Last week against Texas A&M, the U football team was without its best wide receiver, but this week the return of Paris Warren was instrumental in the Utes’ victory against California.
After being suspended last week for stealing a box of condoms a couple of days before the game, Warren came back to catch nine balls for 66 yards.
“I let down the team last week and I felt I had to come out with a bang,” Warren said.
He was clearly U quarterback Alex Smith’s favorite target and made many plays not just at the wide receiver position, but also running the ball.
“He is a fantastic talent. He made a one-handed catch, had a good reverse and a great cutback,” Smith said. “He just makes plays.”
Warren ran the ball twice for 33 yards, and his final run changed the momentum of the game, as it set the Utes up for the game-tying field goal.
Lining up at quarterback, Warren took the ball and ran down the field to the 15-yard line.
“We put that play in this week,” Warren said. “I love being in that position.”
That wasn’t the only time Warren felt like a quarterback. On the play before the run, Warren got a reverse pitch from U running back Brandon Warfield and almost threw an interception.
“I didn’t see the defender, but next time I will make the play,” Warren said. He was all over the field, and has become a huge weapon that U coach Urban Meyer knows he can use.
“Paris is a good player and a good person,” Meyer said. “Good players help, and he made some good plays.”
The addition of Warren was critical, since the Cal defense was primed to try to stop Warfield.
Warren’s past helped the team as well.
Warren had special insight into what the Bears would be doing, since he knew Cal head coach Jeff Tedford from their time in Oregon.
“The head coach was my offensive coordinator when I was in Oregon and I knew their playbook,” Warren said.
The offense as a whole, with the addition of Warren, led the offense in the direction Meyer wants to be headed.
“We are finally getting there, and I like what I saw in our offense Meyer said.
For Warren, this game was about redemption, and he may have gotten it with his performance.
“I had to give them all I had,” Warren said.