08-27-2004, 02:46 PM
<a href='http://www.showmenews.com/2004/Aug/20040827Spor005.asp' target='_blank'>Columbia Daily Tribune Sports</a>
Scrimmage is battle of backups
Coleman, Patton get lots of shots at No. 2 position.
By RUS BAER of the Tribune’s staff
Published Friday, August 27, 2004
The Missouri football team’s final scrimmage of the preseason amounted to little more than a day off for quarterback Brad Smith yesterday on Faurot Field.
For the rest of the Tigers, it was a final chance to audition for positions.
Smith worked just one series, completing 1 of 2 passes, while sophomore Brandon Coleman and true freshman Chase Patton took a majority of the snaps in an effort to pin down the No. 2 quarterback position.
"We know what Brad Smith can do," MU Coach Gary Pinkel said. "We just felt we needed to get those two quarterbacks with the 1 and the 2 offense and get a lot of reps. We felt we had to evaluate that."
Coleman probably solidified his place as Smith’s backup by completing 14 of 26 passes for 102 yards against the defense’s top two units. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder led the offense on two of its longest drives and avoided the turnovers that plagued Patton.
Patton, who vaulted into contention for the backup duties with an impressive scrimmage on Saturday, was just 3 of 14 yesterday with two interceptions and a fumble. Linebacker David Richard and cornerback Calvin Washington made the interceptions, and defensive tackle C.J. Mosley pounced on a Patton fumble after a shotgun snap hit him in the chest as he was looking to the sideline.
"Both the quarterbacks did some good things and some bad things," Pinkel said. "But it’s great experience for them, and it’s a good tool for us to evaluate and make the decisions we make."
Coleman helped his cause by coming through in a couple of clutch situations. He completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Victor Sesay on third-and-9 to keep an eight-play drive alive. Coleman also connected on 18-yard passes to receiver Thomson Omboga and tight end Martin Rucker - the former on third down and the latter on fourth-and-3 - during a 12-play, 75-yard drive that moved the ball inside the 10.
The drive ended short of the end zone, though, when a big hit by linebacker Hank Sweat caused tailback Beau Viehmann to fumble and linebacker Marcus Bacon recovered the loose ball.
Pinkel acknowledged the backup quarterback position was just one of the jobs still up for grabs as the MU coaches finalize the depth chart heading into the season opener.
"That’s a decision we have to make there," Pinkel said. "There’s several places on the football team where that’s going on.
"All final decisions will be made probably by Monday and most by Saturday morning."
Scrimmage is battle of backups
Coleman, Patton get lots of shots at No. 2 position.
By RUS BAER of the Tribune’s staff
Published Friday, August 27, 2004
The Missouri football team’s final scrimmage of the preseason amounted to little more than a day off for quarterback Brad Smith yesterday on Faurot Field.
For the rest of the Tigers, it was a final chance to audition for positions.
Smith worked just one series, completing 1 of 2 passes, while sophomore Brandon Coleman and true freshman Chase Patton took a majority of the snaps in an effort to pin down the No. 2 quarterback position.
"We know what Brad Smith can do," MU Coach Gary Pinkel said. "We just felt we needed to get those two quarterbacks with the 1 and the 2 offense and get a lot of reps. We felt we had to evaluate that."
Coleman probably solidified his place as Smith’s backup by completing 14 of 26 passes for 102 yards against the defense’s top two units. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder led the offense on two of its longest drives and avoided the turnovers that plagued Patton.
Patton, who vaulted into contention for the backup duties with an impressive scrimmage on Saturday, was just 3 of 14 yesterday with two interceptions and a fumble. Linebacker David Richard and cornerback Calvin Washington made the interceptions, and defensive tackle C.J. Mosley pounced on a Patton fumble after a shotgun snap hit him in the chest as he was looking to the sideline.
"Both the quarterbacks did some good things and some bad things," Pinkel said. "But it’s great experience for them, and it’s a good tool for us to evaluate and make the decisions we make."
Coleman helped his cause by coming through in a couple of clutch situations. He completed a 10-yard pass to tight end Victor Sesay on third-and-9 to keep an eight-play drive alive. Coleman also connected on 18-yard passes to receiver Thomson Omboga and tight end Martin Rucker - the former on third down and the latter on fourth-and-3 - during a 12-play, 75-yard drive that moved the ball inside the 10.
The drive ended short of the end zone, though, when a big hit by linebacker Hank Sweat caused tailback Beau Viehmann to fumble and linebacker Marcus Bacon recovered the loose ball.
Pinkel acknowledged the backup quarterback position was just one of the jobs still up for grabs as the MU coaches finalize the depth chart heading into the season opener.
"That’s a decision we have to make there," Pinkel said. "There’s several places on the football team where that’s going on.
"All final decisions will be made probably by Monday and most by Saturday morning."