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University of Minnesota Athletics
Lair Named Tight End of the Week
10/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
University of Minnesota tight end Eric Lair has been named the National Tight End of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards.
Lair recorded three receptions for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Lair's first touchdown came on an eight-yard pass from running back Duane Bennett. The scoring strike tied the game at 14-14. One play prior to the touchdown catch from Bennett, Lair hauled in a 42-yard strike from quarterback Adam Weber to set up the halfback option pass.
Early in the fourth quarter, with Minnesota leading just 21-20, Lair gave the Gophers an eight-point lead. He snared a 25-yard Weber aerial for a touchdown to cap an 11-play, 89-yard drive.
The two touchdown receptions marked the first two times Lair has found the end zone in his Gopher career. He said he thought a big game was possible for him coming into the game.
"We worked on it all week," Lair said. "We worked on just getting downfield, corner routes, getting to the post. I knew I was going to get open. I knew it was going to be there. (Weber and I) worked on it even after practice."
In regard to his first collegiate touchdown, which came from Bennett on a halfback pass, Lair was just glad to see the play called after working on it for months.
"Since two-a-days," Lair said when asked how long he's been working on catching passes from Bennett. "We do it every single day. Luckily, Duane and I work together so much, he saw the defender on the side of me, he led me enough to get up there and get the ball."
Lair's big performance against Northwestern came just one week after another strong performance. The week prior, against Northern Illinois, Lair had career-best marks for receptions (7) and yards (94).
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