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Commodore Defense Sparkles in Black & Gold Scrimmage 3/26/2005 Coach Likes Overall Effort Following 87-Play Session Vanderbilt Stadium – With no thunderstorms washing over the Dudley Field surface Saturday morning, Vanderbilt coaches got their wish with the Black & Gold Scrimmage, providing Commodore football fans an early preview of their 2005 squad. Nearly 500 Commodore followers saw what coaches have been seeing earlier this spring during the 87-play scrimmage held under ideal weather conditions. The Commodore defense was aggressive, attacking and effective while the offense was looking to discover improved consistency. It was a far cry from one year ago when heavy rains forced a cancellation after a lone productive offensive series. Though no score was recorded, the defense appeared to have the upper hand, holding their offensive counterparts to a pair of touchdowns in 16 possessions. With seven practice opportunities still awaiting the Commodores, the offense has plenty of time to improve. The Commodores are expected to conclude their spring drills by April 9. Head Coach Bobby Johnson liked what he saw, and thinks his squad can make significant strides from its performance on Saturday. “Overall, it was pretty good scrimmage. I thought we had good effort and were pretty tenacious out there, especially early on with the defense,” Johnson said. “Our guys are working to get better and have an excellent attitude. They want to improve. “We’re still pretty early in the process. It’s normal for the defense to have the upper hand early in spring practice. But I expect our offense to show more consistency as they continue our spring drills. We did a lot of things right on offense, we just need to continue correcting errors and gaining confidence,” Johnson said. Cornerback Sean Dixon started the scrimmage with an outstanding defensive play, deflecting Jay Cutler’s pass attempt to Erik Davis. Dixon also ended an offense threat in the fourth series by intercepting a pass at the goal line. Several other defenders, including safety Ben Koger, linebacker Otis Washington, end Brandon Holmes, tackle Gabe Hall and cornerback Jared Fagan, made plays to quell early possessions. During the seventh possession, the defense held the offense out of the end zone on a goal line stand, getting excellent plays by linebackers Kevin Joyce, Jonathan Goff and safety Reshard Langford. Steven Bright directed the first touchdown drive, connecting with Jason Caldwell for 12 yards and a first down before tailback Jeff Jennings powered in from the 2-yard-line. The first offensive possession after halftime also resulted in a touchdown. Cutler led the eight-play, 70-yard drive, connecting with Marlon White, Davis and George Smith. Jennings took care of the last five yards behind the blocking of Trey Holloway, Josh Eames, Nigel Seaman, Brian Stamper and Ryan King. Following Jennings’ second score, the defense again stiffened. Tackle Lamar Divens, cornerback Andrew Pace, Joyce and Fagan all made critical plays that helped halt drives. Upcoming Practice Schedule Black & Gold Scrimmage Statistics Offensive Stats Passing: Rushing: Receiving: Defensive Stats Tackles: Tackles for Loss: Interceptions: Defensed Passes: |
