Camp Notebook: First-team offense, first-team defense impressive in first scrimmage
The first-team offense was absolutely clicking during the Golden Eagles first official scrimmage Saturday morning, scoring on four consecutive drives behind the arm of quarterback Jared Davis.
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
Video by Marc Graham, TTU Video Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The first-team offense was absolutely clicking during the Golden Eagles first official scrimmage Saturday morning, scoring on four consecutive drives behind the arm of quarterback Jared Davis.
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What Happened Today: The first full scrimmage saw an impressive display on the ground by committee as 15 different ball carriers combined to pile up 302 yards on 58 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per touch. The first-team defense was also quite impressive, keeping every offense thrown it out of the endzone. |
Best Offensive Play of the Day:Stepping into a first-team role due to injuries, Steve Wilson made the most of his opportunities on the day, highlighted by an incredible touchdown grab in the front corner of the endzone. The junior wideout leaped to haul in a Jared Davis pass and managed to drag a foot for the score. |
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Best Defensive Play of the Day: |
They Said It:"Our one-defense got a little shook up during that drive, but they did a good job of keeping the offense out of the endzone. They dominated the rest of the scrimmage." - Head coach Watson Brown, talking about the first-defense's performance during today's scrimmage. |
| What's Next: The team will get most of Sunday off before returning to the practice field on Monday. |
The calm before the storm?
Sophomore quarterback Jared Davis gave Golden Eagle fans plenty of reason to be excited during Saturday's scrimmage, putting up impressive numbers both through the air and on the ground.
Davis complete 13-of-16 passes for 168 yards and a whopping four touchdowns through the air. He also added 32 yards on the ground on just four carries.
Making their mark
True freshman Dorian Carter created quite a buzz in his first official scrimmage in the purple and gold, working his way around the defense for 57 yards on just six carries.
Also ducking and darting all over the field was junior runningback and return specialist Ladarius Vaniler. The speedster averaged over 10 yards per carry while tallying 52 on just five carries.
He may have only accumulated two carries, but redshirt freshman Trey Burks made the most out of his opportunities. He tallied a whopping 25 yards, good enough for a 12.5 yard average per carry.
The transition
While most programs would struggle to replace an All-American punter, the Golden Ealges seem to be right on track without missing a beat thanks to the leg of Jonathan King.
The redshirt freshman unleashed bombs during the scrimmage, averaging 45 yards per punt on just four tries. He landed two inside the 10-yard line with a long of 52 yards.
Small sample size, but we don't care
He may have only had one target on the day, but Tyler Harrell made an absolute highlight-reel of a grab towards the end of the scrimmage. The freshman leaped above three defensive players to come down with an incredible 33-yard catch at the one-yard line to set up a last-second field goal.
Season tickets on sale with several plans to choose from
The Golden Eagles will host six home football games during the 2014 season, and a variety of season ticket options are available including a Family Plan that admits up to five people (two adults) to every game. The cost of the Family Plan is just $75 for 30 total tickets, or an average of $2.50 per ticket.
Tech will open the home season against Kentucky Christian on Thursday, Aug. 28, then welcome Murray State on Saturday, Oct. 4 (7 p.m.), Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 18 (7 p.m.), Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 1 (1:30 p.m.), Southeast Missouri for Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 8 (1:30 p.m.), and Chattanooga on Saturday, Nov. 15 (1:30 p.m.).
For season ticket information, contact the Tennessee Tech Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or call 931-372-3940. Tickets are also on sale online at TTUsports.com.
Women's Clinic has some openings remaining
For the second straight year, Tech football's annual Gathering of Eagles will feature the "Now You Know" Women's Football Clinic. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, head coach Watson Brown will host the event for the second season in a row. The women's clinic is free but space is limited. The first 100 participants to sign-up (by calling 931-372-3940) will receive a specially designed tote bag and an opportunity to tour the TTU athletic facilities.
Take a look at some pictures from today's scrimmage:
Photos by Thomas Corhern
