Andre the great

As Citadel quarterback Bart Blanchard approached the line of scrimmage late in the game last Saturday, he didn't like what he saw.

Protecting a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, Wofford's defense was lined up with two deep safeties and a cornerback pressing up on wide receiver Andre Roberts, a classic "cover 2" look.

In this situation, Blanchard had been coached to throw the other way, to one of two receivers running underneath routes from the strong side of the formation.

But then, Blanchard saw something he did like.

"I saw the look in his eye," Blanchard said. "He knew I was coming to him."

Roberts blew past the cornerback, threw a "shake" at the safety and cut hard toward the corner of the end zone, snaring a 30-yard touchdown pass from Blanchard to trim Wofford's lead to 33-28 with 3:48 left in the game.

"If Bart throws it there and it doesn't work, " said Citadel coach Kevin Higgins, "he's got 10 coaches on the sideline saying, 'Why didn't you throw it to the other side?' "

The answer is simple, Blanchard said.

"It was Andre."

As his junior season draws to a close, the 5-11, 175-pound Roberts — an unlikely All-American who speaks softly and walks a little bowlegged — already has established himself as the top receiver in Citadel history, and one who might have a chance to play in the NFL.

Roberts' 14 catches in the loss at Wofford broke a 36-year-old school record. He already owns the career marks for receptions (184) and yards (2,769), and the single-season mark for catches (81 so far this year). With 1,152 yards this season, Roberts is just 78 yards from matching Brian Baima's single-season mark of 1,230, set in 1971.

After he torched Clemson for nine catches, 153 yards and a touchdown earlier this season, ex-Tigers coach Tommy Bowden said, "There are a lot of NFL players from I-AA (FCS) schools, and he might be one of them."

And after watching Roberts score three TDs against his club, Wofford coach Mike Ayers said, "The guy will probably play at the next level."

With Andre, it's not just quantity but quality that matters. His second TD grab against Wofford, an 18-yarder from Blanchard, came after a Terriers safety hit him from behind, knocking Roberts' head down.

"Somehow, with his head down, he put his hands up and made the catch," Higgins said. "Incredible."

How does he do it?

"He's just a big piece of muscle," Blanchard said. "Andre is all muscle, and he can run. He's just a playmaker, is the best way I can describe him. He can catch, run routes and has football smarts, but mostly he just makes plays."

Former Citadel receiving greats Scooter Johnson and Rick Crosby agree.

"In person, I haven't seen feet as quick as his," said Johnson, who ranks third on the career chart with 110 catches from 2000-03. "But I see it all the time on Sundays."

Crosby, who caught an official 13 passes against Colgate in 1972, didn't mind seeing Roberts get his record.

"The game has changed so much in 36 years," said Crosby, who like Roberts is from Columbia. "To see someone with Andre's speed and talent, I thought he might be the guy to break it, and I can't think of a better guy to do it. I'm so happy for him."

Higgins, who coached NFL receivers during his stint with the Detroit Lions, says Roberts' punt-return skills should help him get a shot at pro ball. But first, there is the small matter of making good use of his senior year in 2009.

"You worry about overusing him and losing him to injury," Higgins said. "But we have to keep getting him the ball however we can. He's one of the few guys in this league who can make people miss."