get the receivers the ball where they can make plays.
“He’s got a lot of talent out there with the receivers and the running backs,” Blackman said. “We just have to give him the opportunity and the time to get back there and do his thing.”
Coach Chuck Amato said the receivers “could be” getting overlooked, but emphasized the importance of having a quarterback who can “give them an opportunity to make a play.”
However, Hill was quick to say he thinks Evans has given the receivers opportunities. And he said he is glad to see Evans getting the attention.
“When it all comes down to it, he’s the one throwing the ball and making all the right calls,” Hill said. “I can understand him taking all the glory.”
