March 28, 2012
Approaching the midway point of spring drills, the Commodore defense put together one of its best practices Tuesday afternoon.
Practicing for the first time since an impressive offensive showing last Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium, the unit forced four turnovers – interceptions by cornerback Andre Hal and safeties Andrew Williamson, Kenny Ladler and Karl Butler – during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 passing drills.
Head Coach James Franklin was pleased with the defensive performance and said he will continue to focus on the passing attack as the team pushes toward the featured Black and Gold Game on April 14.
“Defensively, we were very good today… but (the offense) saw more blitzes. I’ve controlled that more until today,” Franklin said. “We have shown that we can run the ball, but we have to make more progress in the passing game. We need to throw the ball more consistently and make more plays.”
The Commodores will return for their eighth spring practice at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, then stage a second scrimmage Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium.
Developing Leaders
The Commodores lost four key leaders on defense to graduation: linebacker Chris Marve, defensive end Tim Fugger, cornerback Casey Hayward and safety Sean Richardson. Franklin thinks the entire unit will need to step forward to fill the leadership void.
“Those guys were great players and did a lot of great things for us, but we have guys in place that can step up and I think they will,” the coach said. “But we have to make sure we are consistently developing leadership within the roster. It has to be a number of guys stepping up and taking ownership.”
Teammates Cheer Kicker Spear
Without question, the most beloved Commodore at the conclusion of practice was junior kicker Carey Spear.
With the team facing multiple gassers to cap the session, Spear accepted Franklin’s “double-or-nothing” offer: make a 40-yarder and face no sprints; miss and run eight sprints.
Spear jumped at the coach’s offer. With teammates huddled around, Spear split the uprights, earning a congratulatory mob scene from the entire squad.
“Carey really just picked himself and jumped out there. He’s one of most competitive guys. It was a pretty big risk, but his teammates believed in him. It was good,” Franklin said.
Praising Krause
Late in the 2011 season, the production of wide receiver Jonathan Krause didn’t keep pace with teammates Chris Boyd and Jordan Matthews. This spring, the team is seeing an improved Krause as he prepares for his junior season.
“Krause has had as good an offseason and spring as any of them (wide receivers),” Franklin said. “He is much stronger… and he’s so much more confident running his routes and catching the ball. He is growing by leaps and bounds.”
Young Versatile Receivers Have Chance to Contribute
Several young receivers, including H-back Kris Kentera, wide receiver Josh Grady and tight end Steven Scheu, have made strides in early spring drills. Franklin thinks several newcomers can contribute in the corps this fall.
“If (Scheu) keeps progressing as he has, he will have a chance to fight for the starting job. And Kentera is making plays because things are coming so naturally to him. He just has to add a little weight before the season,” Franklin said.