Bulldogs Prep For Saturday Scrimmage Before Coaching Throng
STARKVILLE, Miss. ?€“ Mississippi State worked for two hours, 15 minutes Thursday on the Shira Athletic Complex practice fields, the team's last workout prior to Saturday's second spring scrimmage.
Head coach Sylvester Croom's team practiced under the glare of several hundred high school and junior college coaches from Mississippi and throughout the southern region on the campus for MSU's annual Coaches' Clinic. The two-day affair culminates Friday, the highlight being guest lecturer and former Alabama head coach Gene Stallings.
They were treated to a typical mid-spring football practice, long on drills and situations and short on spirit.
"We did some good things, but it was kind of a grind-it-out day," Croom said. "We were a little lethargic and we had some guys leave because of class, and so it got a little thin at the end of the day. Still, we were able to get some good work done both offensively and defensively in the red zone where things get a little tighter."
Croom was encouraged by his team's ability to run the football, even with the only two able-bodied scholarship halfbacks ?€“ Brandon Hart and Derek Ambrose ?€“ a little nicked up. Projected halfback starter Brandon Thornton is taking no contact this spring as he recovers from off-season shoulder surgery.
"I think we're going to be able to run the football," Croom said. "I think our guys just assume that. It's become the nature of our team. And I think we'll be able to stop the run."
Croom indicated that Saturday's second spring scrimmage will look a lot like the first game-like workout one week ago.
"We'll do some things out in the middle of the field," Croom said. "But we'll do a lot of controlled stuff on the goal line and in short yardage situations. We'll experiment with a few things, but this week will be the last of that. We need to refine what we're doing so that when we get back here in August, we have a good idea of what we're doing. There won't be any experimentation then."