Austin: WVU’s Record Setting Receiver
By Ken Durbin
September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) on the field before playing the Maryland Terrapins at Milan Puskar Stadium. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE
As Mountaineers fans are already aware: Tavon Austin is freaking amazing. His stud performance against the Maryland Terrapins moved him into sole possession of the West Virginia University career receptions record with 208 receptions and counting. What many Mountaineers fans might not know, is that Austin is on pace to shatter every other major career receiving record at WVU.
Austin currently sits second on WVU’s career receiving yards list with 2,469 yards. He trails David Saunders (2,608 yards) by 139 yards. Given the performances Tavon has delivered this season (53 yards against Marshall, 113 against JMU, and 179 against Maryland) it seems likely that he will own the receiving yards record by the end of the Baylor game. Even if he does not get the record this Saturday, there is no question that he will capture the record, but there is a question as to how high he sets the record. With 9 regular season games (and a bowl game) left in his career, it is possible that Austin could set the record near 3,500 yards.
The one other major receiving category is career touchdown receptions. In that area, Austin is tied for second on the all-time list with 22 touchdown grabs (tied with Chris Henry). Austin only trails Cedric Thomas’ 23 career touchdown receptions. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Austin will easily take down this record. But Austin is not the only current receiver in the running for this record. Stedman Bailey is fourth on the career receiving touchdowns list with 21 scores. Both receivers have caught 5 touchdowns this season and there is no way to determine which one will make it to the endzone more frequently this season.
One thing that is for certain is that by the season’s end, Austin will be in sole possession of at least two of the three major career receiving records and quite possibly be in possession of all three records.