After Saturday's game at Wallace Wade Stadium, head coach Ted Roof said running the spring scrimmage was like having to constantly change his cap.
Every time the defense made a solid play, the coach was happy with its effort but wanted more from the offense.
"As a head coach, you got two hats on-one, 'How can we do that [offensively]?', the second, 'All right, good [for the defense],' " Roof said. "You can't win, and you can't lose."
In the intra-squad scrimmage, the defense used a 21-0 opening spurt to establish a comfortable lead and staved off the offense's late rally for the win, 47-46.
The game was designed with a modified scoring system that allowed both the offense and defense to record points on each play based on accomplishments during that play.
The coaches broke the matchup into three situations: first down plays, third down plays, and a "blue zone" series in which they placed the ball at the defense's 14-yard line, each section lasting 12 plays.
"I thought there was some good competition from both sides, and we played everybody," Roof said. "There were some good things and some things we still have to work on to be a good football team next year."
One place to start would be the opening performance by the offense.
Over the first eight plays, the offense gave up three sacks, fumbled the ball away for a touchdown by linebacker Mike Tauiliili and racked up four total yards.
However, once the offense began clicking, several players who had not played well or much last year began making their mark.
Thaddeus Lewis completed 13-of-21 passes for 169 yards and one interception. The interception, however, was more a result of linebacker Charles Robinson's effort than it was a poor throw by Lewis. Lewis shined most on the shorter passes, as he hit his targets on slants and hooks with crisp throws.
The receivers also made their mark on the game. Junior Ryan Wood, who did not catch a pass last year, finished with three receptions for 70 yards, half of which came on a play when he stole the ball from a defender who appeared to have intercepted the ball. Freshmen Sheldon Bell also caught three passes for 17 yards.
On defense, former quarterback Marcus Jones continued to impress at linebacker, recording a sack and delivering one of the hardest hits of the day on a third down running play.
Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Ifreke Okpokowuruk also made his presence known, sacking Lewis on one play and hustling to tackle running back B.J. Smith on a screen play for a loss the very next play.
Joe Surgan's kicking, however, may have comforted the coaching staff the most. Surgan nailed all three of his kicks with pinpoint accuracy.
"You can go one of two ways," Wood said of the team's approach to this season "You can go in the corner and feel sorry for yourself, or you can pick yourself up and say, 'We're going to suck it up, we're going to move forward and go to practice every day.' "
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