ABILENE -- The defense took center stage Saturday at the annual Purple-White scrimmage as the defense scored twice and held the offense out of the end zone at Shotwell Stadium.
Linebackers
Eric Edwards and
Blake Rudd returned interceptions for touchdowns and a potential
Zach Stewart-to-
Ben Gibbs touchdown pass was broken up in the end zone by new safety
L.B. Suggs as the defense won the scrimmage.
Once again the offense was without starters in
Trevis Turner (right tackle),
Royland Tubbs (right guard) and
Edmund Gates (wide receiver). Sitting out for the defense were
Aston Whiteside and
Fred Thompson (defensive ends), and
Courtney Lane and
Kevin Washington (linebackers).
While the offense didn't score, quarterback
Zach Stewart moved the team well and running back
Josh Morgan "did some good things," according to head coach Chris Thomsen.
"The spring game is hard to use as a gauge, especially when you don't have a lot of guys on the field who will play a big role in the season," Thomsen said. "We're trying to target some young guys to see who's going to be able to help us and I think we were able to do that."
Redshirt freshman wide receiver Darian Hagg had four catches and redshirt freshman offensive guard
Josh Perez "did some good things in the running game and in protection," Thomsen said.
Defensively, redshirt freshman defensive end
Kolby Rowe from Archer City played well, consistently putting pressure on quarterbacks Stewart,
Mitchell Gale and
Clark Harrell. And Suggs, making the move from linebacker to safety, had a solid scrimmage.
Thomsen, however, said that finding secondary help this summer is a priority, especially with the loss of both
Alex Harbison and
Demetric Lee, neither of whom will return in 2010.
"We've been able to develop some depth and see some of our young players grow into what we thought they could be," Thomsen said. "Some of those guys are going to have to be ready to help us this fall and moving forward."
As always, however, it is the quarterback position that is still up in the air as the Wildcats move into the final four practices of spring training and then into the summer.
Stewart didn't throw an interception, while Gale and Harrell each threw a pick that was returned for a touchdown.
"I'd like to see one of those guys really take charge of the position in the last week of spring training," Thomsen said. "Zach was the most consistent of the three (today) and threw the ball with some authority. But I still need to see one of those guys take the position and make it his."
The Wildcats will practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week to end spring drills. The 2010 season will get started on Saturday, Sept. 4, when the Wildcats travel to Topeka, Kan., to take on Washburn.
