Defense shines in Bulldogs' scrimmage

By By Tony Krausz/assistant sports editor
April 18, 2004
STARKVILLE Mississippi State University watched the defense generally dominate Saturday evening's scrimmage game that marked the end of Sylvester Croom's first spring drills as the Bulldogs head coach.
The Bulldogs defense recorded 12 sacks and three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and the unit only gave up two touchdowns before MSU practiced goal-line situations.
MSU's spring-ending scrimmage was run in three segments, as the Bulldogs performed in front of an estimated crowd of 16,300 at Scott Field.
The offense started the evening with eight tries to score from its 35-yard line, and then the offense started with the ball 33 yards out of the end zone. The offense had eight series to score from its first two spots on the field.
The scrimmage was capped with goal-line drills, in which the offense began with the ball three yards out of the end zone.
The first-team offense matched up against the second-team defense, and the second-team offense clashed with the first-team defense during the near hour-long scrimmage.
The offense was held to 105 yards, and sophomore cornerback Adrian Griffin highlighted the defense's play, returning an interception from 35 yards out for the only score during the first eight sequences.
Senior defensive tackle Ronald Fields led the defense with five tackles, including three sacks, and Stephen Arant and Michael Heard each recorded three sacks.
Griffin, Marcus Evans and Marcus Hunter each had interceptions, and Avery Hannibal and Clarence McDougal each had two tackles in the scrimmage.
MSU rotated four quarterbacks into the scrimmage, with Omarr Conner running the plays with the first team, and Aries Nelson lining up with the second team. Brett Wilcutt and Brett Morgan split time with the third unit.
Conner completed 4-of-8 passes for 42 yards and tossed one interception.
The sophomore quarterback's production may not have been encouraging, but Conner said he feels more at ease in the new offense.
Nelson threw for 30 yards on 1-of-4 passing. The Cleveland native, who redshirted last season, was intercepted once.
Wilcutt threw the offense's only touchdown in the first two scrimmage setups, hooking up with Rickey Wright for a 37-yard touchdown in the scrimmage's 13th series. The play originated from the 33-yard line on the defensive end of the field.
Wilcutt finished the scrimmage throwing for 45 yards on 2-of-4 passing, and Morgan didn't complete a pass in one series on the field.
MSU also struggled to run the ball, losing 22 yards on 39 plays on the ground.
Jerious Norwood scored one touchdown on a 24-yard run and finished the scrimmage with 27 yards on seven carries. Fred Reid ran for six yards on two carries, and he scored two touchdowns in goal-line plays.
Croom said he liked what he saw from his team at the end of the scrimmage as a sign of the Bulldogs starting to buy into what he is trying to bring to the program.