Hill sprinting toward WSU touchdown record
SEATTLE — Jason Hill caught 12 touchdown passes last season and set a school record in the process.
After three games this season, he’s already halfway home to matching that number.
Hill has reeled in two touchdowns in each of Washington State’s first three games, adding Nos. 5 and 6 Saturday on an 18-yarder early in the second quarter and a 56-yarder in the fourth.
And while he hasn’t yet played against a secondary the caliber of those he’ll see later in the season, defenses beware: The junior sees no reason he can’t continue this jaw-dropping pace.
“Whether it’s Pac-10, Big Ten, SEC, whatever it is,” Hill said. “I strongly, strongly believe I can keep that up and go beyond it.”
When Saturday’s game started, Hill’s 16 career touchdown receptions was good for a fifth-place tie in the WSU record books.
By the time 60 minutes had elapsed, Hill’s 18 scores put him in a four-way tie with Nian Taylor, Deron Pointer and Devard Darling for second.
Next up, Hugh Campbell, who set the school record with 22 touchdowns from 1960-62. By the way, don’t think that Hill doesn’t know what he needs to catch Campbell.
“I’ve been aware of it since I got here,” said Hill, who had 10 catches for 143 yards Saturday. “That’s the first thing I did my freshman year: I was looking at record books and looking at all the records.
“I think playing receiver that has to be your goal, to be the best.”
For quarterback Alex Brink, who finished Saturday 19 of 29 for 262 yards and three touchdowns (the third to tight end Troy Bienemann), throwing to Hill has become a no-brainer.
“He can go out and make plays for anybody,” the sophomore quarterback said. “We’re looking for matchups, and Jason Hill one-on-one with anybody is a pretty good matchup. If he’s one-on-one, I’m definitely looking for him.”
Hill said teams are paying more attention to him this season, but so far it hasn’t seemed to make much of a difference. Grambling’s cornerbacks tried to take the inside of the field away from him, with the safeties rolling to his side to take away the deep ball.
And yet, like he has in both games so far, the junior still got behind the defense for one long score.
Hill’s 56-yarder wasn’t unusual, either. Of the big-play wideout’s touchdowns this year, just two have come inside the red zone, including the 18-yard catch against Grambling.
“Everyone’s playing me different now, and I’m starting to learn how to use things against them,” Hill said. “They take things away from me, and I’m going to use that against them. Today I was able to do that on the one long one I had. It’s fun for me because I’m learning on the go.”
And as for the records, well, they too appear to be waiting to fall in just a matter of time.
“I’ve been scoring touchdowns all my life,” Hill said, “and I try not to let anybody stop me from that.”