Chattanooga: Roberts a weapon at wideout for Citadel

Andre Roberts takes it as a compliment when he’s double-teamed. It means The Citadel junior wide receiver is a threat, which is what he wants to be.

“It lets me know that I’m doing well and playing well,” said Roberts, who has 81 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

Despite a disappointing season for the Bulldogs (3-7, 1-6), who host the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1-9, 0-6) on Saturday, Roberts has been one of the most productive receivers in the country. The Walter Payton Award candidate leads the Southern Conference and is second in the nation in receptions per game (8.10) and leads the SoCon and is third in the nation in receiving yards per game (115.2).

“I think I’m doing better than last season. I’m understanding the offense better, and I’m getting open even though more teams are double-covering me,” Roberts said.

Roberts doesn’t get quite the same hype as his friend and rival Terrell Hudgins, Elon’s star receiver, but he’s been making a lot of noise on the field — and has the edge on Hudgins, another Payton Award candidate, in the two big receiving categories. Hudgins is a not-too-shabby third in the nation in receptions per game (7.6) and sixth in receiving yards (104.3).

“We actually talk on Facebook from time to time,” Roberts said. “When football season is going on, it’s kind of like a rivalry between us. When we play Elon, that week I like to sneak in there and look at some of his film.”

Despite their similar statistics, Roberts and Hudgins are very different physically. Hudgins is an intimidating presence at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, while Roberts, who is listed at 5-11, 175 pounds, is built more like the defensive backs that cover him.

Bulldogs coach Kevin Higgins said what makes Roberts so effective — he has 188 catches in 32 career games — is that he has the speed and quickness to get open and he does all the little things well.

“He works awfully hard at studying defenders, (and) we try to put him in a position where he has a chance to be successful,” Higgins said. “He does have good quickness, he does have good speed, he’s fairly consistent catching the football and I think if you put all those things together, the kid’s going to have a chance to be successful.”

Mocs coach Rodney Allison said containing Roberts is a priority, as it putting pressure on quarterback Bart Blanchard, who is averaging 233.1 yards per game in SoCon play, with 13 touchdowns (nine of them to Roberts) and five interceptions.

Hudgins didn’t have a huge day against the Mocs in Elon’s 42-7 win on Oct. 18, catching three passes for 39 yards, but two of those catches were for touchdowns, including a spectacular one-handed grab.

“We tried to do some things against Hudgins, and it didn’t work very well,” Allison said. “You always try to figure out some way to take their playmakers out of the game, but their quarterback, I think, is the one that really makes them go.”

Roberts is the primary receiving threat, but he’s got some help in Joshua Haney and Scott Flanagan, who have a combined 60 catches this season.

“If I start out well, defenses try to defend me more,” Roberts said, “and that opens things up for our other receivers, who can also make plays.”