Marshall University Athletics
BOGACZYK: After Bumpy Road, Allen Appreciates His Big Day
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By JACK BOGACZYK
HERDZONE.COM COLUMNIST
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ââ'¬" Davonte Allen says he's not a "look back" kind of guy ââ'¬" unless it's one of those backward glances for a Marshall forward pass headed his way.
So, when Allen finally had his career game in last Saturday's Herd football victory at Charlotte ââ'¬" one of the top games for a receiver in Marshall history ââ'¬" he didn't think for a minute about "What if?"
The rangy redshirt senior X receiver has four or five games remaining in his collegiate career, with a third straight Conference USA title game appearance remaining in the balance. So, after making 12 catches for 232 yards against the 49ers at Richardson Stadium, could he perhaps have a day like that again?
"I can," Allen said Monday at the Herd's weekly player interview session. "But whatever happens, happens. If it does, it does. If it doesn't it, doesn't, but I can tell you, I feel like it's going to happen again."
Since Allen isn't a "look back" guy ââ'¬" at least during a season ââ'¬" he didn't reflect on what might have been. But the 6-foot-3, 203-pounder appeared headed for one of those monster games last season. After dealing with a labrum tear and injured quad and hamstring and missing all of spring practice in 2013, Allen returned and played all 14 games in the Herd's Military Bowl-winning year ââ'¬" but he was hardly in full health and made only four starts.
He was healthy ââ'¬" finally ââ'¬" to start 2014 after a strong August camp. Receivers coach Mike Furrey was counting on Allen's leadership and production among the outside receivers, who were challenged by Furrey and Coach Doc Holliday to put up more numbers.
In Weeks 2 and 3 ââ'¬" wins over Rhode Island and Ohio ââ'¬" Allen did just that, with five catches in each game, for 115 and 137 yards. The following Saturday, however, while Allen made a 30-yard catch, his first of the game, he was hit by an Akron defender and suffered a collarbone fracture. He missed four games and had no catches the three after that.
He finally returned with a career-high six catches for 141 yards and two scores in the Herd's 67-66 overtime loss to Western Kentucky ââ'¬" the lone defeat in a 13-1 C-USA title season. That took the fleet Belle Glade, Fla., native to his final season, following his graduation with a management degree last December.
With a quarterback change after two games and multiple offensive line and running back switches due to injuries, Marshall's offense has spent much of this season trying to find its legs. Allen had only 26 receptions in the first eight games.
Then, with the Herd picking up the tempo, freshman quarterback Chase Litton found Allen again and again. One of those connections was for a 66-yard touchdown ââ'¬" the longest reception of the senior's career.
Now, the Herd (8-1, 5-0) has trips to Middle Tennessee (3-5, 2-2) and co-East Division leader Western Kentucky sandwiching Allen's Senior Day home game against FIU. The Herd is hoping for a C-USA Championship appearance again ââ'¬" trying to become the first school to play in three straight title games since the league went to divisional play following realignment and expansion in 2005.
Then, it's off to a fourth bowl game in the last five Marshall seasons.
"The way I look at it is I try to just follow up the game I had and focus on the next game," said Allen, who is taking classes toward his MBA. "But it is a great feeling to finally have had that game ââ'¬Â¦ a great feeling to be out there doing that. We knew we could do that against them all week, so we took whatever we did on the practice field, focused, and tried to apply it to the game."
Allen's 232 receiving yards rank sixth in Marshall single-game history, and were the most for a Herd pass catcher since Josh Davis had 264 on 11 receptions in a win over Appalachian State on Aug. 31, 2002. The MU record is 288 yards by Randy Moss in a 1996 NCAA Division I-AA playoff victory over Delaware.
Allen's number is the top in Herd history in a regular-season game against a major-college opponent, too. Denero Marriott is the only player with more receiving yards against an FBS foe ââ'¬" with 15 catches for 234 yards in Marshall's double-overtime GMAC Bowl victory over East Carolina in 2001.
Allen knows there likely are Herd fans who wonder "Where has this Davonte been?"
So?
"Yeah, that's probably true, but I don't try to focus on what other people think," Allen said. "I just try to go to work every day, try to produce, practice hard, help my team win. I do anything I can for the team and I figure everything will work it itself out."
Allen's 232 yards rank fifth among single-game FBS performances this season. And with 1,375 career yards, he's only 45 yards from reaching the top 25 in yards in Herd history ââ'¬Â¦ despite his repeated injury issues.
Furrey said Allen has been superb in practices and the coach's notion was that the kind of game Allen delivered was more a case of "when" not "if." Allen said success in practice is one thing, and he knows Furrey had been waiting for a performance like the one at Charlotte.
"It is hard not to be frustrated, but I try not to pay attention to stuff like that," Allen said. "I just try to be humble, keep my head on the ground, focus on what I can to help the team, coming in and out of routes, catching the ball, blocking, anything I can do it, I do it.
"I didn't do anything different to get the ball. What happened just happened. I didn't do anything different than usual. I work hard each and every play. I run my routes the same each and every play.
"If I'm getting the ball, I'm getting the ball. If I'm not, I'm not. I don't focus on things like that. It's about the team winning. I do anything I can to help us win."
