With Bowling Green’s talented corps of wide receivers, it’s difficult to find time on the field for all
of them.
Despite his limited playing time, Ray Hutson has had an important role in BG’s 3-1 start this season.
A fifth-year senior, Hutson has produced several big plays, both on offense and on special teams. He’ll
be hoping to do the same thing this Saturday at West Virginia in BG’s final non-conference game of the
season. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m.
Hutson was called ‘Big Play Ray’ by BG head coach Dave Clawson earlier this week. Clawson had a big smile
on his face at the time.
In the season-opening win over Idaho, Hutson’s 27-yard catch helped set up a field goal. In the one-point
loss to Wyoming, Hutson made a 10-yard TD reception to pull the Falcons to within 28-27 with less than
three seconds left in the game. Last Saturday in BG’s win at Miami, Hutson worked his magic on special
teams, blocking a punt which led to a touchdown and then recovering a fumble on a kickoff inside the
Falcons’ 5-yard line. Two plays later, Anthon Samuel went 96 yards for a BG touchdown.
“I am very, very proud of how Ray has handled himself this year for us,” Clawson said. “I’ve seen other
seniors in similar positions and it becomes about them … A lot of times, seniors if they don’t have
the role they want, they become unhappy and they become cancers. Ray has been every thing but that.
“For Ray, it’s been all about the team … I really appreciate the way that he’s handled himself. He’s
been very unselfish. He’s been a great example for the younger players on our team.
“And it’s funny. In making it all about the team, he’s having one of his best years,” Clawson added.
“Every game he has made a clutch play.”
Age and maturity have helped Hutson this season.
“If I was younger with a different mentality I would probably be disappointed. (But) my ultimate thing is
to help us win a MAC (Mid-American Conference) championship,” Hutson said.
Because of his love of football, Hutson has come to accept his role. He’s in the lineup when the Falcons
go to four wide receivers and he’s on kickoff return and punt return.
“I would love to be on the field every single snap. But in reality when I get my opportunities to make a
play, that’s what I have to do for this team to be successful,” Hutson said. “I just want to do whatever
it takes for us to win a game.”
“If the game is on the line, we don’t hesitate to throw it to Ray,” Clawson said. “We tell our players
all the time that our confidence in you will be reflected by which situations we are willing to put you
in. We are willing to play Ray with the game on the line.”
For his efforts against Miami, Hutson was named the MAC East special teams player of the week.
“Coach always says there are three or four plays in the game that will win games and they may not always
be in the fourth quarter,” Hutson said. “To look back and see that (the punt block) was one of the plays
that helped us win the game. It made me proud, it made me thankful.
“The players out there really opened it up for me to do that. I didn’t make the play by myself. I was
just the one that got the glory,” he added.
Hutson has seen a lot of football in his time at Bowling Green, including being a part of the 2009 team
which played in the Humanitarian Bowl. In 2009 Hutson had 28 receptions for 239 yards and two scores.
For his career Hutson has 40 receptions for 360 yards and three TDs.
Still this season is special for Hutson, because the Falcons are playing together.
“Whether the defense is out there making plays or we’re (the offense) out there making plays, no matter
who it is you can tell Bowling Green is playing as a team,” Hutson said. “It’s a lot of fun. The
mentality of our team has totally changed. I feel everybody on the team has bought into the system,
bought into the words coach is saying, bought into the fact that we are a team.”
Hutson has also been busy off the field as he is a double major in finance and accounting. He plans to
graduate in May 2012.
“I have loved numbers ever since I was little,” Hutson said.
His ideal job would be working in an accounting firm in the auditing department after he gets his CPA. He
would also like to work on the weekends helping people with their financial portfolios.