Southern scrimmage ‘lovely’ for Mitchell

Baton Rouge, LA - This, Stump Mitchell concluded, was downright lovely. On another long summer afternoon, after the Southern football team finished its first preseason scrimmage Saturday - it lasted 2 hours, 12 minutes and 110 plays in hot, steamy conditions - Mitchell, the second-year coach called his team together on the practice field near A.W. Mumford Stadium, then openly praised his players’ effort.

No, the Jaguars are not perfect or polished, he said. But preseason camp is moving along well.

“Lovely,” he said. “I mean, people are out here watching us practice in the heat. Guys are going hard at it. And I think that as a football team, we’re better. ... We’re much further along than we were last year at this time.”

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OG Brown moved to first team

When two of Southern’s top offensive linemen missed preseason practice with minor injuries last week, freshman guard Zach Brown got an instant promotion to the first team. So far, coach Stump Mitchell said, Brown has made the most of his opportunity.

“No question,” Mitchell said. “Zach Brown was here all offseason. He was in summer school. He made two As and one B in nine hours. So he did a fantastic job there, and he’s doing a fantastic job now, stepping in for some injured guys.”

Brown’s promotion came when sophomore left guard Taylon Jones suffered a minor wrist injury and missed several practice sessions last week. Though Jones returned in time to play in Saturday’s first preseason scrimmage, Brown, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound Houston native, played mostly with the first team.

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Revisiting a legendary great! SU Human Jukebox Band Director Dr. Isaac Greggs

Extreme makeover?

OFFENSE BY POSITION

QUARTERBACK

RETURNEES: Dray Joseph, Jeremiah McGinty, Hasoni Alfred, Reid Sanders.

KEY LOSS: None.

TOP NEWCOMERS: J.P. Douglas.

PROJECTED STARTER: Joseph.

OUTLOOK: McGinty was the starter for much of last season, but Joseph came off the bench to lead Southern in both of its wins, and he also started three of the last four games. Joseph began training camp as the de facto No. 1, and while SU coach Stump Mitchell is high on Douglas, a true freshman, it appears that Joseph still has the edge. “Right now, I think he really has a pretty good grasp of the offense,” Mitchell said.

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