GOAL LINE SCRIMMAGE HIGHLIGHTS SATURDAY FURMAN PRACTICES
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman Paladins practiced twice Saturday, including a morning session that featured a “spirited” goal line scrimmage session according to head coach Bobby Lamb.
“The goal line session was very spirited, very enthusiastic,” said Lamb. “We put in our defensive goal line package and offensive goal line package and saw a lot of good things on both side of the football. I told our guys that it’s a different attitude down there (inside the five yard line) both offensively and defensively.”
Furman’s goal line work lasted for approximately 20 minutes and included work by all three offensive and defensive units.
“The bottom line for us offensively is (fullback) Jerome Felton is our go-to guy inside the 5-yard line. It’s hard to knock back a 250-pound guy.”
Felton, a native of Madisonville, Tenn., rushed for 300 yards and a team high 10 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2004, earning starts in the Paladins’ final seven games. A preseason All-Southern Conference selection, he scored game winning touchdowns against both Georgia Southern (29-22 win) and Wofford (31-24) a year ago.
Foster Goes for Three TDs as Eagles Conclude First Scrimmage
Georgia Southern wraps up final two-a-day practice session.
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Jayson Foster capped the final two-a-day practice session accounting for three touchdowns during Georgia Southern’s first preseason scrimmage, held Saturday evening (Aug. 13) at Paulson Stadium.
The team, wearing helmets and shoulder pads, practiced for 90 minutes Saturday morning in another hot and humid session that concentrated on special teams and some team offense versus defense drills.
Foster got his first TD when he connected with Tim Camp on a 46-yard touchdown pass down the left side. Camp got past All-Southern Conference safety Tariq Muhammad and made an impressive catch. Later Foster scored from five and 15 yards out.
The sophomore quarterback looked to solidify his hold on the starting job, running seven times for 64 yards despite a 1-for-6 passing effort.
“Offensively, I thought we did a good job spreading the ball around. Tariq (Muhammad) had some good tackles and the defensive line made some good plays,” said Foster. “I had a few missed reads but other than that I think I’ve been making good reads. We’re making plays out there, which is certainly a positive.”
Steve Steele broke through on a 76-yard run early on. Lionel McGriff took a pitch from Chris Griffin and raced 83 yards down the left sidelines for a touchdown.
Brandon Andrews rushed for 24 yards on five carries while younger brother Raja Andrews scampered for 23 yards, including a 15-yard TD run.
Quarterback Darius Smiley rued six times for 17 yards and was 2-for-4 passing for 24 yards. Griffin rushed 10 times for two yards and completed a 14-yard pass. Ri’Chard Davis rushed nine times for zero yards but finished 2-for-3 passing for 35 yards. He connected with fellow freshman Patrick Paschall on a 15-yard touchdown reception. Chris Covington scored from six yards out, totaling 17 yards on four carries. Paschall netted 20 rushing yards while Maquice Maynard contributed 17 on four carries.
Defensively, Muhammad had four tackles, including two impressive tackles that drew cheers from the nearly 300 in attendance. Jerry Barker and Matt Wise both recorded a team-leading six stops. Damon Suggs, who recently moved from the offensive line to the D-line, had five tackles.
Jeremy Russell, Shun Williams and Wise each had two sacks.
Once considered a major question mark heading into the season, head coach Mike Sewak is feeling more confident about the quarterback position.
“I think Jayson did a great job moving the ball and Darius is executing the offense well. Both are capable of leading us to a victory,” said Sewak. “I think we’re in a great position right now (with these guys). Chris (Griffin) did a nice job today. Playing in this venue (Paulson Stadium) tonight and not committing a turnover, that will give us a chance to win some ball games.”
With Sunday an off day and Monday the start of classes, Georgia Southern returns to their normal practice schedule at 3:15 p.m. on Monday. The next scrimmage is scheduled for Saturday (Aug. 20) at 9 a.m.
Full pads allowed during Wofford's Saturday football practice
August 13, 2005
The Wofford football team donned full gear for the first time during its 2005 preseason camp Saturday afternoon at Russell C. King Field. Per NCAA rules, a team can not wear the full pads until its fifth practice. A light rain fell for the final 15 minutes on a relatively cool afternoon.
"I think we made a little bit of progress," said head coach Mike Ayers. "Anytime you come out of shorts and go full pads, the intensity and tempo picked up. I think we got better."
With nearly 95 players in camp, Ayers and his coaching staff have been working hard the first five days to get them in shape for the first two-a-day session which begins Monday.
"We are throwing the ball better. At the receiver position, I think we have some guys that will do a great job for us as far as catching some balls. We are still in the process of getting the young guys as many reps as we can.
"I think it is a matter of just staying after it, being consistent, detailed and thorough. Also, we want a good effort."
The Terriers will take Sunday off but still have position meetings throughout the day. The team will resume practice Monday at 8:30 a.m. before the second session at 6:45 p.m.
The Citadel Kicks Off Season with Media Day
CHARLESTON, SC ? Saying that he was excited to kick off the season by
hosting the media, first-year Citadel coach Kevin Higgins and his 2005
Bulldogs entertained members of the press Saturday morning at Johnson Hagood
Stadium.
With pile drivers operating to one side working on the new west side seating
and construction on the temporary press box on the east side, members of the
press photographed and interviewed Higgins, his staff and players.
The construction activity didn’t interfere with any of the media’s work and,
fortunately, no one got in the way of the renovation activity that is
currently taking place at the historic facility.
“We are excited to kick off the season with Media Day, and we’ve got a great
group of seniors with which to put in front of the media,” said Higgins, who
was hired on March 24 to replace John Zernhelt, who resigned in February to
take an assistant’s position with the NFL’s New York Jets.
“Our seniors communicate very well and the more the media interacts with
them, the better feel they (the media) will get for our program and what
we’re trying to accomplish,” Higgins added.
The seniors, who wore their game-day blue uniform jerseys and white pants
without pads, enjoyed a brunch with the media and the coaching staff.
“I’ve got to admit that the team photo was the quickest and most organized
I’ve seen in more than 25 years of coaching,” said Higgins, indirectly
praising veteran Citadel staff photographer Russ Pace, a former college
Employee of the Year recipient. “He was simply great.”
The full squad practiced Saturday afternoon at Willson Field on campus, and
will have its first two-a-day practice on Sunday with the first going at 8:30
a.m. and the second at 3 p.m. Both will be held at Willson Field.
The Bulldogs officially begin the Higgins-era on Saturday, September 3, when
Charleston Southern visits Johnson Hagood Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.