Sunday link

April 06, 2008

By Drew Champlin

Here’s my story on Troy’s final scrimmage and a wrap-up of spring football.

Troy baseball goes for the sweep today vs. Arkansas State at 1 p.m. I will be there and will have some postgame blog stuff and a game story. A sweep puts Troy at 9-3 in league play with some of the better-hitting road series on deck.

Unofficial scrimmage stats

April 05, 2008

By Drew Champlin

PASSING

Jamie Hampton: 18-27-182, TD
Tanner Jones: 11-20-1 INT-69
Levi Brown: 14-20-107, TD

RUSHING

Xavier Moreland: 14-47, TD
Fernandus Edwards: 11-47, 2 TD

RECEIVING

Kennard Burton: 8-88
Mykeal Terry: 4-39
Patrick Cherry: 6-57

A little bit on spring, from offensive coordinator Neal Brown: “I was really pleased with our three senior leaders up front in Chris Jamison, Dion Small and Danny Franks (who is a junior). They came to work every day. (Running back) Xavier Moreland proved that he can be a viable running back in this league. I was pleased with the quarterbacks. All three of the kids we’ve got here, we can win with.“

He didn’t mention anything on QB separation yet, but from my untrained eye it looks like it’s Hampton’s job to lose. He got more passing attempts and he’s the best runner of the three and he made some right-on-the-money midrange passes. He won’t burn a heck of a lot of people deep, but then again Omar never really did either. The competition will be narrowed to two heading into fall camp.

This concluded spring practice. On the defensive side, coordinator Jeremy Rowell mentioned linebacker Bear Woods as someone who stepped up and had a great spring. Read more about it in my notebook tomorrow.

Scrimmage live blog

By Drew Champlin

At the scrimmage. Looks like they’re going to go at 2, though it’s wet outside. I’ll start live-blogging it when it starts.

• Levi Brown at QB from OWN 35. Quick out to Burton gets 7. 2nd down pass to the right flat (across the field) to Terry gets 2. Third and short - Moreland gains 3 and the first down. 1st down pass is incomplete. 2nd down pass to the right flat dropped by Cherry. Offsides on the defense but the pass across the middle into double coverage was broken up by Donnell Golden. Now 3rd and 5. False start on offense makes it 3rd and 10 (we’re at own 46). Pass interference prevented likely a touchdown pass but makes it first down. 1st down pass to Cherry gets 7 despite offsides on defense. Penalty was declined. Moreland gets stuffed. Levi on the draw gets about 7 and a first down to the 27. Moreland gains 4. Quick out to Cherry gets 5 or 6 to set up 3rd and short. This a good, long drive for the offense. Moreland gets 3 more to the 16 and a first down. Levi takes off running when guys are covered and gets 8. He would have scored if not for “touch football” on the QBs BUT wipe off the play because of illegal procedure on the offense. 1st and 15. Levi hits Mykeal Terry over the middle for a big gain of 19 to the 2-yard line. TOUCHDOWN Xavier Moreland on a 2-yard run. Michael Taylor on the extra point to cap off the 13-play drive.
• Tanner Jones at QB from OWN 35. Pass to the right flat broken up by McDowell. Fernandus Edwards gains 1. Complete pass to Marcum for a gain of 14 and a first down - good 3rd down pass. Fernandus Edwards gets 11 and a first down. Lofted it up there just out of the reach of Marcum incomplete - good pass but Darryl Watts had good coverage. Tanner on the QB keeper gets 4 for 3rd and 6. Tanner to Willie McDowell gets 9 and a first down. Dump pass to Edwards gets 9. RJ Roberts injured on the play but he’s walking off under his own power. Pass to Edwards gets a couple. Guess who’s in the house? None other than Tony Franklin, wearing a black jacket (don’t see a logo on it) and visiting with coaches and administrators. Back to the scrimmage - fale start, 3rd and 7 at the 25. Pass to Marcum incomplete as Darryl Watts came in for the big hit. Michael Taylor to attempt a 42-yard field goal and it’s GOOD
• Hampton at QB from own 40. Moreland gains 6. Pass incomplete. PAss complete to Cherry for 9 and a first down. Hampton keeps it around the end and gains 5. Defense brought the house and he hit Burton on the screen for a first down, gains 14 to the 27. Moreland gets 5. Moreland gets 4 to set up 3rd and 1. Moreland gets 8 and a first down to the 13. Hampton “touched” for a loss of 5. Hampton threads the needle to Cherry down to the 1 for a gain of 17. TOUCHDOWN 1-yard run by Fernandus Edwards. XP by Sam Glusman.
• From the own 40 and Hampton is back at QB. Sacked by Brandon Boudreaux for a loss of 3. Weird to see a defensive end wearing No. 3, but that’s Boudreaux’s number. Pass across the middle dropped by McDowell. Incomplete pass, holding it’s declined and Goggans to punt.
• 38 yards on the rugby kick, Tanner Jones at QB from own 20. Hits Matt Stidham for gain of 6. Brownell gains 1. Jones “sacked” by Steve McClendon, who came right through the OL. Wait, we’re doing 1st and 10 again from the 20. Dummp pass to Travis King gets 4. Tanner on the run gets about 10 and a first down. Now Levi Brown at QB and his first pass is incomplete over the middle. Pass to the right flat dropped by Terrell Bailey. May have been a bit behind him, but if he catches it he’s got nothing but turf in front of him. 3rd and 10. Levi avoids the rush and throws and incompletion for fourth down. No, wait, it’s first down again from the 33. Brownell gains 1. Brownell gains 3. Looks like we’re stopping the drive.
• Tanner Jones back at QB at opp 45. Screen pass to Fred Turner gets 4. Pass incomplete. Tanner’s pass is INTERCEPTED by Chris Bowens and he gets 6 on the return.
• Levi Brown at QB. Fernandus Edwards slips a tackle, gains 4. We’re at opp 41. Edwards gets a first down to the 34. Levi to Marcum gets 9. Levi “touched” for no gain (he would have shaken a tackle and gotten a first down) but it’s third and a long 1. Edwards gets a first down. Levi over the middle to Gerald Tate gets 7. Pass to McDowell gets the first down gains 6. TOUCHDOWN - 8-yard TD pass to Gerald Tate from Levi Brown. Taylor on the XP.
• At the own 20, Hampton at QB - Slip screen dropped by Jones. Complete to Burton gets a first down, gains 13. Moreland gains 5. Pass to Burton gets 7 and a first down. Pass to Terry, breaks a tackle gains 8. Pass to Terry, slips a tackle gets afirst down, gain of 10. Pass to Cherry gets 5. Hampton hits Burton who is tightroping the sideline for a gain of 13 to the 20. Hampton is looking very efficient. Hampton credited for a loss of 1. Moreland gains 1. Hampton on the run hits Cherry to the 6 for a gain of 14. Hampton “touched” for a loss of 1. Hampton sacked by Jeremy Hawkins for a loss of 7. Delay of game loses 5 more. 3rd and goal from the 20. Draw to Moreland gets about 4. 33-yard FG by Sam Glusman is no good wide left
• At own 20, Hampton back at QB. Pass incomplete to Davis. Pass complete to McDowell gains 4. Incomplete pass shorthops McDowell on 3rd down. Goggans to punt
• From own 20, Brown at QB. Screen to Terrell Bailey gains 8. Screen to Stanley Jones gains 2. Incomplete pass nearly intercepted. Complete to Stidham who carries some tacklers for a gain of 13. Tanner Jones in at QB and we’re at the 41. Sacked for a loss of 3 by David McDowell. Pass dropped by Stidham. illegal procedure. Travis King gets 2. Tanner escapes pressure from JM Patrick and throws it away. Looks like we’re taking a break. Maybe it will be over soon.

Looks like they’re going to start doing some goal-line drills , which we won’t keep stats of and I won’t update on here.

• Back to it - they’re doing it coming out of the goal line, from the 2 actually. Levi Brown at QB. Comeback pass to Burton gets 12. Now we’ll go back to the 2 and let Tanner Jones try it. Edwards gets 2. Hits Marcum for a gain of 8. Now we’re punting, and my live blogging is done for the day.

We’re STILL here. They’re doing 2-minute work and Hampton drove them down for a touchdown, he had a big scramble that set up about a 2-yard TD pass to Willie McDowell. You can’t compensate for his speed, which the other two QBs don’t have.

Saturday link

By Drew Champlin

Raining in Dothan but I haven’t been told today’s scrimmage is off, so we’ll be LiVE BLOGGING

from there. If you’re not able to make it, check it out.

In today’s Dothan Eagle, I wrote on redshirt freshman linebacker Xavier Lamb impressing last week and I mentioned some other young players to watch out for in today’s scrimmage, which starts at 2 p.m.

Friday link

April 04, 2008

By Drew Champlin

I’ve got a baseball preview of Troy’s weekend series with Arkansas State. As best as I know it, they’re still the Indians until the fall, when they become the Red Wolves.

Saturday’s scrimmage is at

2 p.m. and make sure you check back here for a LIVE BLOG of the scrimmage if you’re not able to make it.