March 18, 2007
2007 Football Season Tickets Start at $99
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| Photo by Stan Jones |
On Campus in Nashville – Head Coach Bobby Johnson directed practices Friday and Saturday aimed at preparing his Commodores for their first scrimmage of the spring.
After the Commodores left the John Rich Practice Facility after a two-hour practice Saturday, Johnson said he was looking forward to seeing his squad participate in the scrimmage scheduled Sunday in Vanderbilt Stadium.
“We spent the last two days working on a lot of things, adding to the playbook, getting the guys ready for the scrimmage tomorrow,” Johnson said. “I think we accomplished a lot of good things, so I’m excited about seeing how the team performs.
“It should give us an excellent gauge of where we are as a football team. I expect to see a lot of intensity and energy, and I’m hopeful our guys execute the way our coaches have instructed them. If we can do that, we’ll be able to take a lot of positives into the second week of practice,” Johnson said.
The Friday and Saturday practices were non-tackling sessions even though the players were dressed in full gear both days. Instead, the team concentrated on position drills, offensive and defensive team teaching, 7-on-7 passing drills and special teams before concluding each day with a brief 11-on-11 segment.
Two Commodores Expected to Miss Scrimmage
Two Commodores, including senior offensive tackle Brian Stamper, will not participate in the scrimmage due to injuries.
Stamper, who received a medical redshirt from the NCAA after back surgery, has missed the last two practices with a foot fracture that is expected to sideline the 2006 co-captain indefinitely.
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Adam Smotherman missed the Saturday practice with a undetermined leg injury, and was declared out of the scrimmage by the head coach.
Buccaneers’ Jovan Haye Takes in Practice
Jovan Haye, a former All-SEC defensive end for the Commodores, watched from the sidelines Saturday. In the last week, Haye has been working out on campus, preparing to upcoming mini-camps with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Last year, Haye enjoyed his first year with the Bucs by working his way into a substantial playing role at defensive tackle.
