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Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009

Fresno's Wylie struggling with patience

FRESNO -- Devon Wylie's frustration simmered last week. It's been nearly two months since the junior receiver caught a pass in a game, after his season started so positively.

Wylie caught five passes for 114 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin in the Bulldogs' second game of the football season. But his production took a dive at midseason because of a four-week injury absence.

Wylie hurt his hamstring against San Jose State on

Oct. 17 and sat out the next four games before returning Nov. 21 against Louisiana Tech. He didn't get much playing time that afternoon and was again limited in the Bulldogs' regular-season finale at Illinois on Dec. 5.

Wylie said it's been difficult to stay positive, especially after he missed several games in 2008 because of a foot injury and a concussion.

"When you get hurt, you lose so much confidence and you try to jump in and get back out there," Wylie said. "It's easy to lose focus and confidence.

"It takes a lot of patience to work back into the lineup because everyone else has been playing," he added. "They deserve it, and you want to kind of at least get a shot, so it's kind of frustrating."

One of the Bulldogs' most explosive players when healthy, Wylie is known for his big-play ability on special teams and at receiver. But the coaching staff has been reluctant to re-insert him into the rotation.

Fresno State receivers coach Keith Williams called Wylie a "game changer" but said he erred on the side of caution in recent weeks to ensure the Sacramento-area product doesn't re-injure himself.

The coach feels Wylie's pain. Williams said he, too, suffered from chronic hamstring injuries during his playing days at

San Diego State.

Wylie said that frustration led him to field a punt deep in Bulldogs territory against Illinois instead of letting it bounce -- always a risky move. After Wylie fielded the kick inside the 10-yard line, his momentum carried him across the goal line. Wylie was able to speed out of the end zone and got back to the 10 before being tackled.

The play raised a few eyebrows, and Wylie admitted he was pressing.

"I made an impulsive decision to try and make a play because I wasn't getting any time to play even though I was fully healthy and ready to go," Wylie said. "I lost my focus and should have let it go."

The Bulldogs play in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, and there's a chance the senior wide receivers -- Marlon Moore, Seyi Ajirotutu, Chastin West and Darren Newborn -- could get the majority of the workload. But Wylie's career extends past the bowl. So even if he doesn't get many opportunities against Wyoming, Wylie anticipates next season will be a big one if he can stay on the field.

"I need to stay healthy all year," he said.