University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Continues Preseason Drills, Has First Scrimmage
8/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Football Continues Preseason Drills, Has First Scrimmage
HATTIESBURG, Miss.? The Southern Miss football team practiced one time today, in accordance with the NCAA mandated 2-1-2 practice rules, splitting time at the Joe P. Park practice facility, before ending with a controlled scrimmage in M.M. Roberts Stadium.
The team ran about 70 plays among three units in the scrimmage, which each unit running 20-25 plays.
After watching the scrimmage, Head Coach Jeff Bower assessed the team?s performance.
?When you go against each other, there is always good and bad,? Bower said. ?We had the ball on the ground too many times. We didn?t protect the football very well.
?It wasn?t a great day on offense,? Bower said. ?We didn?t run well and we didn?t execute well. We?re missing too many assignments. That is something we?ve got to clean up. Defensively, other than missing a few assignments, we played pretty well. The intensity and emotion isn?t what it needs to be. We need to raise that. We need leaders to step up and show that, and it will be contagious.?
Bower said the team needs to continue to work hard, and improve in the coming practices.
?We?ve got to go work every day,? Bower said. ?We?ve got to concentrate a little better. The players also have to be responsible off the field. They need to spend more time studying and rehearsing assignments. In their defense, we?ve put a lot of our system in, but some of our veteran players are missing too many mistakes.
?We all want to be good in every time we step on the field,? Bower said. ?I know it?s early and it was our first full scrimmage. We can?t be content with being average right now. I thought we were very average today.?
Bower said the team is also starting to see a few more injuries. He said Trevis Coley (crick in neck) did not play in the scrimmage, which the team a chance to work the younger safeties.
?I know what he can do on the field,? Bower said. ?It was good to get a look at our younger players.?
Bower said that redshirt sophomore Larry Thomas (hamstring) was held out of the scrimmage.
?We?re going to hold him out of practice for a few days,? Bower said. ?We can?t risk him pulling his hamstring and missing three or four weeks.?
Other players held out of today?s scrimmage included redshirt freshman Mitch Craft (hamstring) and freshman Ryan Hebert (ankle sprain). Bower also said that redshirt sophomore Greg Taylor will have surgery on his knee.
In the scrimmage, senior Dustin Almond completed 2-of-6 passes for 24 yards, with two interceptions. Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Young completed 2-of-4 passes for 40 yards, while redshirt freshman Travis Clark completed 2-of-9 passes for 36 yards.
Redshirt freshman Cole Mason led all running backs with two carries for 37 yards, while redshirt freshman Tony Miner had a scrimmage high 12 carries for 31 yards. Redshirt sophomore Conrad Chanove added 10 carries for 19 yards, while freshman Preston Harris had five carries for 31 yards.
Redshirt freshman Shawn Nelson had one catch for 37 yards, while Mason added a catch for 30 yards. Junior Anthony Perine recorded one catch for 20 yards, while freshman Joe Singleton added two catches for eight yards.
Defensively, senior Kevis Coley and freshman Tokumbo Abanikanda led all players with four and a half tackles. Coley also added a seven-yard tackle for loss, while Abanikanda posted one and a half tackles for loss.
Freshman Cornelius McGee had three and a half tackles, senior Akeem Lockett had three tackles, while redshirt freshman Ladarius Webb, sophomore Brandon Sumrall and freshman Austin Divinity both posted two and a half tackles. Junior Marcus Raines also had two tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Redshirt junior Jasper Faulk had an interception return of 40 yards, while Caleb Hendrix also recorded an interception. Abanikanda and freshman Justin Lewis recovered fumbles, while redshirt junior Wayne Hardy forced a fumble. Redshirt sophomore Don Loehr added one and a half tackles for loss and redshirt sophomore Robert Henderson posted the scrimmages only sack, for a loss of seven yards.
Junior Darren McCaleb connected on his only field goal attempt, from 37 yards.
Southern Miss returns to the practice field on Wednesday, with its second two-a-day practice.
The Golden Eagles open the season Sunday, Sept. 4, in a 3 p.m., nationally televised ESPN2 contest, in the annual ?
