March 19, 2004

Commodores Concentrate on Red-Zone Situations In Final Practice Before Black & Gold Scrimmage

3/19/2004

Defensive backs coach Jamie Bryant

Commodores Concentrate on Red-Zone Situations In Final Practice Before Black & Gold Scrimmage

Day 11 of Spring Practice – The Commodores spent the last 30 minutes of practice Thursday working on red-zone situations in preparation for the Black & Gold Scrimmage this Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium.

Head Coach Bobby Johnson was pleased with the brief situational scrimmage that concluded Thursday’s activities. “I was pleased with that part of the practice. We were trying to correct some things from Wednesday and work on a few other items for Saturday’s scrimmage,” the coach said.

The Commodores will stay off the practice field Friday, then return for the annual Black and Gold Scrimmage Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium. Gates open at 1:00 p.m., with stretching and individual position drills starting at 2:00 p.m. The actual scrimmage is not expected to begin until 2:40 p.m. Admission is free to all Commodore followers.

After struggling to score points against the defense in the scrimmage Wednesday, the Commodore offense produced four touchdowns in the red-zone drills Thursday. Quarterback Jay Cutler (Jr., Santa Claus, Ind.) had a hand in three of the scores, hitting tight end Dusting Dunning (Jr., Hoover, Ala.) twice over the middle, and connecting with wide receiver Marlon White (So., Macon, Ga.) on a deep out pattern. Quarterback Steven Bright (So., Greer, S.C.) also had success, concluding the session with a touchdown pass to receiver Chris Young (Sr., Batesville, Miss.).

Several defenders also came up with big plays. Cornerback Dominique Morris (Jr., Nashville, Tenn.) reacted quickly to deflect a pass attempt intended for White. Linebackers Moses Osemwegie (Jr., Nashville, Tenn.) and Jonathan Goff (R-Fr., Stoneham, Mass.) and defensive end Jovan Haye (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) also stopped rushing attempts for negative yardage.

Several Commodores Held Out of Saturday Scrimmage
Several key Commodores nursing nagging injuries or rehabilitating from off-season surgeries will be held out of the Black and Gold Scrimmage, Johnson said.

Among the players expected to miss the scrimmage are offensive tackle Kenan Arkan (Sr., McMurray, Pa), defensive end Chris Booker (Jr., Brandon, Miss.), redshirt freshman Marcus Buggs (Madison, Tenn.), linebacker Eric Byrum (Sr., Grove City, Ohio), offensive lineman Adam Dossett (Jr., McComb, Miss.), safety Ben Koger (Jr., Brentwood, Tenn.), fullback Clark Lea (Sr., Nashville, Tenn.), fullback Paul Meadows (Jr., Birmingham, Ala.), linebacker Marty Morgan (Jr., Canton, Miss.), receiver Brandon Smith (Sr., New Orleans, La. and cornerback Cheron Thompson (Jr., Atlanta, Ga.).

Naming Commodore Captains
Johnson is expected to announce team captains for the 2004 Commodores prior to the Black and Gold Scrimmage. Three captains from the 2003 squad – Cutler, offensive tackle Justin Geisinger (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Haye – are key members of the current Commodores. Vanderbilt captains are selected by a vote of their teammates.

Freshmen Wearing Gold
At the start of practice Thursday, Johnson awarded gold jerseys to a pair of redshirt freshmen, Goff and center Chris Williams (Baton Rouge, La.). Goff and Williams have been just two of several redshirt freshman and underclassmen who are pushing for more playing time with excellent spring performances.

Upcoming Practice Schedule
Following the Black & Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, the Commodores are scheduled to stage their final three spring practices next week, likely starting on Tuesday afternoon.