Spring game Analysis
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Lareux
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Saturday was filled with spring games across the country. Sometimes there are winners and losers, sometimes there are stars but mostly we just don't want anyone to get hurt. Check out highlights from the day below as Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas and more concluded spring practice with some form of scrimmage-type competition.
NOTRE DAME : Gold 36, Blue 34. We knew Brian Kelly was happy with this depth at quarterback, and Saturday's spring game only furthered our belief that both Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, if healthy, will be playing in the season opener against Texas. Golson looked sharp and confident, while Zaire flashed signs of his very-high ceiling with his arm and making plays with his legs. The most notable was this 68-yard beauty of a pass to Will Fuller.
But the number one takeaway from Saturday's activities was not anything about the quarterbacks. Kelly drew attention with his comments about the depth at QB with the Ohio State comparison, but the Irish have impressive depth up and down the roster -- pretty much every position but the offensive line, which has great first-stringers and some questions on the second-team. It's maybe the deepest team since Brian Kelly's arrival in South Bend, and if they can stay healthy Notre Dame could be looking at another season with double-digit wins and maybe even playoff contention.
OHIO STATE : Gray 17, Scarlet 14. The other spring game that demanded our attention early in the day was in Columbus, where Ohio State set a new national record for spring game attendance with 99,391 fans in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State set the previous record (95,722) in 2009; Alabama now holds third and fourth place for its spring games in 2011 (92,310) and 2007 (92,138).
With Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett sidelined as they recover from injuries, the spring game was a chance for Cardale Jones to shine. He got thing started in the circle drill, then won a longest pass competition against J.T. Barrett and former Buckeye star Troy Smith.
The vibe around Ohio State is infectious right now. The defending champs have more talent than they can put on the field, the linebackers and safeties are going to be great and Joey Bosa still looks like a nightmare to opposing offensive line coaches. Oh yeah, and the receiving corps, which lost Devin Smith, has itself a darn good one in Noah Brown.
TEXAS : Texas 27, Longhorns 16. Another quarterback competition in the spotlight is Tyrone Swoopes trying to win the starting job from redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard. Charlie Strong indicated that Heard had closed the gap on Swoopes in the last week, but the indications from Saturday suggest that Swoopes still holds the inside track on starting in the fall.
Heard was able to impress fans by making a few big plays, but Swoopes is still the most consistent option and has been labeled the No. 1 by Strong.
The most encouraging sign for Texas fans had to be the play of freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson. The five-star prospect from Mesquite, Texas has created a stir with his play in spring practice and showed fans why he will likely be seeing the field in the season opener against Notre Dame.
AUBURN : Auburn 24, Tigers 14. More than 62,000 fans came out despite a forecast of rain to see a low-scoring spring game, at least when compared to other spring games from the Gus Malzahn era. Jeremy Johnson looked great under center, but the star wide receiver was not Duke Williams but Myron Burton. Burton had six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown while Williams, though targeted often early, never settled in during the scimmage.
The low-scoring is not an indication of an offensive drop-off after previous spring games provided absurd rushing totals. Instead, some credit probably goes to new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp for getting the Tigers game-ready in his first A-Day back on staff. The defense was flying around the field and preventing the big play, reflecting the intensity we have come to know with Muschamp-coached units.
ALABAMA : White 27, Crimson 14. First of all, Nick Saban looked outstanding in his A-Day finest.
<figure>
<figcaption>Nick Saban's suit for A-Day was stunning. (USATSI)</figcaption></figure>
Five quarterbacks saw the field for Alabama, combining for six interceptions. Jake Coker looked great in the first half, but had some head-scratching mistakes and saw an ill-advised pass get taken back for a touchdown right after halftime. Saban told the SEC Network that it was "unfair" to judge the quarterbacks based on the spring game because of the format (playing against backups or starters), but Coker ran with the 1's in the game and likely will resume that position in the fall.
ArDarius Stewart lhad 118 receiving yards and two touchdown catches for the White team, but the real head-turner at wide receiver was tackle Cam Robinson.
LSU : White 45, Purple 6. Coaches usually like to keep things bland in the spring game, but LSU aired it out to give its quarterbacks, Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris, a chance to show their stuff in the ongoing competition for the starting job. Leonard Fournette, expected to be the focus of the offense in the fall, carried the ball just eight times while Jennings (13-20, 242 yards, 2 TDs) and Harris (11-17, 178 yards, 2 TDs) filled up the stat sheet.
The highlight of the day, though, was this incredible Malachi Dupre touchdown catch.
MISSISSIPPI STATE : White 28, Maroon 24. What was thought to be a day of light work for redshirt senior Dak Prescott turned into quite an eventful afternoon. The star quarterback completed 20 of his 29 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns along with a couple long runs while working with the first-team and second-team offense.
Competition was lively with high stakes: the losing team had to clean the stadium after the game.
PENN STATE : Blue 17, White 7. Christian Hackenberg completed 17-of-29 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown behind an offensive line that still has plenty of room for improvement before the Nittany Lions will have everything clicking on offense.
Hackenberg suited up for the winning team, but life was made difficult by an admittedly talented defensive front and the "touch sack" rules for the quarterback. We tuned into the spring game to see if the line, with four starters back, had taken steps forward. Defensive linemen were able to get penetration most of the day and it was all too easy to reach out and end the play by grabbing Hackenberg.
In total, Hackenberg was brought down five times by the White Team, which included both first-team and second-team players. There has already been some fan panic, which is expected considering the frustrations of 2014 with the offensive line play. Keeping Hackenberg upright is the only apparent shortcoming of a team that otherwise looks poised to contend in every game on its schedule. Fans should not panic yet, as there is still plenty of time to improve before the Nittany Lions take the field on Sept. 5 at Temple, but the spring game did not provide a lot of evidence to suggest the unit is ready for a breakthrough.
PURDUE : Black 28, Gold 23. There was plenty of of-field developments to celebrate in the Black-Gold game, including A.J. Hammons' announcing his decision to return for a senior year with the basketball team and the unveiling of new white alternate helmets for the football team.
On the field, Purdue finished spring practice with questions at the quarterback position. Austin Appleby had the best highlight, but none of the quarterbacks were mistake-free during the game.
LOUISVILLE : Red 59, White 0. Being a hometown kid from Trinity High School, there has always been a buzz around quarterback Reggie Bonnafon. After getting his feet wet in 2014 and recovering from a late-season knee injury, Bonnafon appears to be the front runner for the starting quarterback job. The 6-3, 209-pound sophomore completed 15-of-19 passes for 238 yards and showcased his dual-threat abilities in a strong spring game performance.
GEORGIA TECH : White 21, Gold 0. One concern for Georgia Tech this spring has been replacing its B-back and finding the right rotation of playmakers to join quarterback Justin Thomas in the offensive backfield. Injuries allowed for Marcus Allen to impress fans and coaches alike, leading the way with 77 yards in a rainy Friday night scrimmage.
NOTRE DAME : Gold 36, Blue 34. We knew Brian Kelly was happy with this depth at quarterback, and Saturday's spring game only furthered our belief that both Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, if healthy, will be playing in the season opener against Texas. Golson looked sharp and confident, while Zaire flashed signs of his very-high ceiling with his arm and making plays with his legs. The most notable was this 68-yard beauty of a pass to Will Fuller.
But the number one takeaway from Saturday's activities was not anything about the quarterbacks. Kelly drew attention with his comments about the depth at QB with the Ohio State comparison, but the Irish have impressive depth up and down the roster -- pretty much every position but the offensive line, which has great first-stringers and some questions on the second-team. It's maybe the deepest team since Brian Kelly's arrival in South Bend, and if they can stay healthy Notre Dame could be looking at another season with double-digit wins and maybe even playoff contention.
OHIO STATE : Gray 17, Scarlet 14. The other spring game that demanded our attention early in the day was in Columbus, where Ohio State set a new national record for spring game attendance with 99,391 fans in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State set the previous record (95,722) in 2009; Alabama now holds third and fourth place for its spring games in 2011 (92,310) and 2007 (92,138).
With Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett sidelined as they recover from injuries, the spring game was a chance for Cardale Jones to shine. He got thing started in the circle drill, then won a longest pass competition against J.T. Barrett and former Buckeye star Troy Smith.
The vibe around Ohio State is infectious right now. The defending champs have more talent than they can put on the field, the linebackers and safeties are going to be great and Joey Bosa still looks like a nightmare to opposing offensive line coaches. Oh yeah, and the receiving corps, which lost Devin Smith, has itself a darn good one in Noah Brown.
TEXAS : Texas 27, Longhorns 16. Another quarterback competition in the spotlight is Tyrone Swoopes trying to win the starting job from redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard. Charlie Strong indicated that Heard had closed the gap on Swoopes in the last week, but the indications from Saturday suggest that Swoopes still holds the inside track on starting in the fall.
Heard was able to impress fans by making a few big plays, but Swoopes is still the most consistent option and has been labeled the No. 1 by Strong.
The most encouraging sign for Texas fans had to be the play of freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson. The five-star prospect from Mesquite, Texas has created a stir with his play in spring practice and showed fans why he will likely be seeing the field in the season opener against Notre Dame.
AUBURN : Auburn 24, Tigers 14. More than 62,000 fans came out despite a forecast of rain to see a low-scoring spring game, at least when compared to other spring games from the Gus Malzahn era. Jeremy Johnson looked great under center, but the star wide receiver was not Duke Williams but Myron Burton. Burton had six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown while Williams, though targeted often early, never settled in during the scimmage.
The low-scoring is not an indication of an offensive drop-off after previous spring games provided absurd rushing totals. Instead, some credit probably goes to new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp for getting the Tigers game-ready in his first A-Day back on staff. The defense was flying around the field and preventing the big play, reflecting the intensity we have come to know with Muschamp-coached units.
ALABAMA : White 27, Crimson 14. First of all, Nick Saban looked outstanding in his A-Day finest.
<figure>
Five quarterbacks saw the field for Alabama, combining for six interceptions. Jake Coker looked great in the first half, but had some head-scratching mistakes and saw an ill-advised pass get taken back for a touchdown right after halftime. Saban told the SEC Network that it was "unfair" to judge the quarterbacks based on the spring game because of the format (playing against backups or starters), but Coker ran with the 1's in the game and likely will resume that position in the fall.
ArDarius Stewart lhad 118 receiving yards and two touchdown catches for the White team, but the real head-turner at wide receiver was tackle Cam Robinson.
LSU : White 45, Purple 6. Coaches usually like to keep things bland in the spring game, but LSU aired it out to give its quarterbacks, Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris, a chance to show their stuff in the ongoing competition for the starting job. Leonard Fournette, expected to be the focus of the offense in the fall, carried the ball just eight times while Jennings (13-20, 242 yards, 2 TDs) and Harris (11-17, 178 yards, 2 TDs) filled up the stat sheet.
The highlight of the day, though, was this incredible Malachi Dupre touchdown catch.
MISSISSIPPI STATE : White 28, Maroon 24. What was thought to be a day of light work for redshirt senior Dak Prescott turned into quite an eventful afternoon. The star quarterback completed 20 of his 29 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns along with a couple long runs while working with the first-team and second-team offense.
Competition was lively with high stakes: the losing team had to clean the stadium after the game.
PENN STATE : Blue 17, White 7. Christian Hackenberg completed 17-of-29 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown behind an offensive line that still has plenty of room for improvement before the Nittany Lions will have everything clicking on offense.
Hackenberg suited up for the winning team, but life was made difficult by an admittedly talented defensive front and the "touch sack" rules for the quarterback. We tuned into the spring game to see if the line, with four starters back, had taken steps forward. Defensive linemen were able to get penetration most of the day and it was all too easy to reach out and end the play by grabbing Hackenberg.
In total, Hackenberg was brought down five times by the White Team, which included both first-team and second-team players. There has already been some fan panic, which is expected considering the frustrations of 2014 with the offensive line play. Keeping Hackenberg upright is the only apparent shortcoming of a team that otherwise looks poised to contend in every game on its schedule. Fans should not panic yet, as there is still plenty of time to improve before the Nittany Lions take the field on Sept. 5 at Temple, but the spring game did not provide a lot of evidence to suggest the unit is ready for a breakthrough.
PURDUE : Black 28, Gold 23. There was plenty of of-field developments to celebrate in the Black-Gold game, including A.J. Hammons' announcing his decision to return for a senior year with the basketball team and the unveiling of new white alternate helmets for the football team.
On the field, Purdue finished spring practice with questions at the quarterback position. Austin Appleby had the best highlight, but none of the quarterbacks were mistake-free during the game.
LOUISVILLE : Red 59, White 0. Being a hometown kid from Trinity High School, there has always been a buzz around quarterback Reggie Bonnafon. After getting his feet wet in 2014 and recovering from a late-season knee injury, Bonnafon appears to be the front runner for the starting quarterback job. The 6-3, 209-pound sophomore completed 15-of-19 passes for 238 yards and showcased his dual-threat abilities in a strong spring game performance.
GEORGIA TECH : White 21, Gold 0. One concern for Georgia Tech this spring has been replacing its B-back and finding the right rotation of playmakers to join quarterback Justin Thomas in the offensive backfield. Injuries allowed for Marcus Allen to impress fans and coaches alike, leading the way with 77 yards in a rainy Friday night scrimmage.
Alan Tongue
Pretty much a regular
To long to copy and paste http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation
Writeups on the Alabama, Texas, Auburn, Penn State, Oklahoma State, ND and LSU games
Writeups on the Alabama, Texas, Auburn, Penn State, Oklahoma State, ND and LSU games
gps_3
Head of Alabama Department of Decision-Making
Alabama has elite level talent across the board, except at QB. Very thin at RB. I haven't watched all the scrimmage yet, but I think our secondary has made strides from last year. Obviously can't replace Amari, but some nice pieces there. I think our defense will be very very good. The DL may be best and deepest in the country. LB looks solid with Ragland and maybe the switch has finally flipped for Reuben Foster. Think this will be the best pass rush defense we've had in some time. Safety is a concern, but they look to be adequate at this time. I like our CBs. On offense, OL and RB should be solid. Will all depend on QB play. We look better (much better) than at this time last year, so there's hope. Punter is one of the best in the country and a healthy Adam Griffith should be good enough.
At this time, I think we are certainly contenders to get back to the playoff, but will have to be pretty fortunate with injuries, and will need steady QB play. Won't have to be great, but needs to be along the lines of Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron in their first years starting. I think it's entirely possible for this team to lose 3+ games, or win the national championship. SECW didn't get any weaker that's for sure.
At this time, I think we are certainly contenders to get back to the playoff, but will have to be pretty fortunate with injuries, and will need steady QB play. Won't have to be great, but needs to be along the lines of Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron in their first years starting. I think it's entirely possible for this team to lose 3+ games, or win the national championship. SECW didn't get any weaker that's for sure.
