Murdock 'a better player' in 2010 By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
 One year ago Sunday, O.J. Murdock made an immediate stamp on the Fort Hays State University football team. Murdock, a transfer wideout who had played at NCAA Division I University of South Carolina, had a 70-yard TD pass against Colorado School of Mines as his first reception with the Tigers, a play that he called the highlight of his year. Murdock finished with eight TDs, several spectacular plays and earned second team all-conference honors despite playing with a variety of ailments.
 “He was a little heavier last year,” Tiger coach Kevin Verdugo said. “He had some things that nobody really knew about last year that kind of nagged him the whole year whether it was a knee, a hamstring, so forth. Never missed a beat, just played hard.”
 This season, Murdock calls himself “a better player,” one who has had a year to learn the Tiger offense, lose some weight and stay healthy. The differences have yielded an impressive start, including the greatest game, statistically, of his Tiger career in a 45-23 victory over East Central (Okla.) University on Saturday night at Lewis Field Stadium.
 Murdock finished with four catches, 175 yards and three TDs, scores that went for 66, 16 and 80 yards. The senior wideout set a career high for single game receiving yards and TDs. He finished one off the school and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association record for receiving touchdowns in a game.
 “This year, he is fortunate,” Verdugo said. “He is probably the best shape that he has been in in a long time. I think that shows out there on the field.”
 Murdock’s day helped senior quarterback Mike Garrison finish 16-of-25 passing for 358 yards and a  school record-tying 5 TD passes. Robert Long accomplished the feat twice in 1983 and ’85, while Shawn Behr (1995) and Jason Brown (2000) matched the total, too.
“I really didn’t know what the record was, but it’s a big accomplishment,” Garrison said. “I didn’t do it all myself. It started up front. The line, blocking, giving me some time and especially my receivers. Had a couple underthrown balls or balls behind them and they caught it, just made a play on it and went the rest of the 50 yards down the field. I really did only half the work.”
 The offense finished with 513 yards, clearing 500 yards for the second straight game – and the second time in the six-year Verdugo era. Fort Hays moved to 2-0 with the victory, the first Tiger win over a Lone Star Conference school since joining NCAA Division II in 1991. The Tigers were 0-6 since 1991 against Lone Star teams until the win over East Central.
 “That’s the thing about us,” Verdugo said. “We have got the ability to strike quick and to go big. We can also use the tight ends and dink-and-dunk it down the fields on the crossing routes.”
 The Tigers normally went deep to Murdock, the MIAA’s leader in yards per catch (19.9) last season. This year, after two games, Murdock has six receptions for 204 yards and three scores. His 11 career reception TDs are one shy of the top-10 list in Tiger history.
 The first score came on a 66-yard pass that gave Fort Hays a 10-0 lead with 6:47 left in the first quarter. Fort Hays often used a double tight end formation against ESU’s 3-4 defense. That helped set up the first score when Garrison faked a handoff to senior running back James Walker and then threw over the top to Murdock, who had snuck behind the secondary. It was a play FHSU worked on in the spring and fall camp.
 “Actually had a little bit more play action in this week than we had last week because of what we saw them doing against two tights,” Verdugo said.
 Murdock picked up his second score, the 16-yard play, with 5:39 remaining the first half that extended Fort Hays’ lead to 17-7. The ball was thrown slightly behind Murdock, but he made the catch.
 “I just try to make a play,” Murdock said. “Anytime the ball is in the air or in my vicinity just try to make a play on a ball and win every play.”
 Murdock had the 80-yard catch down the right sideline with one second left in the third quarter. It was the longest pass play of his career, eclipsing his catch against Mines. Just like the Mines’ play, Garrison underthrew the ball.
 “I told (Mike) he was very lucky,” Verdugo said.
 It could have been intercepted, but Murdock made an adjustment, caught the ball and then outraced the defensive back for his final catch of the day – and another touchdown in a year full of impressive catches.
 “It was underthrown a little bit. I don’t know if the wind took it or what,” Murdock said. “I tried to come back and make a play on the ball and it worked out in my favor. I think he hit my shoulder, I kind of leaned into him to catch the ball. I cramped up a little bit at the end of the play towards the end zone, but for the most part, just try to make a play and see what else happens.”