“I think we came out here today and had a good, spirited practice with a lot of energy,” head coach Derek Mason said. “This practice is going to move us exactly where we need to go.”
The squad will hit the gridiron for practice sessions each of the next three days before holding the second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Dores open the season three weeks from Saturday against Georgia at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
7-on-7 Notables:
• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Feleti Afemui opened a five-minute 7-on-7 session with a pass breakup with the defense providing stops on the first four plays.
• The offense got things going as graduate transfer quarterback Riley Neal found sophomore wideout Amir Abdur-Rahman on an out-route down the left sideline. Two plays later, Neal hit sophomore wide receiver C.J. Bolar across the middle.
• Redshirt junior quarterback Deuce Wallace beat the defense by zipping a pass into tight coverage with a nice grab provided by redshirt freshman wideout Cam Johnson.
9-on-9 Notables:
• Junior Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo added a hit in the backfield on the first play of 9-on-9.
• Neal put his athleticism on display, escaping the defense for a hefty gain.
• Junior running back Jamauri Wakefield showcased his burst of speed by slipping by defenders, and one play later, freshman back Keyon Brooks found the corner for a first-down gain.
11-on-11 Notables:
• Safety Brendon Harris infiltrated the backfield to open the 15-minute session, providing the stop of shifty back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Vaughn repaid the favor one play later, making a pair of men miss for a nice gain up the middle.
• Wakefield found his lane up the middle, providing a 20-yard scamper.
• Safety Tre Douglas stopped quarterback Mo Hasan to halt a potential big gain. It marked the beginning of three consecutive plays in which the defense held its own on the run.
• Wallace showed his passing ability outside the pocket, locating junior wide receiver Chris Pierce for a solid gain. One play later, the duo connected again on a pass across the middle.
