'Mighty Mite' Gaines provides spark in Tech's win

To anyone outside Louisiana Tech's football program, a breakout game this early in the season from a 5-foot-6 wide receiver by the name of Marcus Gaines seemed unlikely.

But for anyone who has spent time at practice, they are well aware of Gaines' playmaking ability via an array of one-handed catches or the ability to burn defenders with his quick release off the ball.

That's ''Mighty Mite'' in a nutshell, a nickname Tech coach Skip Holtz used Saturday to describe his diminutive outside receiver.

"I have a lot of nicknames. That's just one that he gave me," Gaines said. "I didn't even know that was my nickname. Now I know."

And now the rest of the general public knows who Marcus Gaines is.

Starting in place of an injured Carlos Henderson, Gaines torched the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Saturday's win, hauling in a career-high eight passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.

Three takeaways from Tech's win over ULL

"He has just been waiting his turn. He is patient. He is humble and an incredible team player," Holtz said. "He has never moaned, groaned or griped. He has just waited his opportunity and played on special teams. When he got his chance, he made the most of it. I was really proud, he has earned it.”

Henderson, Tech's speedster and main deep threat, tried to give it a go in warmups but his hamstring acted up, forcing him to watch the entire game from the sideline.

Gaines, who came in with 11 career catches, almost matched that in one game. Gaines ran free throughout the night, catching balls over the middle despite his 158-pound frame and displaying his long speed on a 72-yard screen pass that he took for a touchdown.

“What Marcus Gaines did tonight on the field, was what he does every day at practice," Holtz said. "He makes play after play after play. We throw deep balls and he finds a way. He has a nose for the football."

And the opportunity was nothing new.

Tech's wide receivers have been dropping like flies through the first five games. Henderson had finger surgery in August and was limited in the first few games before finally returning to close to full strength for the FIU game. Then came the hamstring injury, which put him on the sideline with Conner Smith, who has missed the last four games with an ankle injury. Paul Turner is also playing through a tight hamstring.

Before pregame meals, Holtz tells his players to envision making plays.

"I was able to do that," Gaines said.

“I found out right before the game. I thought Carlos was going to try and play but he did not. I had to step up and that is what I did."

So how does Gaines, who made a highlight reel one-handed catch in a 2014 win over UTEP, manage to always come open despite his small stature?

"Just great releases, I guess," he said. "Just reading the coverage and understanding where to go."

Gaines was especially key on third downs as Jeff Driskel's favorite target. Tech finished 6-of-13 on third downs with four of the conversions going to Gaines for 117 yards and a touchdown.

All four completions were responsible for touchdowns. Aside from Gaines' long score, his first two catches on third downs helped set up Driskel's touchdown pass to Trent Taylor and Driskel's 19-yard touchdown run. Late in the game, Gaines hauled in a 24-yard catch to keep the drive alive and also drew a pass interference call in the end zone that led to Kenneth Dixon's 6-yard touchdown run.

“He is a guy we knew going into the season that he was going to have to play well for us this year," Driskel said. "He is talented and a guy we trust. He had a great camp. I think Lafayette’s plan was to eliminate the single receiver coverage in three-by-one sets which singled up the field in three-by-ones so I am going go to wherever the coverage dictates. He did a great job with the ball in his hand getting some yards after the catch."

Gaines' play Saturday had everyone fired up, even the Bulldogs' defense.

Senior cornerback Bryson Abraham said Gaines had "me out of my seat" on the sidelines.

"I was supposed to be sitting down with the defense and I was jumping every time he caught a pass," Abraham said. "On that screen that he took 72 yards, that was big. He practices like that; all the receivers do. Unfortunately, Carlos (Henderson) could not be out there, but coach Holtz always talks about the next man up. He did that.”