March 31, 2007
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On Campus in Nashville – Commodore fans were entertained by an array of offensive and defensive fireworks at the Black & Gold Scrimmage, staged Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium.
Four touchdown passes, including three by Richard Kovalcheck, a pair of rushing touchdowns, and an interception return for a score were among the Black & Gold highlights witnessed by about 2,000 Commodore fans on a sunny Saturday morning.
The 19-possession affair, the team’s third scrimmage this spring, even entertained Commodore Head Coach Bobby Johnson.
“I thought we gave the fans a fun scrimmage to watch. I enjoyed it myself,” Johnson said as the players talked with families and friends on the Dudley Field playing surface shortly after the featured session of Vanderbilt’s Spring Practice. “There was a pretty good mix of things going on, big plays from both the offense and defense.”
“Our guys were definitely going hard. I saw some things we need to work on and improve, but overall I thought we did a pretty good job of limiting mistakes. We looked like a team that enjoys being out there, having fun competing against each other trying to get better. As a coach, that’s what I want to see,” Johnson added.
The Commodores’ three quarterbacks with collegiate experience – Chris Nickson, Kovalcheck and Mackenzi Adams – directed touchdown drives. Nickson produced a touchdown and field goal in his only two possessions. Kovalcheck threw for three touchdowns in five drives. Adams passed for a score and ran for another.
Defensive end Quavian Lewis, cornerback D.J. Moore, safety Brent Trice, and linebackers Brandon Bryant and Patrick Benoist provided the top defensive highlights. Lewis dominated two different series, producing three quarterback sacks and a pass deflection. Moore scored the only defensive points, returning an interception 78 yards for a score. Trice topped the unit with nine tackles. Bryant added a sack and two of the most punishing tackles, while Benoist contributed five tackles and a fumble recovery.
Some highlights from the Black & Gold Scrimmage follows:
– Series 1: Nickson directed efficient 11-play drive that results in 33-yard field goal. Nickson hits three of five passes for 28 yards and ran once for 11 yards… George Smith and Bryant Anderson provided finger-tip receptions… Cassen Jackson-Garrison, Jared Hawkins and Jeff Jennings had positive rushes… On defense, Curtis Gatewood contributed 2-yard tackle for loss that effectively halted drive… Jonathan Goff netted pair of tackles.
– Series 2: Quavian Lewis dominated three-play series, contributing all three tackles, including a quarterback sack of Jared Funk on third down.
– Series 3: The defense stiffens after Gaston Miller and Kennard Reeves produce effective rushes… Safety Joel Caldwell contributes solid tackle on Miller on first down… Drive stalls when Funk and WR Justin Wheeler fail to connect on third-down pass.
– Series 4: After 17-yard rush by Jackson-Garrison, two plays from Marcus Buggs stopped an offensive threat. After tackling Jackson-Garrison for no gain on reception, Buggs ended drive by pressuring QB Mackenzi Adams into third-down incompletion.
– Series 5: After two effective rushes by Miller, linebacker Patrick Benoist notched first turnover by recovering fumbled handoff between QB Richard Kovalcheck and Reeves.
– Series 6: Kovalcheck directs two first downs on drive that stalls at defense’s 20-yard line… Kovalcheck completes two of three passes… Jared Hawkins and Reeves provided solid rushing gains.
– Series 7: The offense produces first of three consecutive short touchdown possessions… After Nickson and Earl Bennett connect for 24 yards down the left sideline, Jeff Jennings scored from 2 yards out on second effort plunge… Gatewood also provides hard hit on carry by Jackson-Garrison.
– Series 8: One-play touchdown drive, with Kovalcheck hitting Alex Washington over the middle for 30-yard score.
– Series 9: Kovalcheck comes right back, connecting with Washington for 18 yards and Wheeler for 17 yards and a touchdown.
– Series 10: Second possession dominated by Quavian Lewis, who opens with six-yard sack of Funk, then stops drive with another quarterback sack. Three-play possession also featured solid tackle of TE Justin Green by CB Darlron Spead.
– Series 11: Open-field tackle by CB Jared Fagan of Reeves forces third-down pass attempt that goes incomplete from Funk to Wimberly.
– Series 12: After two rushes by Miller netted a quick first down, CB D.J. Moore intercepts a Funk pass into the right flat, and outruns Hawkins to the end zone for a 78-yard touchdown return. It was Moore’s second interception return for a score in three Commodore spring scrimmage.
– Series 13: Ten-play drive directed by Adams fails to result in points when Buggs tackles WR Turner Wimberly two yards short of a first down… After a sack by Bryant, Adams hit three of four passes… Caldwell, Stone and Benoist also provide individual plays for the defense.
– Series 14: Brief drive ended with three straight incompletions… On first play, LB Austin Newton put punishing tackle on Miller.
– Series 15: Two-yard tackle for loss by DE Broderick Stewart gets defense off to solid start in three-play drive that ended with Adams gaining six yards after scrambling out of the backfield.
– Series 16: Adams leads first touchdown drive – a nine-play, 50-yard possession that ended with Adams connecting with WR Larry Simmons from 31 yards… Adams also hit a short route to Washington, who sustained one of the most punishing tackles of the scrimmage administered by Bryant… Despite the touchdown, defenders DT Gabe Hall, DE Steven Stone and LB Nate Campbell made solid individual plays… Jackson-Garrison had 13 yards on three carries.
– Series 17: Funk hits Wimberly for 19 yards and Green for eight yards, but is picked off by safety Roger Herndon when he tried to hit Wimberly in the endzone… Quavian Lewis provided another play for the defense, deflecting a Funk pass attempt, and Newton contributed a tackle for loss on Reeves.
– Series 18: Kovalcheck directs third touchdown drive, hitting Anderson for 14 yards, Griffin for five yards and Reinert for five yards and a score.
– Series 19: Despite a hard hit by Caldwell, Reeves gains 14 yards, then adds rushes of six and five yards before Adams concludes scrimmage with 4-yard TD carry.
