Fans get a peek
5 observations from Tigers’ first scrimmage
It may be three weeks until Memphis plays its first football game of the season but for the 800-plus fans that attended Fan Fest, Saturday was a reward for their appetite.
The Tigers’ first preseason scrimmage gave fans reason to feel optimistic but was also a sign of a team in progress. Quarterbacks Brady White and David Moore took multiple turns running with the first unit but the defense impressed even more with its aggressive up front.
“As a head coach, it’s kind of what you want, a little bit of back and forth,” Tigers head coach Mike Norvell said. “I saw some explosive plays on both sides of the ball.”
The scrimmage also had a different feel with Tony Pollard, Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor all being held out except for some special teams work.
Here are five takeaways from the scrimmage:
Neither quarterback had a great day
White started with the first unit and led two scoring drives ending in touchdown runs by Jahod Booker and Marquavius Weaver. Moore had two touchdown passes with the first unit, both to Kedarian Jones, and led another scoring drive ending a field goal.
either were particularly sharp. Both had trouble being consistent and White had a pass picked off by Josh Perry in the end zone near the end of practice. Norvell was visibly frustrated with both quarterbacks at times so there is still work to do in this battle.
“It’s always the same any time you have a quarterback competition. Guys wanting to make every play,” Norvell said. “Like I told them, play within themselves. Let the plays come to them.”
The freshman running backs got nearly all the carries with Henderson and Pollard out and of the group, Weaver looked the best. He broke off a long run during Moore’s first scoring drive.
Defensive line looked meaner
It was a good sign seeing senior Jackson Dillon cause havoc on the first series because he helped set the tone early in the scrimmage. Dillon flew around and made two great tackles on
Damonte Coxie as the defensive line constantly pressured the quarterbacks.
When quarterback Connor Adair entered for his second series, his first play ended in a safety largely caused by the initial push up front. Sophomore O’Bryan Goodson and junior Jonathan Wilson had sacks on freshman Brady McBride on consecutive plays.
It’s a good sign for one of the team’s weakest links the past few years and a bit discouraging for a veteran offensive line group.
“We’ve been young on the defensive front the last few years due to injury but you know, those guys are growing up,” Norvell said. “To see that growth and progression with them, it’s something that we’re hoping for and we need.
Linebackers’ depth shined
The linebackers continue to show why they are the deepest group of the defense so far. Sophomore JJ Russell continued to play with the first unit and show off his instincts making great tackles.
Unofficially, the defense had nine sacks and most of them came from linebackers. Junior Keith Brown helped contribute to a sack with sophomore Joseph Dorceus.and freshmen Cade Mashburn and sophomore Chandler Stump each had one.
It’s worth noting all but two of the sacks recorded came against either Adair or McBride but for a unit that needs to improve its pass rush, the linebackers showed great effort Saturday.
Cheers for the ... punter?
Some of the biggest oohs and aahs came when freshman punter Adam Williams had his first punts of the day. His big leg showed on booming kicks that had good distance and for the most part, he was accurate.
The cheers were surprising but it reflected how much Tigers fans come to expect their kickers to shine and Williams did that. So did kicker Riley Patterson, who only missed one of his eight field goal attempts, including remaining perfect on field goals to end practice.
Too many penalties
It was only a scrimmage but Norvell was probably not pleased with the Tigers getting unofficially 11 penalties — six by the offense, five on defense.
Memphis was among the nation’s leaders last season in penalty yards per game so it’s something the Tigers need to be aware of for their next scrimmage in Jackson on Aug. 18 at the Memphis Lambuth campus.
The Tigers also now will begin holding morning practices starting Monday.