Bulldogs Prep For Second Scrimmage, Long Weekend
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Some suggest that a college football team improves more in the spring between its first and second scrimmages than at any other time in the off-season, much like it does during the fall between the season's first two games. Count Mississippi State head football coach Sylvester Croom among those that look forward to that possibility.
"I hope those folks that say that are right," Croom said, "because we still have a lot to of work to do, and a lot to accomplish. I hope to see a lot of improvement in the second scrimmage (Thursday)."
The team's Wednesday preparation for that scrimmage was short-circuited by an electrical storm that rolled through Starkville just into the late afternoon workout. The team was forced inside the Shira Athletic Complex by the inclement weather, which limited any full-field work. On the agenda, however, was a red zone emphasis on both sides of the ball, which could be completed indoors.
Croom was complimentary of quarterback Omarr Conner's (Macon, Miss.) play and said that the rising sophomore had moved back atop the depth chart at the position. Classmate Aries Nelson (Jackson, Miss.) had spent the previous three practices with the first group, and the head coach mentioned that both were being evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
Croom continued to say that controlling the line of scrimmage was his paramount concern, and an area at which he would have a lot of interest during the scrimmage.
"I want to see which line is controlling the neutral zone," Croom said. "Right now, the defense is winning every day. When I look at the tape, I want to see which hats are crossing the line of scrimmage. That tells me who is winning the fight. I'd like to have them meeting halfway, where the winner then is determined by pad level, technique and extra effort. But we're not at that point yet.
Following State's Thursday work, the team is off for the Easter holiday weekend. It will reconvene for the final week of spring practice next Tuesday, April 13.