Versatile, big, athletic and powerful.

All those words describe the Salukis 6-6, 270-pound junior tight end Damon Jones. However, this year has been a struggle for him until last Saturday’s game with Nicholls State, that is.

After a subpar two weeks of uncharacteristic dropped balls, Jones exploded for 160 yards on five catches, including a 65-yard touchdown reception.

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Jones, who made the Gateway Conference preseason honorable mention list, said he needed a breakthrough game like this to get him going heading into league play this weekend.

It gives me a whole lot of confidence, he said. My confidence was real low after the first two games and I made a couple of catches at the end of the Arkansas State game and I was starting to get my confidence then.

This game is really going to push me up to where I’m going to be back to my old form just catching everything that comes around me.

Saluki head coach Shawn Watson said he could see Jones gain momentum as the season has went on.

Damon has just gained confidence, Watson said. He has the monkey off his back I think he was pressing because he has high expectations of himself and he had to get over that mental block.

Watson said in addition to catching the ball he was impressed with Damon Jones ability to block and run after the reception.

He had 120 yards of his yards after the catch he did an outstanding job, he said. And he had six domination blocks where he had six pins.

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Jones transferred to SIUC from Michigan in 1994, and had an immediate impact, collecting 32 receptions for 514 yards and five touchdowns in his first season as a Saluki. He was also named to the Gateway All-Conference Second Team Offense.

Even higher expectations awaited Jones entering the 1995 campaign, but dropped passes and inconsistent quarterback play caused Jones to catch only three passes for 16 yards in the first two games. He picked up his play a little bit in the Arkansas St. game collecting three receptions for 48 yards.

Jones said concentrating on catching the football and not trying to do to much allowed him to improve this week.

I was trying to run before I caught the ball and I was taking my eyes off the football, he said. I’m going to concentrate on catching it first and if guys are all over me, then they are going to have to bring me down. But if I don’t feel like getting tackled, then I’m not going down.

Jones also said quarterback Danny Jones’ improved play also contributed to his success Saturday.

We started the first two weeks out with Reggie (Kennedy) and everybody was trying to get use to a left-handed quarterback, and now we’ve played two weeks with Danny (Smith), he said. I think Danny has the offense under his belt and we’ve got almost all of our passes in.

I think were timing up stuff and the receivers are getting to their spots on time, the tight ends are playing better. I think everybody is playing better and we’re ready to roll into conference.