KALAMAZOO, MI - There are 57,600 square feet in a football field, and Western Michigan senior Darius Phillips knows how much of a difference 12 inches here or 12 inches there makes.
That knowledge gives Phillips an edge on defense, special teams and now on offense, where the versatile playmaker saw his first action in three years Saturday against Ball State.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound athlete entered the game as a receiver in the first quarter and saw the ball on three consecutive plays - first on an 8-yard reverse, then on a 9-yard screen and finally on a 7-yard swing pass.