Tariq Bitson was having a monster season for Adams State. Earlier this season, we called him one of DII football's 15 best players you (maybe) never heard of. The Grizzlies' star wide receiver responded with his fourth 200-yard game of the season in Week 8, which left him 521 yards shy of the single-season record.
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DII football single-season record: Bitson's season, so far
Bitson began his assault on the DII football record book right from Game 1 of the 2019 season when he caught eight passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with his first 200-yard game of the season in Week 2. He now has four 200-yard games.
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The Grizzlies star receiver was injured early in Week 9 and didn't find his way to the box score in Week 10 either, so his charge on history looks like it is coming to an end. Prior to that, Bitson was held scoreless in just two games and kept under 166 yards just twice. He reeled in 1,355 yards through his first eight games.
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Missing Week 9 and 10 means we likely won't see a new record in 2019. Here's a look at Bitson's game-by-game performances through 10 weeks in 2019.
| Week | Opponent | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines | 8 | 195 | 1 |
| 2 | New Mexico Highlands | 7 | 201 | 2 |
| 3 | Black Hills State | 3 | 71 | 2 |
| 4 | Western Colorado | 12 | 257 | 4 |
| 5 | Fort Lewis | 4 | 40 | 0 |
| 6 | Chadron State | 8 | 166 | 1 |
| 7 | South Dakota Mines | 10 | 217 | 1 |
| 8 | CSU-Pueblo | 11 | 208 | 0 |
| 9 | Angelo State | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Colorado Mesa | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Dixie State | TBD | TBD | TBD |
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DII football history: All-time single-season receiving leaders
If Bitson plays next week and finds some of his 200-yard game magic, he could crack the top 10. He needs 282 yards to crack the ten-best single seasons in receiving yards in the history of DII football. Here's a look at the list and what Bitson has in front of him as 2019 comes to a close.
| Name | School | Yards | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris George | Glenville State | 1,876 | 1993 |
| Charly Martin | West Texas A&M | 1,867 | 2008 |
| Barry Wagner | Alabama A&M | 1,812 | 1989 |
| Evan Prall | East Stroudsburg | 1,766 | 2005 |
| Chris Perry | Adams State | 1,719 | 1995 |
| Eric Fowler | Grand Valley State | 1,694 | 2006 |
| Freddie Martino | North Greenville | 1,680 | 2013 |
| Kevin Ingram | West Chester | 1,673 | 1998 |
| Torrence Allen | West Texas A&M | 1,668 | 2013 |
| Ellis Debrow | Delta State | 1,637 | 2003 |
| Mark DeBrito | Bentley | 1,637 | 1999 |
*Bitson has 1,355 yards with one game remaining.
