San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Fans get first look at Sarkisian’s Longhorns
No positional battles are settled, but Dicker, Robinson and defense shine in scrimmage
AUSTIN — The fans who draped themselves in Cameron Dicker gear before heading to Royal-Memorial Stadium — more than you’d expect — might be onto something.
The senior kicker and his weaponized right leg were the offensive stars of Saturday’s Orange White spring game, the first of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s tenure. He absolutely blasted one field goal from 58 yards — into a mild headwind — that without doubt would’ve sailed through the uprights from 60.
Kicking for both sides in the Longhorns’ intrasquad scrimmage, Dicker connected on 4 of 5 of field goals, hit both point-after attempts, and averaged 46.8 yards on six punts. Dicker’s kicks served as the bulk of both team’s points Saturday afternoon as White defeated Orange 20-12 in front of a stadium filled to about 25 percent capacity.
Busy as Dicker was on this pristine April afternoon, no one had any questions about who’d kick for Texas this year. And no, this four-quarter exhibition didn’t answer the quarterback question and it didn’t settle any other positional battles, but it did offer our first live look at Sarkisian’s Longhorns.
Here are five takeaways from Texas’ spring game, which Sarkisian admitted featured a “watered-down version of our offense, defense, special teams”:
Card vs. Thompson
There wasn’t a clear winner in the Casey Thompson vs. Hudson Card quarterback battle. Both had their moments and both had
COLLEGE STATION — Amid jumbled offenses and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher mixing and matching with the players he had available on Saturday, one thing became clear during the four quarters of the Aggies’ annual spring game: The quarterback competition might stretch into August.
“I’m not worried about the quarterbacks, I’m worried about the pieces around them,” Fisher said. “We’ve got to play better around them.”
Freshman Haynes King and sophomore Zach Calzada each had their shining moments working behind makeshift offensive lines and minus their top tight ends. The duo is competing to replace four-year starter Kellen Mond, who’s off to the NFL following a record-setting career with the Aggies.
“They’re making tremendous progress right now, and I’m not just saying that for the quarterbacks’ (sake),” Fisher said. “I’m very pleased with where they are. They’ve got to get better, without a doubt, but there are a lot of pieces around them that need to get better.”
The multiple missing offensive linemen are expected back at full speed for August camp, and Fisher held out some on Saturday as a precaution. A handful also are not yet part of the roster, either as incoming freshmen or transfers. At least All-American offensive tackle Kenyon Green was on hand to help direct his young teammates as the offenses on both sides struggled to score against a veteran defense.
“We’re not perfect right now,” Green said in one of the understatements of spring drills. “… We need to put our heads down for the summertime and get to work.”
Also missing were receiver Demond Demas and starting defensive linemen DeMarvin Leal and Micheal Clemons, among others, so A&M’s lineup won’t look anything like it did on both sides on Saturday. Fisher, a former college quarterback, said that doesn’t mean his quarterbacks can use the absences as excuses for any shoddiness.
“That reflects on who you are as a competitor, and how you can adapt,” Fisher said. “The quarterback has to take the guys he has and be able to be successful, no matter what the situation is.”
Still, Fisher pointed out that receivers failed to help King with about five dropped passes in the first half alone, and Calzada endured a handful of the same drops as the scrimmage pressed on.
For the record, King finished 16of-31 for 211 yards and with a touchdown pass and an interception. Calzada posted similar numbers, in completing 14-of-29 for 144 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Neither offense reached the end zone in the first three quarters.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do in all areas,” Fisher said. “I’m not disappointed at all, we’re about where I thought we would be.”
One bright spot was the wide range kicker Caden Davis. The sophomore drilled a 51-yard field goal with at least 10 yards to spare, and later booted another field goal from 55 yards that dropped over the crossbar. Incumbent starter Seth Small made field goals from 31 and 37 yards, and Davis added another from 31 yards for fun.
“Seth is awesome at what he does, but Caden having that ability to hit those long field goals — you don’t know when you’re going to need one, and he’s a real weapon,” Fisher said.
The Aggies, like most other programs a year ago, did not have spring drills or a spring game because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fisher said he’s thankful they were able to squeeze in the allotment of 15 spring practices, and in replacing four offensive linemen and the quarterback he was happy the spring game went off without many hitches — and minus any apparent serious injuries.
“It’s the closest thing you can get to simulation of the nerves you’re going to get in a real game,” Fisher said. “That’s part of growing up, and as many times as you can put them in that situation, you need to.”
Junior safety Demani Richardson, one of the leaders of the Aggies’ experienced defense, intercepted Calzada in the first half and would have returned the ball for a touchdown had the referees not whistled him down following a semi-attempt at a tackle by Calzada.
“I don’t think Zach is tackling me — no way,” Richardson said with a chuckle.
The Aggies will now break for a time before gathering in the summer. They finished No. 4 nationally last year in the final Associated Press poll, and expectations are grand entering Fisher’s fourth season. In his fourth year at Florida State in 2013, the Seminoles won a national title.
“We know what we can do,” Richardson said of the task ahead for the Aggies in the offseason, “but we have to work so we can do it.”