OGDEN — One plays the glamour position on the football field. He's got the look — the nice hair, the pretty face and the strong arm.
The other has tattoos, braided hair and pierced ears. He looks rough around the edges, and plays wide receiver that way.
Quarterback Ian Pizarro and receiver Terry Larsen have become the biggest offensive threat Weber State will throw at people this season.
"We were just talking about that," Pizarro said, "how we seem to know each other so well. We're on the same page."
Pizarro, who threw for 2,357 yards and 17 touchdowns last year as a junior, said he was reminded of his tight working relationship with Larsen on the first series of plays at a recent scrimmage. While the quarterback was barking out signals, Larsen was studying his eyes. They made brief eye contact and the message was sent.
"He knew I was going to him," Pizarro said. "He was like 'I kind of saw that look in your eyes and knew you were going to throw it to me.' That's a good thing, I guess, as long as the defense doesn't pick up on it."
Larsen, a senior from Box Elder High, is one of coach Ron McBride's kind of players. After spending a little time at a pair of junior colleges, Larsen returned to the Beehive State with an improved game and a bit of attitude.
His red hair is braided into tight cornrows, and he's got the ink on his forearm that almost contradicts his Brigham City roots. But what is not mistakable is his work ethic.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder caught 39 passes in 2005 and was rarely seen as the top threat on a team with speedsters like Wiley King and Lynzell Jackson. But Larsen is so dependable that McBride isn't shy about using him for a couple of series and then letting him take the rest of a practice off so the younger receivers get a chance to develop with the first-team offense.
"He's a proven guy," McBride said. "I'm not worried about what we're going to get from him."
Larsen is also not worried about getting poor passes from Pizarro.
"He throws a good ball," Larsen said. "It's a hard, nice tight spiral. The passing game is going to be huge."
And it might need to be.
With leading rusher Zach Hall gone for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and redshirt freshman fullback Conrad Rodgers lucky to be alive after a freak accident in his car after a practice, the Wildcats' running game has taken a few hits. Even senior transfer Marky Filipi has missed a bunch of practice time with a mild hamstring injury.
Pizarro and Larsen likely will be connecting regularly.
"He's a get-it-done receiver," Pizarro said. "He's not the fastest guy on the field, but he's got good speed. He's got great hands. I hardly ever see him drop the ball."
That's good news for Wildcat fans eager to climb out of the also-ran section of the Big Sky standings.
E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com