As West Virginia State hits the road seeking to get back on the winning track - after falling to 1-4 with a gut-wrenching last-second loss to UVa-Wise last week - it will do so looking to lean on a talented group of receivers that has been able to provide consistency for a team unable to find much this season.
With a group that includes Akil Washington, Quinton Gray, Tyrell Henderson and A.J. Barrette - as well as Trevond Reese, who also has a 100-yard game to his credit this season - the Yellow Jackets have four solid options to go to in the passing game on a regular basis.
"We've formed a really close bond," Barrette said. "We all know that we can do a lot of different things and, at any moment, we can make a big catch. We know we have an important role in this offense and we just need to do what we have to when we get the chance."
And they use those weapons often, including in last week's loss to the Cavaliers. The four receivers helped State throw for 494 yards and four scores. It comes as no surprise that after performances like that, their confidence is at an all-time high.
That's something West Virginia State is going to need if it wants to depend on the passing game the way it has recently to bounce back from that loss.
"As receivers, we try to go out and set the tone," Washington said. "Our goal is to be consistent every day, every week, and find the will to do what it takes in order to win."
They all have different things they do well. Washington, the senior and the leader the younger guys can look up to, does a little bit of everything. He has emerged as a consistent and reliable possession receiver whenever WVSU needs a big completion. Gray, a junior who was honorable mention all-MEC in 2015, has emerged as potentially the best receiver in the conference this year. He currently leads the league averaging more than eight catches per game and is third at 97.5 yards per game.
Then you have Henderson and Barrette, two underclassmen who are playing well beyond their years. Henderson came on strong as a freshman a year ago and led the team in touchdown catches before injuries hampered his development this year until coming back with a bang last week - catching nine passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns against the Cavaliers. Barrette had 11 catches for 166 yards in that game, the second-most receptions in a game for a WVSU freshman since 1998 - trailing only Jermain King's 13 catches against West Virginia Wesleyan in 2007.
"We all have specific things we do well, and we're all trying to become more complete receivers," Barrette said. "We can all take little things from each other and we complement our games really well.
"I give a lot of credit to guys like Akil and Quinton, as the upperclassmen they've been really good leaders for us."
And the more the group has worked with one another, the stronger their chemistry has become. They spend time working with each other, hanging out and picking up little things here and there along the way that can help them get to that next level.
That's been a key, and their ability to play well with each other has made it an easier transition as West Virginia State has had to bounce around between Austin Hensley and Matt Kinnick at quarterback since Kinnick has been injured at times this year.
They understand they are going to have to get better, they have to be able to put things together quickly in order to bounce back.
And that all starts this week as the Yellow Jackets visit Notre Dame College at 1 p.m. Saturday.
"Stats are nice, we all like having big games and making plays and all that, but at the end of the day if you look up at that scoreboard and you're on the wrong side of the final score it doesn't mean anything," Washington said. "We've been doing some good things, but we'd all rather get the win to be honest. We just have to keep working toward it."