Elon
Phoenix Preseason Football Practice Update #18
ELON, N.C. ? Coming off of its first scrimmage of the fall, Elon worked out for just under two hours in upper pads on an overcast Sunday afternoon on the Hunt and Tucker Fields for the 18th session of the 2008 Phoenix preseason football practice schedule.
“We tried to make some corrections from last night’s scrimmage and also focus on some situations that need to be covered before we get into our first game,” Elon mentor Pete Lembo said. “We also took some time to work on some fundamentals, including switching sides of the ball as we always try to cover every preseason.”
With the switching, the defensive players worked on ball security in case they recover a fumble or come up with an interception while the offensive players worked on tackling and stripping in case they are forced into a defensive role following a turnover.
The Phoenix conducted two team periods ? one focusing on the blitz and one concentrating on the two-minute drill ? as well as two pass skeletons. The special teams worked on punts, PAT/field goals and kickoff coverage.
“I thought that our offensive skill guys had a pretty good day,” Lembo said. “(Sophomore quarterback) Scott Riddle had a solid day throwing the football and several wide receivers stood out like (senior) Charles Ball and (sophomore) Lance Camp. Our first offensive line has been pretty steady throughout preseason camp and today was no exception.”
The players wrapped up the session early to prepare for their third annual football alumni barbecue at Rhodes Stadium. The event offers former Elon players the opportunity to return to the campus and become familiar with the current Phoenix players.
Elon will return to the Hunt and Tucker Fields at 8 a.m. Monday for the 19th session of the 2008 Phoenix preseason football practice schedule. All sessions are open to the public and fans are encouraged to attend.
Phoenix Preseason Football Practice Update #17
ELON, N.C. ? Under the lights of Rhodes Stadium for the first time this fall, Elon worked out for just over two hours in full pads on Saturday night for the 17th session ? and first scrimmage ? of the 2008 Phoenix preseason football practice schedule.
“It was a really good night out here and the weather was perfect,” Elon coach Pete Lembo said. “Walking out onto the field, I was thinking to myself that this has got to be the nicest grass field in the country. It was just in absolutely perfect condition. You couldn’t tell if it was grass or artificial turf. We certainly appreciate all of the work that (Phoenix Sports Turf Manager) Larry Rhodes and his crew do to make it as playable as it is.”
The scrimmage consisted of three move the ball segments and an overtime period with special teams unit and drill work mixed in between. The offense ran the ball well ? especially on first downs ? but struggled to convert on some third downs as some critical penalties put the unit off its schedule.
“We had a good tempo and good intensity with no major injuries out here tonight ... All things that this head coach is pleased about,” Lembo said. “Our first defense had a great night, really running to the ball well as a unit with several guys stepping up and making big plays when they needed it.”
Sophomore linebacker Brandon Wiggins, sophomore cornerback Terell Wilson, junior safety Walker White and freshman safety Jonathan Conner ? who each hauled in an interception ? and freshman cornerback Andrew Straus ? who blocked a punt ? turned in strong performances for the defense.
Redshirt freshman tailback A.J. Harris also gave the Phoenix a workmanlike effort, senior wide receiver Johnie Blackwell stepped up and played well, sophomore fullback Jake Goldsberry pulled in a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Donny Kirby and senior kicker Andrew Wilcox enjoyed a solid evening of kicking the football.
Back in upper pads, the Phoenix will return to the Hunt and Tucker Fields at 2:15 p.m. Sunday for the 18th session of the 2008 Elon preseason football practice schedule. All sessions are open to the public and fans are encouraged to attend.
Furman
PALADINS OVERCOME SLOW START IN SATURDAY SCRIMMAGE; SORRELLS SHINES AT QUARTERBACK
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman head football coach Bobby Lamb wasn’t pleased with his team’s start during Saturday’s scrimmage in Paladin Stadium, but by the end of the 76-play session the sixth-year Paladin mentor was encouraged by what he saw.
“We got off to an awful start,” said Lamb. “We had procedure penalties that we hadn’t since the start of practice ? that was very disappointing ? but after about 15 minutes we finally got into it, especially from an offensive standpoint.”
Quarterback Jordan Sorrells completed 14-of-17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, and backup, Cody Worley connected on 7-of-12 passes for 63 yards and a score.
“Our quarterbacks, Jordan and Cody, did a nice job in taking what was available to them and not forcing it,” added Lamb. “We also protected the ball well with only one fumble that the offense was able to recover. I also thought our receivers, R.J. Webb, Adam Mims, and David Hendrix looked solid.”
Sorrells connected with Webb on a 23-yard touchdown strike for the scrimmage’s first score and later added a 5-yard scoring toss to Mims.
Worley accounted for the third touchdown pass of the session with a 32-yard hookup with Hendrix.
Hendrix, a redshirt freshman split end from Buford, Ga., led all receivers with five catches for 62 yards. Webb, a junior split end from Pickens, S.C., coming back from a knee injury a year ago, collected four catches for 46 yards. Mims, meanwhile, added three catches for 28 yards, and Truss, who is coming off an injury plagued 2007 campaign, caught two passes for 28 yards at tight end.
Larry Hedden, a consensus All-Southern Conference tight end selection in 2007 (36 rec., 421 yds., 2 TDs), had one reception for 10 yards, but the Paladin junior sustained a shoulder injury on the catch and did not return to action.
Tailback Mike Brown scored the only rushing touchdown of the scrimmage with a 2-yard run.
Defensively, Lamb mentioned his squad’s tackling and aggressiveness as two areas he was most pleased.
Defensive end Shaun Van Rensburg keyed the Paladins early with two tackles-for-loss, and nose guard Justin Brown and defensive end Philip Morris accounted for a pair of sacks.
Dustin Gourdin and Masharn Austin recorded a pair of blocked extra points, but other than that Paladin kickers registered solid work with Trent Hawk connecting on 4-of-6 field goal attempts, including a 44-yarder, and Cesari converting all three field goal tries, including a long of 37 yards. Hawk’s two misses were from distances of 47 and 52 yards.
“We’ve got to go in now, evaluate our guys, and begin to make some decisions on who will make our travel squad,” added Lamb. “We’ve put in some good work over the past two weeks, but we’ve got a lot of improving to do before we play our first game on Aug. 30.”
In addition to Hedden true freshman safety Nathan Wade sustained a sprained knee in Saturday’s scrimmage and is expected to be out several days.
The Paladins have Sunday off before returning to the practice field on Monday.
The Citadel
Bulldog Football Scrimmages on Saturday Morning, Focuses on Special Teams in Afternoon
Charleston, S.C. ? The Citadel football team went through a two-hour live scrimmage at the Maybank Triplets Practice Facility at Willson Field Saturday morning on the 13th day of preseason camp.
Following lunch, the team reviewed film from the scrimmage before hitting the field again in the afternoon for a second practice that highlighted special teams play.
“We met our goal of getting of 85-90 plays,” said head coach Kevin Higgins. “We actually got about 100 plays in today. Our end zone work went well and our field goal kickers both hit 47-yard field goals. We still need to find a second, third and fourth wide receiver to line up alongside Andre Roberts.”
John Synovec was reported to have a knee injury, which initially occurred on Thursday. Synovec continues to undergo evaluation and treatment.
Following an afternoon practice that is scheduled to focus on special teams, the Bulldogs will then take Sunday, Aug. 17 off before returning to work on Monday, Aug. 18.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Football, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.
Appalachian State
10,000 on Hand for Fan Fest at the Rock
BOONE, N.C. ? Appalachian State University’s offense scored on 6-of-15 series ? including each of its first three possessions ? to highlight Appalachian’s annual Fan Fest scrimmage on Saturday evening at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Six different players found paydirt for the Mountaineers in the two-hour scrimmage, which capped ASU’s 11th-annual and easily most successful Fan Fest. An estimated 10,000 fans poured through the gates at The Rock for the festivities, which included two hours of autographs, photographs, face-painting and other family fun before the Apps took the field for their final scrimmage before the Aug. 30 season opener at LSU.
Walter Payton Award candidate Armanti Edwards opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run that capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive on the scrimmage’s first series.
On the next possession, the offense marched 70 yards in 10 plays, punctuated by T.J. Courman’s touchdown run from three yards out.
The third series was a short one, as redshirt freshman running back Cedric Baker exploded for a 65-yard touchdown gallop on the first play to make it three-straight touchdowns for the Black and Gold offense.
The defense settled in and held the offense out of the end zone in each of its next three possessions, including back-to-back three-and-outs. However, the offense found paydirt once again on the seventh series when Edwards hooked up with CoCo Hillary for a pretty 33-yard touchdown pass to cap an eight-play, 80-yard drive.
On the next series, it was true freshman quarterback DeAndre Presley’s turn to get in on the act, which he did by leading the offense on a four-play, 80-yard drive, culminated by his 49-yard touchdown jaunt.
The offense closed out the scoring on its 11th possession when Virginia Tech transfer Devin Radford capped a six-play, 61-yard drive with a 50-yard touchdown run.
In all, ASU’s offense racked up 599 total yards on its 15 possessions, including 425 yards and five of the six touchdowns on the ground. Edwards led the way by completing 7-of-11 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown and running four times for 22 more yards and another score.
Radford led all rushers with 99 yards on eight carries. Moore added 81 yards on just five rushes and Baker ran five times for 77 yards. Hillary led all receivers with three catches for 49 yards and B.J. Frazier added four receptions for 45 yards.
Defensively, true freshman defensive back Ed Gainey turned in an impressive performance with five tackles and two pass break-ups, as well as forcing the scrimmage’s only turnover with an interception in the end zone late in the evening. Another true freshman, linebacker Demery Brewer, led all tacklers with eight while redshirt freshman defensive end Jason Jones had two tackles for loss among his four total stops. Defensive end Quavian Lewis (five tackles, sack), cornerback Cortez Gilbert (three pass break-ups, two tackles) and safety Travis Dowda (five tackles) paced the first-team defense.
The Mountaineers have a much-deserved off day on Sunday before resuming two-a-days and beginning its preparations for LSU on Monday.
A reminder that for your safety, due to ongoing construction at Kidd Brewer Stadium, all practices held at the stadium in 2008 are closed to the public. ASU athletics thanks its fans for their cooperation and support.
Chattanooga
Offense Impresses in Second Football Scrimmage
The offense redeemed itself in Saturday’s scrimmage from last week’s slow start.
While the Mocs’ defense held the upper hand early in the first preseason scrimmage last Saturday, it was the offense that impressively moved the ball Saturday at Finley Stadium. The scrimmage followed the team’s Photo Day at the Stadium.
With junior college transfer quarterback Jare Gault nursing an ankle injury, quarterbacks Tony Pastore and Sloan Allison took advantage of the increased snaps, with Pastore getting a majority of the plays.
The junior completed his first four pass attempts and marched the first-team offense from the home 35-yard line to the visitor’s 13. The initial drive included pass plays of 24 yards to junior wideout Clint Woods and 26 yards to senior fullback Brent Hayes and was capped by a 30-yard field goal from freshman Mike Hammons.
“I thought Tony was pretty sharp,” Head Coach Rodney Allison said following the scrimmage. “I didn’t see any turnovers today. I thought he was solid. He ran the offense effectively. We put the emphasis on the passing game today with Tony back there.”
Pastore cooled off slightly after the opening series but finished with 208 yards passing on 13-of-27 passing. The highlight of the scrimmage and for Pastore and the offense was a 60-yard touchdown bomb to junior receiver Blue Cooper.
Cooper led all receivers with 74 yards on three catches and added a nine-yard touchdown catch from Pastore on a first-and-goal situation from the nine-yard line.
Allison received extensive action also, throwing 12 times and completing five for 40 yards. He led the offense to a 25-yard field goal by freshman Jeff Veres.
Woods was the top pass catcher with five receptions for 52 yards, including an impressive leaping grab for 11 yards on a third-down play. Redshirt freshman Joel Bradford totaled 26 yards on three catches.
The defensive unit had its moments with quarterback sacks from redshirt freshmen La'Nard Carr and Pete Evans, sophomore Jaron Norfleet and junior transfer B.J. Taylor. True freshman lineman Nick Craig recovered a fumble by junior running back Shaun Kermah, and the defense was credited with eight pass breakups.
Kermah ran 14 times for 38 yards, and true freshman Bo Dyer picked up eight yards on six carries. Hammons also booted field goals of 28 and 25 yards, subbing for junior Craig Camay who was nursing an injury.
“I liked our pass protection today,” Allison said. “We didn’t get the ball in the end zone as much as I would have liked, but I thought we moved the ball well. Tony still has to continue to improve. Today was a good day for him, but we still need him to be consistent.”
The team will take Sunday and Monday off and return to practice Tuesday. Classes at UTC begin Monday.
The Mocs open the season Aug. 30 at No. 4 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Season tickets are still available by visiting UTC’s official athletics website, GoMocs.com or by calling the box office at 423-266-6627.
Samford
Bulldogs On Track After Second Preseason Scrimmage
Sullivan says `Dogs are where they need to be after full-contact scrimmage
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Samford football team scrimmaged for the second time of the preseason Saturday morning under a good cloud cover and in front of friends and family as it prepares for its 2008 season debut at home in less than two weeks.
"We are where we need to be," Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. "We just need to play somebody. We need to get well and play somebody. They've worked as hard as you could want a team to work and we've basically been injury-free, other than Dante (Williams)."
Sullivan worked out three quarterbacks during the two-hour scrimmage. Red-shirt sophomore Matt Malouf went 13 of 19 with 69 passing yards and one touchdown. True freshman Dustin Taliaferro threw for 82 yards, completing 16 of 23 passing, one of those for a touchdown. Also true freshman Connor Lowery threw for 90 yards, completing five of nine passes.
Redshirt sophomore Chris Evans led the running game with 39 yards, followed by redshirt senior Marcus Rice with 34 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Alex Barnett rushed for 28 yards while true freshman Jonathan Sillers picked up 16. Freshmen Keith Shoulders and Jay Tully had four and three yards, respectively.
On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt junior Ryan Anderson recovered a fumble in the beginning minutes of the first set of plays. Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Richardson and junior safety Ty Levie led the defense with four tackles each. Senior linebacker Rodney Shepherd had three tackles while picking up a sack, along with Brent Nall and Erik Peterson.
"I thought we handled the 40-second clock well on both sides of the ball," Sullivan said. "That was something that we had to get used to. Rodney Shepherd made some good plays. So did John Michael Clay. Mark Brown made a couple of plays. Jordan Lewis did a nice job on special teams. He made a great tackle on kickoff coverage and then he almost returned one on kickoff return for a touchdown."
The Bulldogs will continue preparations next week, focusing more on game planning and specific position coaching. Samford will take on its first opponent of the 2008 campaign Aug. 28, as the Bulldogs host West Georgia in Seibert Stadium at 7 p.m. CT.