University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Scrimmage Pleases Golden Eagle Coaches
8/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Scrimmage Pleases Golden Eagle Coaches
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Despite lapses in concentration late in a lengthy Saturday scrimmage and a lack of consistency at times, Head Coach Jeff Bower and his coaching staff found plenty with which to be pleased as the football Golden Eagles ended two-a-days and now head into the final two weeks of preparation for the season-opener against Jackson State.
There was good and bad on both sides of the ball, Bower said. "I thought we got off to a good start and into a good rhythm offensively early, but the defense changed that later on and the tempo went the other way. Then, we finished strong offensively, especially doing some good things in the red zone drills.
"I was disappointed with some of the turnovers. We don't need to make some of the throws we made, one of them went for a touchdown on an interception, and the other killed a scoring drive. We've got to learn to take care of the ball better, and be more consistent. We had silly penalties that put us behind the chain. We have to concentrate better,"
The hottest practice of the fall period also was pleasing to Bower, who said his team really needed the heat. "I thought the overall effort was good and that's the most important thing to me," he said. "This was the hottest day we've had, and that was good for the team. We needed that. Even though we had some lapses late in the practice, I thought the players pushed through the heat and were able to concentrate further into the practice, primarily because of the great condition our players returned in as a result of their offseason conditioning program."
The quarterback situation remains unchanged. "We had some good and some bad. We have to learn to be consistent, to take better care of the ball. We've evaluate the tape from today's scrimmage, but I don't see us making a decision on a starting quarterback based on this scrimmage."
Four quarterbacks saw playing time Saturday, and three of them passed for over 100 yards. Redshirt sophomore Zac White (6-5, 242, Gardendale, Ala.) led the group with eight completions in 14 attempts, good for 164 yards. He threw one interception. Redshirt sophomore Micky D'Angelo (6-3, 215, Gulfport, Miss.) completed 9-of-14 for 162 and threw one interception. Redshirt freshman Dustin Almond was 3-of-8 for 21 yards and Hartsell, Ala., freshman Chris Crumpton (6-2, 180) connected on 8-of-13 for 111 yards and the only touchdown pass of the day, a 4-yarder to tight end Otho Graves (Bassfield, Miss.).
Freshman Karlin Riley (6-3, 192, Opelousas, La.) led the receivers with three catches for 83 yards. Senior LeRoy Handy (6-1, 202, Beaumont, Miss.) caught four for 67 yards and 17 different receivers caught at least one pass.
Sophomore running back James Walley (5-10, 195, State Line Miss.) led the rushers with 43 yards on 11 carries. Senior Derrick Nix (6-2, 225, Attalla, Ala.) added 32 yards on nine carries in his most extensive scrimmage of the fall. He had been slowed this week by a pulled hamstring but showed no effects from that injury.
Nix scored one touchdown on a 3-yard run, Walley added scoring runs of 4 and 3-yards, Anthony Harris (5-11, 215, Demopolis, Ala.) scored on a 9-yard run, freshman William Adams (6-2, 225, LaPlace, La.) scored from a yard out, junior defensive back Etric Pruitt (6-0, 186, Theodore, Ala.) ran an interception back 8-yards for a score and the Crumpton-to-Graves TD accounted for all the scoring.
Senior placekicker Curt Jones (5-9, 177, Greenwood, Miss.) hit on field goal attempts of 20, 23, 24 and 38 yards, missed from 31, 49 and 52 and had another 52-yarder blocked.
Defensively, junior defensive back Alex Ray (5-11, 205, Vicksburg, Miss.) intercepted one pass off senior linebacker Joe Henley's (6-0, 225, Gainesville, Fla.) tip of a D'Angelo pass, and Pruitt picked off a White pass to go with a scrimmage-high nine tackles. Sixteen different defenders recorded tackles for loss, led by sophomore defensive end Lavon Pears' (6-0, 251, Mobile, Ala.) two. In addition to Pruitt's nine tackles, Rayshun Jones (6-2, 285, Tuscaloosa, Ala.) recorded eight tackles, had a tackle for a loss and blocked a field goal. Senior linebacker Chris Langston (6-2, 225, Magee, Miss.) added six tackles to go with a sack and a tackle for loss. At least eight different players had five-or-more tackles.
While there was plenty to be happy with from the scrimmage, the injury list was a lengthy one. Senior defensive back Corey Yates (5-10, 177, Holly Springs, Miss.) suffered a knee injury and will have an MRI to determine the extent of that injury. Defensive lineman George Brice (6-4, 262, Natchez, Miss.) also suffered a knee injury that will require an MRI. Linebacker Joe Henley (6-0, 225, Gainesville, Fla.) hurt a shin but came back and played, both defensive lineman Chad Ruffin (6-0, 263, New Orleans, La.) defensive back Darrell Bennett (6-0, 200, Lake Charles, La.) suffered shoulder injuries that will require MRIs, Walley suffered a minor shoulder injury but should not miss any practice, and junior defensive end Terrell Paul (6-3, 240, Troy, Ala.) hurt a thumb and will have his hand x-rayed early in the week.
Bower also announced that walk-on sophomore wide receiver Marvin Young (6-0, 160, Clarksdale, Miss) and walk-on sophomore defensive lineman Chad Ruffin (6-0, 263, New Orleans, La.) were awarded scholarships at awards ceremonies Saturday morning prior to the scrimmage. Both will receive Kristen Bower scholarships from the endowment established to honor Bower's daughter, who was killed in a 1997 auto accident. "That's always an emotional time for me," Bower said. "It's always great to see players come in, pay their own way, play football, take care of their academic requirements, get better and better, help the football team; I love guys like that."
The Eagles will spend some time Sunday watching tape of today's scrimmage, and then start one-a-day workouts Monday afternoon, at 3:25.
Classes start Aug. 19, and the Golden Eagles open the 2002 season Aug. 31, at home, against Jackson State. Southern Miss follows that with two more home games, against Illinois, Sept. 7, and Memphis, Sept. 14, before hitting the road for the first time, Sept. 21 at Alabama.
