TIGERS’ LAST SCRIMMAGE
Special teams get extra attention
Coach Justin Fuente gives his tired team two days off as preseason camp ends.
A week ago after his team finished a full-scale scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, University of Memphis football coach Justin Fuente dropped a mini-bombshell by announcing redshirt freshman Paxton Lynch would be his starting quarterback.
Saturday at the Liberty Bowl — after the final full-scale scrimmage of preseason camp — Fuente had no major announcements other than to declare a successful camp had ended with a productive workout.
“Some guys needed a million reps and we got some reps for those guys,” Fuente said. “We tried to touch on some other details of special teams and special situations and get our older guys a little bit more work. I think we got that accomplished.
“Now we’ll move our attention to starting school (Monday). Guys have a couple of days off. We need to do a great job using that because we are heavylegged. They need some rest. They’ve done a good job fighting through it.”
The Tigers, who don’t practice again until Tuesday, have an open weekend Aug. 31 before starting the season Sept. 7 at home against Duke.
“We have two weeks of prac- tice before we go play Duke,” Fuente said. “So (this) week gives us a chance to go to school and get adjusted to going to practice, too.
“So we won’t practice on Monday, but we’ll go pretty heavy Tuesday, a little lighter on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, we’ll begin our simulation
of game week ... it gives us a chance to practice and go to school without playing a game on Saturday.”
In the scrimmage, the Tigers got short touchdown runs from Jai Steib (5 yards), Tearris Wallace (4 yards) and Carl Harris (3 yards) and a short touchdown pass from Jacob Karam to Keiwone Malone covering two yards. Each TD concluded a 35-yard scoring drive.
A significant portion of the scrimmage was devoted to special teams, which were the primary focus of a Wednesday morning workout at the Murphy Athletic Complex. The Tiger special teams made marked progress a year ago under coordinator James Shibest, a former Ole Miss assistant and Arkansas receiver.
“We were trying to practice (against) some of the specific things that can happen in special teams situations,” Fuente said. “We were trying to get a
We were trying to get a bunch of reps for some guys, (while) limiting the reps for some indvidual guys. It was more a player-development scrimmage than a scheme or (specific) sideof-the-ball scrimmage.”
Justin Fuente, U of M football coach
bunch of reps for some individual guys, (while) limiting the reps for some individual guys. It was more a player- development scrimmage than a scheme or (specific) side- of-the-ball scrimmage.”
While most of the starting positions are secure, Fuente said there could be some movement during the next two weeks.
“We are trying to find as many people as we can trust as possible,” Fuente said. “At some positions we have more guys that we can trust than others. I think we know now who we’d trot out there in certain situations.”
Having completed 19 practice sessions since Aug. 8, when camp began, the Tigers will get 48 hours to recover and recharge.
“I’m looking forward to the kids getting some rest, getting off their feet a little bit,” Fuente said. “They’re pretty dead. So I’m looking forward to the next practice (Tuesday) with a little fresher legs and see how it looks.” SINGLE-GAME TICKETS AVAILABLE MONDAY
Single-game tickets for the 2013 season go on sale Monday. Prime sideline tickets are $30 each and Fun Zone tickets are $10 each. Tickets are available on the U of M athletics website or by calling 678-2331.