Photo: Freshman RB Phillip Sylvester
(Photo by Glenn Beil/Democrat)
By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Florida A&M senior defensive end Carlos Rolle may have had reason to be a little cocky at halftime of Saturday's scrimmage.
FAMU's defense had completely dominated the first half. The defense didn't allow a touchdown in the first half, sacked the quarterback nine times and recovered one fumble.
So it didn't seem like such a bold prediction when Rolle, a Rickards High School product, said the defense would shut out the offense in the second half.
Seven offensive touchdowns and a half later, Rolle had to eat a little crow and acknowledge his teammates on the other side of the ball.
"In the second half we came out and started a little slow," Rolle said. "I guess they made some adjustments. They practice, too. Things started going good with them and they started making plays down the field.
"The defense came out and we started good. We were clicking on all cylinders. We were doing everything that we were supposed to do."
Depending on which half they look at on film, offensive coordinator Bob Cole and defensive coordinator Charles Huff will have plenty to smile or cringe about when they review Saturday's scrimmage.
"It was a tale of two halves and you saw momentum changes within the scrimmage," said head coach Rubin Carter. "That occurs more often than not. The offense sputtered there in the first half of the scrimmage.
"We didn't execute well in our blocking schemes. You have to make sure that you pay attention to details. The offense is usually behind the defense, and that was true in the first part of the scrimmage."
The first-team offense stalled on its first two drives and was replaced by the second-team offense, which stalled in its first three.
The first-team offense stalled again on its next three drives before the third-team offense came in the game. Things went from bad to worse when the first-team offense got back on the field again. Senior defensive end Tyrone McGriff hit redshirt-senior quarterback Albert Chester II on one play, sending him to the ground in pain.
Chester came off the field and did not return.
"Albert is fine," Carter said. "It's just a little bruise. Tyrone was just a little overzealous going in there and wanting to get back in the mix. He just made a bad decision when he touched Albert throwing the ball. Albert will be fine and ready for the first game."
Backup Leon Camel came in for Chester and led the first-team offense on its first scoring drive, which ended in a 38-yard field goal from senior Wesley Taylor.
Camel broke off a nifty 26-yard scramble on that drive, which concluded play for the first-team offense in the first half.
"He (Chester) has a white jersey, so you don't think nothing is going to happen like that in a scrimmage," Camel said. "I'm the backup quarterback and anything can happen at anytime. I just stepped in and had to lead my team down the field."
Camel came out and did just that in the second half, leading the first-team offense on two drives that each resulted in 1-yard touchdown runs by true freshman running back Phillip Sylvester from Marianna High.
Sylvester was one of the offensive standouts Saturday, rushing for three touchdowns. It was the touchdown Sylvester didn't score that had everyone talking, however.
Sylvester broke one down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown in the first half, but it was negated by a holding penalty.
"He's a runner," Camel said. "I don't know where they found him from, but he's a runner. I run differently. He's a runner. I'm running for my life."
Senior receiver Willie Hayward also got in on the offensive party in the second half, scoring on touchdown bombs of 40 and 39 yards from Camel.
"On both plays we did a little play action," Hayward said. "It was a good job by the O-line. The quarterback gave them a good fake and I also gave them a good fake. The secondary kind of bit and we just went over the top.
"That was our problem last year, coming out a little slow and not executing. At halftime, we talked about that and came out a little focused."
Camel also hit Hayward in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown.
By Heath A. Smith, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Florida A&M senior defensive end Carlos Rolle may have had reason to be a little cocky at halftime of Saturday's scrimmage.
FAMU's defense had completely dominated the first half. The defense didn't allow a touchdown in the first half, sacked the quarterback nine times and recovered one fumble.
So it didn't seem like such a bold prediction when Rolle, a Rickards High School product, said the defense would shut out the offense in the second half.
Seven offensive touchdowns and a half later, Rolle had to eat a little crow and acknowledge his teammates on the other side of the ball.
"In the second half we came out and started a little slow," Rolle said. "I guess they made some adjustments. They practice, too. Things started going good with them and they started making plays down the field.
"The defense came out and we started good. We were clicking on all cylinders. We were doing everything that we were supposed to do."
Depending on which half they look at on film, offensive coordinator Bob Cole and defensive coordinator Charles Huff will have plenty to smile or cringe about when they review Saturday's scrimmage.
"It was a tale of two halves and you saw momentum changes within the scrimmage," said head coach Rubin Carter. "That occurs more often than not. The offense sputtered there in the first half of the scrimmage.
"We didn't execute well in our blocking schemes. You have to make sure that you pay attention to details. The offense is usually behind the defense, and that was true in the first part of the scrimmage."
The first-team offense stalled on its first two drives and was replaced by the second-team offense, which stalled in its first three.
The first-team offense stalled again on its next three drives before the third-team offense came in the game. Things went from bad to worse when the first-team offense got back on the field again. Senior defensive end Tyrone McGriff hit redshirt-senior quarterback Albert Chester II on one play, sending him to the ground in pain.
Chester came off the field and did not return.
"Albert is fine," Carter said. "It's just a little bruise. Tyrone was just a little overzealous going in there and wanting to get back in the mix. He just made a bad decision when he touched Albert throwing the ball. Albert will be fine and ready for the first game."
Backup Leon Camel came in for Chester and led the first-team offense on its first scoring drive, which ended in a 38-yard field goal from senior Wesley Taylor.
Camel broke off a nifty 26-yard scramble on that drive, which concluded play for the first-team offense in the first half.
"He (Chester) has a white jersey, so you don't think nothing is going to happen like that in a scrimmage," Camel said. "I'm the backup quarterback and anything can happen at anytime. I just stepped in and had to lead my team down the field."
Camel came out and did just that in the second half, leading the first-team offense on two drives that each resulted in 1-yard touchdown runs by true freshman running back Phillip Sylvester from Marianna High.
Sylvester was one of the offensive standouts Saturday, rushing for three touchdowns. It was the touchdown Sylvester didn't score that had everyone talking, however.
Sylvester broke one down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown in the first half, but it was negated by a holding penalty.
"He's a runner," Camel said. "I don't know where they found him from, but he's a runner. I run differently. He's a runner. I'm running for my life."
Senior receiver Willie Hayward also got in on the offensive party in the second half, scoring on touchdown bombs of 40 and 39 yards from Camel.
"On both plays we did a little play action," Hayward said. "It was a good job by the O-line. The quarterback gave them a good fake and I also gave them a good fake. The secondary kind of bit and we just went over the top.
"That was our problem last year, coming out a little slow and not executing. At halftime, we talked about that and came out a little focused."
Camel also hit Hayward in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown.
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