Bradley aims for strong second half after breakout game
Jerand Bradley is midway through his second season as a college football player, and he's become well aware, from firsthand experience, of the highs and lows that come with the territory.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound wide receiver from DeSoto caught eight passes for 119 yards, both career highs, and a touchdown in Texas Tech's 41-31 loss Saturday at Oklahoma State. Bradley closed out last season with a long catch that set up a touchdown in the Red Raiders' Liberty Bowl win over Mississippi State, opened this year with six catches for 108 yards and two TDs in a rout of Murray State.
Before Saturday, however, he'd been quiet in the previous three games.
Being a redshirt freshman, the adjustment to college football continues daily.
"The game's slowing down for me, really," Bradley said on Tuesday. "Playing in (Class) 6A helped me in my transition to college, but I feel like it's slowing down a lot more now, because I got to get my foot in the water a little bit. I feel like it's smooth now, honestly."
There's no question, Bradley said, what the toughest adjustment has been to Big 12 football.
"Everybody on defense is fast," he said, "so the adjustment to the speed is what I had to get used to, because (familiarity with) the plays, that's going to come in practice. It's the speed of the game, really."
The career-best performance last week improved Bradley's season numbers to 24 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns. He's second on the team in catches and leads in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Bradley formed a one-two punch Saturday with Trey Cleveland, who also put up career highs of nine catches for 100 yards. Cleveland's a fourth-year junior from Arlington, and he's starting to stack eye-catching performances. Cleveland has six catches of 20 yards or longer in the past three games.
"He does it in practice, so it translates to the game," Bradley said. "I'm just happy for him. He's elevating, (as) his game has shown. He's stepped up a lot. Being an older guy, he's gaining the confidence."
Being a primary target for Tech quarterbacks, Bradley gets plenty of scrutiny. That was never more the case than in the second game of the season, the Red Raiders' 33-30 double-overtime victory against Houston. With everyone at Jones AT&T Stadium and a television audience watching, Bradley dropped a would-be touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter in a tie game, then saved the Red Raiders in overtime with a 21-yard catch on fourth-and-20.
"You've just got to let the past be the past and move forward," he said, explaining the turn of events, "because that's what gets you beat if you're just thinking about the last play."
Tech and Houston were tied 17-17 when Bradley let a potential touchdown pass slip through his hands at the goal line. As he dropped to a sitting position to grab the underthrown pass, his knee knocked the ball out of his hands — the rare instance when being tall worked against him.
With the game on the line in the first overtime, though, Donovan Smith came back to him.
"It means a lot to me, honestly," Bradley said. "It helps me gain confidence and just keep on elevating, really."
Now Bradley wants to use the breakout game last week as a springboard to a strong second half to the season. Tech has an open date this week, which falls at an opportune time for their young receiver. Bradley celebrated his birthday on Monday and he's always looked forward to football season for more than one reason.
"I love Halloween. This is my favorite time of the year," he said. "You've got Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm seeing that new Michael Myers (movie, Halloween Ends) this week."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Jerand Bradley aims for strong second half after career game
