Zavion Thomas established himself of one of college football's most dynamic punt returners last season, and the sophomore translated that ability into Mississippi State's offense for a breakout performance at Auburn.
The speedy 5-foot-11 receiver hauled in nine passes and doubled his career-high with 112 receiving yards in the 27-13 loss. Thomas also caught Mike Wright's only touchdown pass, which was also the first receiving touchdown he's scored in his young career..
The breakout was only a matter of time for one of the Bulldogs' most intriguing talents. You can't teach the lightning quick legs that Thomas possesses and he's shown that ability in spurts. As Thomas has continued to work with wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis it's helped him churn that speed into success on the outside.
"Just Coach Bump preaching practice makes perfect," Thomas said. "Just going out there and practicing and doing everything I got to do set me up for a good performance."
Thomas credits offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay for getting him in the right spots against Auburn's defense. Six of his nine receptions went for more than ten yards, and he had his most explosive play on Mississippi State's first offensive snap with a 32-yard grab on a deep crosser.
"I saw everything that Coach Bump and Coach Barbay told us throughout the week. Every time I got the ball, I was just taking advantage of every time I got the ball and that’s all I could do."
It wasn't just the speed that allowed Thomas to shine in an otherwise stagnant Mississippi State offense. The Woodmere, LA native showcased his precise footwork near the sidelines and came down with a challenging one-handed snag while falling down in the back of the end zone in the third quarter.
"Just me trusting my ability. When the ball goes in the air, understanding it’s got to be mine," Thomas said. "It can’t be the DB's. It’s got to be mine. Just having that mentality makes everything go."
Thomas' emergence is no surprise to the Mississippi State coaching staff. Barbay has seen up close the type of talent that he gets to implement into his scheme, and has taken notice of the improvements that Thomas has made as the season has gone on.
"Zavion is an extremely talented receiver, and I was really proud of him and some of the plays he made on Saturday. He’s a kid that, if the ball is in the air, there’s a really good chance he’s going to come down with it somehow, some way," Barbay said. "I see his detail in his game, and he’s improving week by week. All the details in his routes and setting this guy up and finding the blind spots and getting to his depth. I think last week he had his best week of practice, and that correlated to his best game so far."
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