Ducks have big-time receivers

PROVO — BYU senior cornerback Justin Robinson knows he and the rest of the Cougar defensive secondary will face a major challenge in the Dec. 21 Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon.

The Ducks boast a stable of talented receivers, led by Jaison Williams, a 6-foot-5, 243-pound sophomore who hauled in 68 passes for 984 yards and six touchdowns this season. Williams was named a Biletnikoff Award semi-finalist.

"They're really big guys. They're athletic," said Robinson, who is listed at 5-foot-7, 154 pounds in the 2006 BYU media guide. "They're all about the same size and they're all very talented."

Robinson compared Oregon's wideouts to former New Mexico receiver Hank Baskett, who is now playing in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Adding to the Cougars' tall task is the possibility that they'll be without starter Ben Criddle and backup Kayle Buchanan, who are both battling injuries.

Robinson said he's confident that the coaching staff will have the secondary ready for the Ducks. "We'll lose Ben's experience if he can't play, but I still think we'll be prepared."

Even Robinson is at less than full strength right now. He injured his shoulder during practice the week of the Utah game while diving for a ball, but still played against the Utes.

"I'm about 75 percent right now," he said.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall is pleased with the way Robinson and the defensive secondary has improved over last season.

"We're asking Justin to do more of what he's capable of doing," Mendenhall said. "If you look at his performance and consistency through the year, it's reflective of how he's being coached. (Cornerbacks) Coach (Jaime) Hill deserves a lot of credit for that. He's playing within the scheme and he's playing within his assignment and he's being reliable. That's something, I think maybe a year ago, the entire secondary was viewed as being inconsistent, unreliable and not performing at a very high level. Now I believe it's just the opposite. They are considered as one of the strengths of our team. Not independently, but the collective group has been very responsible for us giving up only 15 points a game. If you're secondary's not performing well, it's hard to manage the points."

MORE ALL-AMERICA CITATIONS: Recognition continues to roll in for BYU players.

Senior tight end Jonny Harline has been named first-team All-America by The Sporting News while senior quarterback John Beck earned second-team All-America honors.