Defense dominates early, offense responds
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com
If Appalachian State's defense can stop offenses as good as it did during a scrimmage Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium, it could be a long year for Mountaineers' opponents.
Appalachian State's defense was dominant at the start of the scrimmage held following Fan Fest, which an estimated 8,500 people attended. Appalachian State broke the scrimmage into four parts: first-and-10 situations, third-and-seven situations, a game-like situation time and then concentrated on plays in the red zone.
During the first-and-10 session, the Mountaineers got a 24-yard run from Devon Moore and a 9-yard run from backup quarterback Travaris Cadet.
The other 12 plays saw a defense missing cornerbacks Cortez Gilbert (hamstring) Ed Gainey (hamstring), linebacker Jacque Roman (ankle) and linebackers Quavian Lewis (knee) and Justin Lloyd (injured face bone) dominate. Appalachian State's offense did not make a big play until Devin Radford took a Cadet pass in the right flat and raced 80 yards for a touchdown.
"We had a couple of misreads, a couple of missed assignments, but we started picking it up," Moore said. "It's not anything big. We've just got to pick it up next week and get everything right."
The offense picked up the pace following Radford's touchdown. Cadet found B.J. Frazier for a 19-yard touchdown pass after Cadet set up the play with a 39-yard run. In the next series of downs, Cedric Baker bolted for a 58-yard gain on a screen pass from DeAndre Pressley that set up Baker's 6-yard touchdown run.
Baker scored his second touchdown on a 57-yard run straight up the middle on the final play of the game-situation scrimmage session. The offense added a 3-yard touchdown run by Rod Chisholm and a Pressley 3-yard touchdown pass to Blake Elder in the red-zone scrimmage.
"It's probably the best we've moved the ball all fall," Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore said. "Maybe it was because there were people in the stands. I also thought the kicking was good. We hit all of our field goals and the punting was good."
The offense finished with 283 yards on 29 plays during the 29-play game-situation scrimmage. Baker finished with 144 all-purpose yards, including 86 yards on just five carries. Cadet ran four times for 76 yards.
• Other Mountaineers who were on the sidelines with injuries included quarterback Jamal Jackson (broken thumb), tackle Corbin Harris (ankle), defensive lineman Justin Johnson (ankle) and defensive back Ingram Bell (knee).
"We've got a lot of nit-picking stuff," Jerry Moore said. "I don't think they are the kind that require surgery, but we've had a rash of hamstrings for one reason or another. A lot of them because they got the day off and Sunday off and we'll practice light on Monday, so they've got time to recover."
• One injury that needs more time to recover is the cut right foot of Armanti Edwards. He had 30 stitches removed from his foot last week and was moving around on crutches Saturday.
• Jerry Moore suffered a cut under a fingernail when he had to stick his hand out to avoid an offensive lineman when Cadet reversed field on a scramble. Moore was not seriously hurt, but he had blood on his hand.
"I stuck my hand out and he popped (Moore's finger) like that," Moore said.
• Appalachian State resumes practice Monday morning.
sports@wataugademocrat.com
If Appalachian State's defense can stop offenses as good as it did during a scrimmage Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium, it could be a long year for Mountaineers' opponents.
Appalachian State's defense was dominant at the start of the scrimmage held following Fan Fest, which an estimated 8,500 people attended. Appalachian State broke the scrimmage into four parts: first-and-10 situations, third-and-seven situations, a game-like situation time and then concentrated on plays in the red zone.
During the first-and-10 session, the Mountaineers got a 24-yard run from Devon Moore and a 9-yard run from backup quarterback Travaris Cadet.
The other 12 plays saw a defense missing cornerbacks Cortez Gilbert (hamstring) Ed Gainey (hamstring), linebacker Jacque Roman (ankle) and linebackers Quavian Lewis (knee) and Justin Lloyd (injured face bone) dominate. Appalachian State's offense did not make a big play until Devin Radford took a Cadet pass in the right flat and raced 80 yards for a touchdown.
"We had a couple of misreads, a couple of missed assignments, but we started picking it up," Moore said. "It's not anything big. We've just got to pick it up next week and get everything right."
The offense picked up the pace following Radford's touchdown. Cadet found B.J. Frazier for a 19-yard touchdown pass after Cadet set up the play with a 39-yard run. In the next series of downs, Cedric Baker bolted for a 58-yard gain on a screen pass from DeAndre Pressley that set up Baker's 6-yard touchdown run.
Baker scored his second touchdown on a 57-yard run straight up the middle on the final play of the game-situation scrimmage session. The offense added a 3-yard touchdown run by Rod Chisholm and a Pressley 3-yard touchdown pass to Blake Elder in the red-zone scrimmage.
"It's probably the best we've moved the ball all fall," Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore said. "Maybe it was because there were people in the stands. I also thought the kicking was good. We hit all of our field goals and the punting was good."
The offense finished with 283 yards on 29 plays during the 29-play game-situation scrimmage. Baker finished with 144 all-purpose yards, including 86 yards on just five carries. Cadet ran four times for 76 yards.
• Other Mountaineers who were on the sidelines with injuries included quarterback Jamal Jackson (broken thumb), tackle Corbin Harris (ankle), defensive lineman Justin Johnson (ankle) and defensive back Ingram Bell (knee).
"We've got a lot of nit-picking stuff," Jerry Moore said. "I don't think they are the kind that require surgery, but we've had a rash of hamstrings for one reason or another. A lot of them because they got the day off and Sunday off and we'll practice light on Monday, so they've got time to recover."
• One injury that needs more time to recover is the cut right foot of Armanti Edwards. He had 30 stitches removed from his foot last week and was moving around on crutches Saturday.
• Jerry Moore suffered a cut under a fingernail when he had to stick his hand out to avoid an offensive lineman when Cadet reversed field on a scramble. Moore was not seriously hurt, but he had blood on his hand.
"I stuck my hand out and he popped (Moore's finger) like that," Moore said.
• Appalachian State resumes practice Monday morning.