Capturing KeeSean Johnson and his record 260 career catches in two plays
There are two plays, both from this season, that don’t begin to cover four years of college football, don’t cover 260 career receptions, 3,217 yards and 23 touchdowns.
But they do illustrate just how far KeeSean Johnson, the Fresno State wideout, has come since catching career pass No. 1 as a WR2 or maybe a WR3 back in his freshman season, 2015, a modest 8-yard completion working with long-departed quarterback Zack Greenlee, who transferred to Texas-El Paso.
The first of those plays came second, just last Saturday in a victory over San Diego State that clinched a second consecutive division title in the Mountain West.
It was a third-and-12 in the fourth quarter, right after Fresno State had a touchdown run wiped out by a holding call. Up three points, the Bulldogs needed a score to put down the game. They had it, then they didn’t. Still needed it, needed a play to be made.
“That’s the one,” offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer said.
It was the route, a nuanced double move, working left and then back to his right, creating space between two Aztecs and a defense that does not give up many big plays.
“It was kind of a route that we were waiting to set up the whole time,” quarterback Marcus McMaryion said. “KeeSean kind of puts his own little style on it.”
Said coach Jeff Tedford: “He was acting like he was going to run a flag route, or a corner route, and then came back inside. With his experience and his knowledge and how he can set people up, he does an excellent job of that.”
It’s knowing the route, knowing the defense, and manipulating both to get one result.
“He went out there, put a little KeeSean Flavor on it. … I don’t know what you want to call it, but he got open,” McMaryion said..
Johnson hit his landmarks on the route and went up for the ball at the 10-yard line, came down with it at the 3. Two plays later, the Bulldogs were in the end zone, had a two-score lead and were booking a return trip to the Mountain West championship game.
“When we really need him, he wins on a little double move,” DeBoer said. “Marcus and KeeSean, you could tell that they had repped it and talked about it.
“He had to go up and make a play and two guys were converging on him and he almost got to the end zone, but that is a play that I continue to think of that exemplifies the progress that he has made this year.”
The second play came first, in a victory at UCLA back in September.
That was competitiveness and tenacity, on display most on 50-50 balls. Early in his career, Johnson struggled to make those plays.
Not any more, but this play was more.
He beat man coverage, working a fade route up the right sideline. When he caught the pass, UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes tried to wrestle him to the ground, but couldn’t get it done. Three more Bruins converged, and they couldn’t get him down.
Johnson stayed on his feet, finally wrestled out of bounds, but not after he had added about 8 yards after contact to a 23-yard play, all of it while in Holmes’ grasp.
That has carried through the season, as he has racked up the receptions.
“I think KeeSean has really grown into that,” Tedford said. “I wouldn’t say that he had that mindset about him last year, but I think he has really grown into that guy that understands that he’s a big physical receiver and he can use that to his advantage.
“I think especially over the latter half of the season here you’ve seen that even more from him, not running out of bounds and trying to get the extra yards. He’s a physical guy and I think he has grown and matured in a way that he understands how he can use that.”
“That was where it started,” DeBoer said. “That just showed a relentlessness, a desire to stay up on his feet and not go down. First of all, he caught the ball, high-pointed it, did everything right and just showed that desire to be at the next level.”
Fresno State first has three games remaining, starting Saturday when Johnson and 26 other seniors will play their final home game at Bulldog Stadium.
They have secured a spot in the conference championship game, to be played against and at the winner of a game Saturday between Boise State and Utah State.
Then, a bowl.
Johnson set the school record for career receptions in a 50-20 victory over Hawaii in Week 9 and he can climb to the top of the all-time list in receiving yards, as well.
The top five in pass receptions:
- KeeSean Johnson (2015-present).
- Davante Adams (2012-13) 233.
- Josh Harper (2011-14) 228.
- Rodney Wright (1998-2001) 222.
- Isaiah Burse (2010-13) 209.
Johnson started the season in eighth place with 180 receptions.
The top five in receiving yards:
- Charlie Jones (1992-95) 3,344.
- Rodney Wright (1998-2001) 3,274.
- KeeSean Johnson (2015-present) 3,217.
- Davante Adams (2012-13) 3,030.
- Brian Roberson (1993-96) 2,956.
Johnson started the season in 11th place with 2,123 yards.
That is something Johnson used to talk about with his friends, with family.
“Sometimes you talk things into existence,” he said. “The competitiveness, wanting to help your team win and put your offense in a good position no matter what down it is, no matter if it’s a game, practice, whatever situation you’re in.
“It’s something that me and my dad talked about before the season, playing more physical. He tells me he knows how I can play, so go out and show it.”
But it’s a long way from where he started his career, signing with the Bulldogs in a 2014 recruiting class decimated by attrition — of the 22 players to sign on national letter of intent signing day, only four will go through Senior Day ceremonies (Johnson, Jamire Jordan, Kyle Riddering and Tank Kelly) and five already completed their eligibility.
Johnson was 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds.
Now, he’s 6-2 and 199.
In the Bulldogs’ past five games he has had eight receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns at New Mexico, eight for 102 against Hawaii, eight for 97 at UNLV, eight for 95 and one touchdown at Boise State, and 10 for 141 against San Diego State.
“It was nothing but hard work,” Johnson said, “just being more competitive and grinding outside of football, in the weight room, doing all these things you need to do to be faster, stronger, quicker, more explosive.”
This season, all of the pieces are in place.
“He does a lot of things well that you see at the Pac-12 level. It reminded me of a lot of that. He’s a really good player, obviously,” said McMaryion, the former Dinuba High star who transferred to Fresno State from Oregon State.
“Competitiveness, it means preparation,” DeBoer said. “He knows in order to be elite on game day you have to practice well. I think this has been a phenomenal year for him on the practice field leading up to great performances on Saturday.
“But, then, the competition for a ball when its in the air. He made some great plays before, but it seems like this year when there’s a moment for him to go make a play, especially when we need him to make a play, it seems like he just has been coming though almost every single time. He has been sharp. He has been great to coach and I can’t wait to finish it out with him.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2018 at 11:32 AM.