Croom Sees Progress From His Defensive Unit
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A change in scenery did little to alter the view Mississippi State head football coach Sylvester Croom had of his Bulldog team during Friday's third workout this spring.
With the MSU track and field program hosting the annual Bulldog Invitational high school track meet at the W.O. Spencer Stadium/Carl Maddox Track immediately behind the Shira Athletic Complex, Croom moved his team from its normal practice fields in that location to the Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
Croom was complimentary of his defensive unit, but once again the coach saw the offense mishandle the football on too many occasions.
"I thought we were better on defense," Croom said of his team following its third workout in shorts and headgear only. "We scored some points on defense, and that's what we want to have. We want the defense to have the mentality that not only are we going to stop the offense, we're going to take the ball away and score points. The defense finished plays; they're moving in the right direction.
"The offense, however, did not protect the football," Croom continued. "We had some problems with the center-quarterback exchange, and sometimes we turned the ball over downfield after making nice yardage."
Croom will continue to look for progress Saturday, when the team dons shoulder pads for the first time. Despite not competing in full pads, the head coach hopes to see some one-on-one work from his linemen.