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Tulsa Closes Out Spring Drills With 52-Play Scrimmage
4/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 1, 2006
Tulsa, Oklahoma - The Golden Hurricane football team closed out spring drills on Saturday afternoon with the annual Blue-Gold Spring Game. Tulsa went through a 52-play scrimmage in 80-degree temperatures at Skelly Stadium.
On 12 possessions, the Tulsa offense scored three touchdowns and two field goals, while the defensive unit intercepted two passes and stopped five other offensive drives.
For the first offensive score, sophomore quarterback David Johnson led the Tulsa offense on a nine-play, 65-yard drive on the second possession of the game starting from the 35-yard line. Johnson threw the final six yards to junior tight end Devin Adair.
On the next possession, senior cornerback Nick Graham intercepted a Paul Smith pass and returned it 25 yards. Two series later, junior end Chadd Evans intercepted a pass, returned it eight yards and flipped it to Randy Duncan who proceeded to race 30 more yards down the sideline.
The offensive unit failed to score on five possessions from the 35-yard line and two from the 50-yard line. However, from the defensive 20-yard line, the Tulsa offense scored on its first try as Tarrion Adams carried three times for all 20 yards, including a four-yard touchdown.
On the offenses' next two drives from the 20-yard line, the Hurricane offense had to settle for two field goals as Jarod Tracy kicked back-to-back 29-yard field goals.
The third drive from the 20-yard line, the last of possession of the scrimmage, resulted in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Smith to junior receiver Donnie Johnson.
"Overall, we had a great spring. It's the best in our four years here. We have a faster football team, and a team that understands what they need to do from a schematic standpoint," said TU Head Coach Steve Kragthorpe. "They understand as individual players and as units the way to play and understand what it takes to be successful."
If there was one position Kragthorpe was anxious to see the progress made throughout spring drills it was the receiver positions. He has been generally pleased.
"We needed some guys to step up at receiver, and we had some that did," added Kragthorpe. He cited the play this spring of receivers Cauvey Jackson, who switched from running back during spring drills, and senior Idris Moss as well as youngsters Jesse Meyer and Kyle Grooms.
For the game, Tulsa quarterbacks completed 17-of-29 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Smith completed 10-of-18 passes for 100 yards, while Johnson threw for 55 yards while completing 7-of-11 passes. Both signal-callers had one touchdown pass.
Adams led all rushers with 33 yards and seven carries, and all receivers with four receptions for 40 yards.
Defensively, junior linebacker Alain Karatepeyan had three quarterback sacks totaling -23 yards.
Individual Leaders Rushing Tarrion Adams, 7-33-1 TD Courtney Tennial, 6-29 David Johnson, 5/-8 Paul Smith, 4/-9 Cauvey Jackson, 1/-11 Totals... 23 rushes, 34 yards, 1 TDPassing Paul Smith, 10-of-18 for 100 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT David Johnson, 7-of-11 for 55 yards, 1 TD Totals... 17-of-29 for 155 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Receiving Tarrion Adams, 4-48 Cauvey Jackson, 4-28 Devin Adair, 2-21-1 TD Jesse Meyer, 2-19 Kyle Grooms, 2-15 Idris Moss, 1-13 Courtney Tennial, 1-12 Donnie Johnson, 1-7-1 TD Totals... 17 receptions for 155 yards, 2 TDs
