The Cougars held there second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday at Robertson Stadium. They will hold their final scrimmage at 7 p.m. Friday at Robertson Stadium. Here are a few observations from Saturday’s action:
Standout Performer
Senior linebacker Everett Daniels brought a hammer in the form of a helmet and shoulder pads. Daniels levied three big hits in a three-play span.The third of which knocked the wind out of senior receiver Isaiah Sweeney.
Daniels stood out on a defense that was stout against the run, especially at the goal line.
Quarterbacks
Sophomore David Piland, showed that he is very accurate on short and intermediate routes.
“Its just one of those things where in this offense, if (the defense) gives it to you, you should take it,” Piland said.
Piland showed touch on a touchdown pass that sophomore receiver Daniel Spencer caught in traffic.
However, he did show a tendency to lock in on his first read and throw into coverage. Piland threw a deep fade route that was picked off by cornerback Thomas Bates in the end zone.
Senior Crawford Jones also made an impact. He had a touchdown pass and made some good throws on the run.
Running backs
Senior Marcus Bates showed that he has good hands and route-running ability. On a timing-hinged deep out route, Bates and quarterback Drew Hollingshead were on the same page. Bates juked a defender after the catch and sprinted upfield for more yards.
Charles Sims was held out of the scrimmage. Last season, Patrick Edwards was held out also.
Pass rush
The defensive line failed to get pressure early in practice, but the cumulative effects began to show up later towards the end of practice.
The pressure picked up after defensive end Zeke Riser got to the quarterback. Yates product Chris Hill followed his lead a few plays later with a nice move that placed him face-to-face with Hollingshead.
Secondary
The Cougars struggled against certain elements of the the passing tree, as the offense attacked the zone repeatedly. The secondary struggled against deep out routes.
Piland said preparation allowed the offense to take advantage of the defenses’s coverage.
“Through the week we see them going to Cover 3 and Cover 4 so there’s a lot of flats open,” he said.
“That’s just how our defensive coordinator works. Sometimes he’ll take away Cover 2 and cover the flat but we have something for that too.
“We game-planned pretty well today.”
