SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The defense dominated the first half of Savannah State's first football scrimmage Saturday but the “Air Raid” offense of first-year head coach Earnest Wilson III owned the second half.“Our defense played well but if it wasn't for our mistakes on offense, they would have been exposed,” Wilson said following a two-and-a-half-hour scrimmage at T.A. Wright Stadium. “So what I'm asking our (defensive) coaches to do is go back and really become teachers.”
Senior Antonio Bostick started at quarterback during the first offensive possession and junior Victorian Hardison began the second drive at QB. Both drives ended in punts.
Redshirt freshman Leon Prunty started the third possession at QB and he was intercepted by sophomore Alfred Ansley.
“When you're not quite sure and you're thrown into battle, you're going to go back to your old ways, and that's what they did in the first half,” said Wilson, who was hired June 7 from Hampton University, where he was the Pirates' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. “A lot of them went back to their old ways. They freaked out. But as time went on they got more relaxed. And what I've got to do is get that out of them before Aug. 31. That's going to be the key in order for us to be able to beat Georgia Southern.”
The defense intercepted four passes. In addition to Ansley picking off Prunty's pass, sophomore Justin Dixon intercepted sophomore transfer Zach Hutcheson, and junior Edward Baety and freshman Damion Gordon each picked off Hardison. Bostick was the only quarterback who did not throw an interception.
“We had a good tempo,” Dixon said. “Everybody was really trying to get after the football. That's one thing we've really been heavy on in this camp is getting to the football. When the football's in the air, on the ground, the defense is flying. Everybody is flying to the football.”
Wilson said all four quarterbacks tried to do too much, resulting in stalled drives until late in the scrimmage.
“They're trying to do too much instead of just working within the offense,” Wilson said. “When they do that, they'll be alright.
“I want them to understand the down and distance. What they've done is they went back to the old (ways) and tried to get big plays when they didn't need to. Instead of just dumping the ball off and letting people run with the ball, and get yardage and get first downs and touchdowns, they're trying to do too much. They're good players but they're just trying to do too much.”
Senior running back Sheldon Barnes ran for three touchdowns of 12, 11 and 8 yards. His 12-yard run resulted in the first points of the scrimmage.
“After I scored the first touchdown it just seemed like the end zone was our friend, so we just kept going back,” Barnes said. “We started out a little slow. Those interceptions really weighed heavy on us. Anytime you get a turnover after you've been driving, you kind of hold your head down a little bit. But Coach (Wilson) called a timeout, gave us a few words and we came out and just turned it on.”
Barnes, who is competing for the starting job at running back, said he wanted to make a strong impression on SSU's new coaching staff.
“Nobody has a permanent job going from the spring to the fall, especially having these new coaches,” Barnes said. “You've got to come out here and show who you are.”
Sophomore running back Lereginald Veals ran for a 25-yard touchdown. Freshman running back De'Quan Daniels did not scrimmage because of an undisclosed injury.
“The running game is a big, big key in this offense,” Bostick said. “If we get our running backs to get 4, 5, 6 or 7 yards, that will open up the passing lanes for us. That's the No. 1 thing with the 'Air Raid,' get the ball to your best offensive players in space. We have a lot of athletic guys and the No. 1 thing is we have to get our athletes the ball out in space and let them do what they do.”
On the first play of the series after Barnes' second touchdown run, Bostick connected with senior Simon Heyward for a 40-yard touchdown. Heyward later scored a 30-yard touchdown on a pass from Hardison.
“Everybody is open in this offense,” Bostick said of the “Air Raid” attack, which Wilson coached to lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference in scoring offense and total offense when he was the offensive coordinator at Jackson State. “There is not one guy who is not open if everybody is running their routes correctly. If the quarterback makes the right read, the running backs run the right route, everybody is pretty much open so it's a very explosive offense.”
Prunty ran for an 18-yard touchdown and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to senior Edward Lackey Jr.
Hutcheson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to freshman Justin Clark. A bad hold ruined the extra-point attempt.
A bad snap botched an extra-point attempt after Barnes' second touchdown run. Junior Preston McCarthy kicked two extra points but missed a 45-yard field goal. Freshman John Barron's 34-yard field goal attempt was blocked after a bad snap.
SSU will not practice Sunday or Monday, the day classes begin. The Tigers' next practice will be Tuesday.
“We'll start preparing for Georgia Southern and figuring out how we're going to beat them,” Wilson said. “I know they're going to be ready but we want to be ready more.”
The Tigers also will practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Wilson said. SSU's annual Blue & Orange Fall Scrimmage (Fan Appreciation Day) is at 6 p.m. Aug. 17. Players and coaches will be available to sign posters and schedule cards before kickoff.
The Tigers' season-opener is at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 against Georgia Southern at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro.
“We've got some guys that are capable of playing on the next level on this team,” Wilson said. “But they're scared to give their total effort. Because they're scared of failure. I can't let these guys get scared of failure. These coaches can't let these guys get scared to fail. They're going to have to work, and work hard, and they're going to overcome those failures. And that's what I'm looking for.”
By Noell Barnidge, SSU Media Relations Freelance Writer
COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION
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