Hilliard shows his big-play skills

Receiver Ike Hilliard has his best game in years, with seven receptions for 114 yards.

By JOANNE KORTH, Times Staff Writer
Published October 1, 2007

In the second quarter, Ike Hilliard lined up in the slot and got behind the safeties deep down the middle for the 56-yarder. He bobbled the ball, but pulled it in before being run out of bounds at the 10.
	[Brendan Fitterer | Times]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Move over Joey Galloway, the Bucs have another 30-something deep threat.

Ike Hilliard.

And at 31, he's four years younger than Galloway.

With Carolina's defense focused on Galloway, Hilliard turned in his best game in three seasons with the Bucs. He caught seven passes for 114 yards, including a 56-yarder down the middle that was the longest play of the game.

"Yeah, I'm a deep threat now," Hilliard said.

Cast as a possession receiver with the Bucs, Hilliard played mostly in three-receiver sets the past two seasons. He showed Sunday he is capable of a featured role. Sunday's was the ninth 100-yard game of his career, but first with Tampa Bay.

The Bucs went 71 yards to score on their opening possession for the first time in nine games dating to a Thanksgiving Day loss at Dallas and Hilliard was the key. He caught four passes for 46 yards (15, 15, 9 and 7 yards), each resulting in a first down. His 9-yard reception took the Bucs into the red zone and his 7-yarder made it first and goal at the 3.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia scrambled for the touchdown.

"Jeff went through his progressions to find the open guy," said Hilliard, who has been limited in practice the past two weeks by an ankle injury. "I just happened to be that guy on a few occasions. It's good to be a part of it. It's good to be back out there with the starting group and be able to contribute in any kind of way."

In the second quarter, Hilliard lined up in the slot and, in a move typically reserved for Galloway, got behind the safeties deep down the middle for the 56-yarder. He bobbled the ball, but pulled it in before being run out of bounds at the 10.

The play set up a 25-yard Matt Bryant field goal for a 17-0 lead.

"If Joey's there, he walks in," Hilliard said. "Jeff couldn't throw a more perfect ball and I almost screwed it up. But I was able to hold onto it and make the play. It's something that we really wanted to hit all week. It just so happened, I was the guy on the inside."

Garcia has confidence in Hilliard.

"Here's a guy who hasn't practiced a lot lately because of his ankle, but mentally stays involved in the game and knows what he has to do when he gets out on the field," Garcia said. "He did a great job of finding openings and getting down the middle of the field on the long ball and hauling it in. I gave him a hard time about not scoring, but I know he was disappointed he didn't catch it as cleanly as he could have."

If teams continue to key on Galloway, others need to step up.

"Because of Joey's explosiveness, he is going to get more attention with help from the safeties over the top," Garcia said. "Teams aren't necessarily going to give him that one-on-one opportunity. That's where other guys are going to get their opportunities to make plays.

"That's what Ike did."

Joanne Korth can be reached at korth@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8810.

[Last modified September 30, 2007, 23:55:32]