NORMAL – After 107 plays and a little over two hours of action the Alabama A&M Bulldogs football team completed their final scrimmage on Saturday, August 27, before the start of the 2011 season.
“The main thing I’m always concern about is we did not have any injuries and that we got some good work in today,” 10th year head coach Anthony Jones said. “We feel like we are where we need to be so now we will review the film and polish up some the mistakes we’re making.”
Some of those mistakes include an unofficial 11 penalty flags the officials threw in the final scrimmage of the 2011 season.
“That’s why we practice with officials, so our guys understand if they are doing something wrong,” the dean of the SWAC football coaches said. “After each penalty the officials describe to the coaches what the guys are doing wrong so they can instruct them in the proper way.”
Unofficially starting quarterback Deaunte Mason, who received 80% of the time with the first team offense, finished 14 of 21 passing for 216 yards and a touchdown. Mason also rushed for scrimmage high 63 yards on the ground including a 40 yard TD run. Running back Kaderius Lacey carried the ball 10 times for 51 yards and a touchdown. Red-shirt freshman Montarius Smith caught Mason’s passing TD on the offenses third drive which resulted in A&M’s first points.
The A&M defense got to see a little of what Hampton runs thanks to the scout team who was running the Hampton offense. The first team collected four sacks and a Derrick Harris interception but gave up a lot of yards on the third and fifth drives before stopping the unofficial seven second offense.
“All offenses concern us but in our opening week, we have to make the necessary adjustments as soon as possible due to Hampton’s seven second offense,” Jones said. “We’ve seen a little of what they do but this will be their first game as well so we’re both in the same position of not knowing everything about each other.”
Entering his 33rd season as a coach on the Maroon & White coaching staff Brawnski Towns talked a little about his defense.
“We still have a long way to go, we still have some guys who are trying to prove themselves due,” said Towns. “The secondary has been a question mark as there has been a rash of injuries.”
“Hampton runs a lot of different sets and our guys will have to get the calls and know what coverage’s we’re running. It will be a bit of a task to get these guys ready but once the hype of the game wears down our guys will settle in and make the necessary changes.”
Second string quarterback David Isabelle got some work with the first team and threw a 40 yard touchdown to freshman Rashad DeJarnett on only his second throw in the scrimmage. The former J. O. Johnson star roll out to his left unleashed a tight rope down the sideline that finished with DeJarnett grabbing the ball over his right shoulder with both toes inches from the side line.
Third string quarterback Chris Leachman also threw a touchdown to DeJarnett for his second TD on the day.
The Bulldogs open the 2011 season versus Hampton University on Saturday, September 3, in the Chicago Classic at historic Solider field. Tickets are still available by calling the A&M ticket off at 256-372-4059 or by visiting
www.allabouttickets.com.
