March 18, 2017
If you were at the San Jose State University football practice field and didn't pay close attention, the team's first spring scrimmage was over quickly.
The Spartans ran 68 plays in about an hour and that included two breaks to hydrate and get ready to go again.
"We got to see some guys play real football. There was blocking, tackling, missed blocks and missed tackles and dropped balls. We hit some throws. It was fun to see them get out there and play and get used to some of the things we are trying to get going to play fast as a team," said San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan. "We're still not where that needs to be, but we'll look at the tape, see what's going on and fix what needs to be fixed.
There were two touchdowns in the scrimmage was a 7-yard pass by Josh Love to Jeremy Kelly, who was moved from safety to wide receiver this spring, and a 2-yard, Michael Carrillo to tight end Billy Humphries pass play.
Malik Roberson, last year's leading rusher with 508 yards, led all ball carriers with 79 yards on 12 carries. He had the hour's longest run of 23 yards.
All four quarterbacks saw extensive action. Carrillo, a redshirt junior, and wide receiver Bailey Gaither connected on a 33-yard pass play down the right sideline for the longest offensive play of the scrimmage. Gaither was the leading receiver with four catches for 53 yards. Carrillo was 5-of-7 for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Love was 6-of-7 for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Cornerback Dakari Monroe came up with the defense's only takeaway intercepting a pass by redshirt sophomore Sam Allen.
The Spartans resume spring practice, Tuesday, March 21, at 9:00 a.m.
"I think they are really working hard. They are doing everything we are asking them to do. The coaches are coaching with a lot of energy, trying to focus on detail. It's a process. When you start something new, it's day-to-day. You have to fix the stuff from the day before and find a way to improve in all aspects. That's what we are doing," said Brennan, who had his entire coaching staff wearing a San Francisco Giants cap or t-shirt to show their support for one of the Bay Area's sports teams.
Following the March 18 scrimmage, team awards for the 2016 season were announced. Cornerback Andre Chachere, fourth nationally in passes defended with 18, was named the team's Most Valuable Player.
Wide receiver Tim Crawley was the Most Outstanding Offensive Player; defensive end Isaiah Irving, Most Outstanding Defensive Player; placekicker Bryce Crawford, Most Outstanding Special Teams Player; quarterback Kenny Potter, Most Inspirational; and offensive lineman Nate Velichko, Scholar-Athlete.
Running back Thomas Tucker, received the award for outstanding service. Jeremiah Kolone was named the team's Outstanding Lineman. Crawley, linebacker Christian Tago, Potter and safety Maurice McKnight were honored as team captains.
Tim Crawley's academic accomplishments as San Jose State's first National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and a semifinalist for the top male student-athlete in the Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar Awards program were announced, too.
Season tickets for the six home games in CEFCU Stadium this season are available at here.
Scrimmage #1 selected statistics
Rushing |
Malik Roberson, 12-79; Zamore Zigler, 8-50; Jamar Williams, 7-43; Brandon Monroe, 2-13. |
Passing |
| Josh Love, 6-7-0-78 yds., 1 TD; Montel Aaron, 6-13-0-36 yds., 0 TDs; Sam Allen, 2-6-1-8 yds., 0 TDs; Michael Carrillo, 5-7-0-64 yds., 1 TD. |
Receiving |
Bailey Gaither, 4-53; Tre Hartley, 3-47; Josh Oliver, 3-32; Jeremy Kelly, 3-25, 1 TD; Zamore Zigler, 3-19; Thai Cottrell, 1-6; Billy Humphreys, 1-2, 1 TD; Brandon Monroe, 1-0. |
Interceptions |
Dakari Monroe, 1. |