:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27517241/20131030_pjc_fb1_399.0.jpg)
The Bearcats offense took off when Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw made the decision to go to more and more sets with McClung and Shaq Washington on the field. This served the Bearcats well from a match up perspective. While UC had more dangerous receivers on the outside of the defense in Mekale McKay and Chris Moore, the most consistent performers were inside.
More often than not Brendon Kay would find his best receivers in matchups with the opposing teams nickle back (McClungs usual match up) or on a coverage linebacker (Washington's). It is no shock at all then that those two ended the season 1 and 2 in targets.
In the second half of the season McClung hit another level. From October 30th through the Louisville game McClung averaged 8 catches and 109 yards per game and was generally the most consistently explosive receiver on the team. He led the team in receptions of 10+ yards (42)* and plays of 20+ yards (16).
*The highest since Armon Binns had 50 such receptions in 2010
The only thing that McClung didn't do better than anyone else was get into the end zone. He had five TD catches on the year which was solid, but because of his smaller size he wasn't favored by Brendon Kay very often in the red zone. Those throws went to Chris Moore and MeKale McKay more often than not. None the less McClung was invaluable to the Bearcats attack this season.
