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Takeaways from SMU spring game

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Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby PonyPride » Mon Apr 18, 2016 2:42 pm

The SMU football team wrapped up its spring workouts Saturday with its annual spring game. The team was split, with the offense playing for the Red team against the Blue (defense) team. You know the score, etc., and my apologies for the delay in posting this, but .... some observations:

• A lot of players, including several starters, sat out while nursing injuries. Among those who sat out: QB Matt Davis, OL Tony Richards, LB Kyran Mitchell, LB Jordon Williams, DT Zelt Minor, DE Justin Lawler, CB Cedric Lancaster, CB Deion Sanders, OL William Barns, CB Kevin Johnson, OL Daniel McCarty, CB Horace Mitchell and LB Jackson Mitchell.
Head coach Chad Morris said after the scrimmage that he wanted to “strain” several players, to see how they responded. With Horace Richardson, Sanders and Lancaster, the only CBs on the field were Will Jeanlys, Jesse Montgomery and Jordan Wyatt. The results were mixed, but Morris said that considering the workload the trio endured, he was pleased with the results. Montgomery had an interception and tied S Brent Freeman with a game-high seven tackles.
• The player we all know as S Darrion Richardson, who is changing his name and now goes by Darrion Millines, also had an interception.
RBs Xavier Jones and Braeden West had relatively light days, combining for just nine carries (Jones averaged 13 yards on his three carries, one of which was a 35-yard touchdown run down the left sideline) because, Morris said, the coaches know what they’ll get from Jones and West. In their place, freshman Aphonso Thomas rushed 13 times for a game-high 122 yards (9.4 yards per carry) and a pair of touchdowns, while Joseph Paden rushed for 110 yards on 14 carries (7.9 per) and a score. Their numbers were impressive and at times looked very good, each running through arm tackles to pick up extra yards. As is the case with many young running backs, Thomas at times has been asked to run with his pads lower, which makes sense. On a couple of his shorter runs, he was virtually straight up when he was hit; when he got low, he was able to burst through several arm tackles. (On the roster, he is listed at 182 pounds, which is 13 fewer than Jones carries. But at times, Thomas can look just as powerful as Jones, as he showed when he dragged DB Raul Reyes into the end zone as Reyes hung on to a fistful of Thomas’ jersey.)
• The starting offensive line was what was expected: LT Chad Pursley, LG Braylon Hyder, C Evan Brown, RG Jerry Saena and RT Chauncey Briggs. The second unit consisted of LT Nick Natour, LG Travis Fister, C Rex Printz, RG Marcus McNeil and RT Bryce Wilds. OL coach Dustin Fry tried some alternate combinations late in the scrimmage, an experiment that included Saena getting a few snaps at left tackle.
• Morris again used the word “inconsistent” when discussing the performances of the Mustangs’ quarterbacks. With Matt Davis sitting out, Ben Hicks got the first snaps in each half of the scrimmage. He completed 13 of 31 passes (41.9 percent) for 240 yards, 70 of which came on a touchdown pass to TE Jeremiah Gaines, who caught an intermediate pass over the middle and then outran the secondary to the end zone. Backup Darrel Colbert completed five of 20 passes (25 percent) for 46 yards and a pair of interceptions. If a secondary can cover tightly enough to get credit for a “coverage sack” by making receivers impossible to reach, than Millines’ interception of Colbert has to be called a “pass rush pick.” Colbert heaved the ball just as he got hit by first-team MLB Matt McNew.
• Among receivers, freshmen James Proché and Xavier Castille each caught a game-high five passes — Proché’s receptions added up to 48 yards, Castille’s for 22. Gaines had four receptions for a game-high 109 yards, 70 of which came on the touchdown pass from Hicks. Freshman Alex Honey — named by Morris before the game as the team’s Offensive MVP for the spring — was as impressive as any, catching three passes for 55 yards, including an exceptional touchdown grab when he outleaped two DBs and got both feet inside the border of the end zone. One of Honey’s better efforts didn’t even show up on the stat sheet; when Colbert threw to Honey in double coverage, the freshman receiver failed to haul in a one-handed reception
Ps Alex Melvin and Davis Luster each punted six times. Luster averaged 37.8 yards, while Melvin averaged 37.5. Like many of the Mustangs, the two showed ability but were inconsistent. Luster had a long of 46 yards, while Melvin uncorked a 60-yarder, but each had mishits that caused their averages to drop.
• The first-team offense was potent at the start. On the first play from scrimmage, Hicks fired a strike down the left sideline to WR Courtland Sutton, who had gotten a step on Montgomery. On the next play, Jones completed the two-play scoring drive with his 35 sprint around the left end.
• With the graduations of DT Zach Wood and DE Andy McCleneghen, and the injury that forced DT Zelt Minor to sit out, DT Mason Gentry lined up with three new linemates: DE Jarvis Pruitt, DT Deon Green and DE Nick Horton. Green was one of six players to record a sack; the others were S Brent Freeman, LB Mitchell Kaufman, S Rashaad Burton, DE Delontae Scott and LB Carlos Carroll.
• Several graduating seniors watched from the sideline. Former S Troy Castle said the decision to move Jordan Wyatt from S back to CB (the position at which he originally was recruited) will be a better fit for the sophomore-to-be. “He was good at safety, but he’ll be better at corner,” Castle said. “He’s about 185 (the official roster lists Wyatt at 190) pounds, and it’s hard to be that size and come down and take on a pulling guard, especially when you’re on the boundary (short) side of the field. You want a lineman or a linebacker to take on the guard, but it doesn’t always work out that way. But put him at corner, and he’ll do really well. He’s really fast and he’s really aggressive in coverage. I think he’ll have a really big year there.”
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby ALEX LIFESON » Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:20 pm

I keep wanting to have hope for Zelt Minor, but that guy is ALWAYS hurt.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby RGV Pony » Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:24 pm

You can hope that he feels better
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby MiracleOnMockingbird » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:11 pm

Everyone complains there are too many guys named Richardson in the team, finally someone did something about it!
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby mrydel » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:17 pm

Zelt will be fine. It is just a Minor injury
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby Digetydog » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:22 pm

MiracleOnMockingbird wrote:Everyone complains there are too many guys named Richardson in the team, finally someone did something about it!


But the Mitchell problem remains.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby Otto » Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:27 am

Can someone who knows more about offensive line play explain why Saena is at guard (although I like that he is getting tried out, at least, at tackle)

With his size,isn't he an ideal tackle candidate? Or is he maybe at guard because the depth is so minimal?

Also, Horace Richardson needs to be healthy. The three guys who played this week might be getting better, but that's not enough guys at the position.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby JasonB » Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:45 pm

Otto wrote:Can someone who knows more about offensive line play explain why Saena is at guard (although I like that he is getting tried out, at least, at tackle)

With his size,isn't he an ideal tackle candidate? Or is he maybe at guard because the depth is so minimal?

Also, Horace Richardson needs to be healthy. The three guys who played this week might be getting better, but that's not enough guys at the position.


Saena - Mobility. and depth He isn't any better than the backup tackles and need more players at Guard.

Add H Richardson, Lancaster, and K Johnson in there along with the frosh and more than enough depth at corner. We need a number one corner. Right now we have a bunch of second corners.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby mavsrage311 » Wed Apr 20, 2016 9:57 am

Barring catastrophic injuries, Jerry won't see the field at OL. Until everyone gets healthy, and the freshmen get here, he's thrown out there out of necessity.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby JasonB » Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:14 am

mavsrage311 wrote:Barring catastrophic injuries, Jerry won't see the field at OL. Until everyone gets healthy, and the freshmen get here, he's thrown out there out of necessity.


I kind of wonder if, when Barns returns, he, Printz, and a frosh battle it out for center and Brown moves over to guard and battles a frosh there.

I wouldn't be at all surprised in the fall for the two deep to look like this:
LT: Pursley-Frosh
LG: Hyder-McCarty
C: Printz-Barns
RG: Brown-Frosh
RT: Briggs-WIlds

Not dominant, but surely better than we have had for a couple of years. In 2017 probably actually looks pretty good.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby footballdad » Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:27 am

mavsrage311 wrote:Barring catastrophic injuries, Jerry won't see the field at OL. Until everyone gets healthy, and the freshmen get here, he's thrown out there out of necessity.


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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby ALEX LIFESON » Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:22 am

I think Evan Brown stays at center, Jerry Seana will lose his gig to healthy lineman returning or possibly a rookie. Briggs better step it up too.
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Re: Takeaways from SMU spring game

Postby Digetydog » Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:51 am

Otto wrote:Can someone who knows more about offensive line play explain why Saena is at guard (although I like that he is getting tried out, at least, at tackle)

With his size,isn't he an ideal tackle candidate? Or is he maybe at guard because the depth is so minimal?

Also, Horace Richardson needs to be healthy. The three guys who played this week might be getting better, but that's not enough guys at the position.


In the old days, tackles tended to be bigger than the guards (in part b/c guards need to be mobile enough to pull on running plays).
In modern offenses, tackles spend a lot of their time dealing with edge rushers. Long arms and good feet are important indicators of success at tackle. If big guy cannot play tackle (short arms and/or bad feet), he gets moved inside.

It is not uncommon for one or both guards to be bigger (heavier) than one or both tackles - see Clemson's 2 deep from last Spring.

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