Search on for Kats' backup quarterback
3/29/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
At this point in spring football workouts, it's usually a safe assumption that the defense is ahead of the offense. Throw in four inexperienced quarterbacks and a new offensive line, and it quickly becomes a fact.
Huntsville Item Assistant Sports Editor
A solid pass rush and turnovers helped the Sam Houston State defense outshine the offense Saturday morning as the Bearkats held their first intrasquad scrimmage of the spring at Bowers Stadium.
Defensive ends Ryan Gloston and Chris Brown combined for three sacks and cornerbacks D. J. Emerson and Femi Ogundare each picked off passes to highlight action for the defense.
“There was no doubt the defense had a better day out here,” SHSU head coach Todd Whitten said. “They showed up more ready to play. I was pleased with that side of the ball. I thought we had a good pass rush, and we will have to look at the tape to find out exactly where we are with our protection.
“But all in all, I thought the defense was pretty solid.”
With starting quarterback Rhett Bomar not participating in contact drills this spring while recovering from knee surgery, the Bearkats have four guys battling for the backup spot. Ryan Hinojosa, Jeff Welch, Taylor Weidman and Jordan Williams all saw action under center Saturday.
Hinojosa got the nod to start with the first-team offense and had the best day out of the four quarterbacks. He completed roughly 7-of-9 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
A transfer from Hardin-Simmons, who set out last season with a knee injury, Hinojosa looked sharp in leading the Kats on a scoring drive late in the scrimmage. On first and 10 from the offense's 30-yard line, he found wide receiver Catron Houston for a 31-yard gain.
Inside the defense's territory, Hinojosa hit Houston again for 16 yards. After a pair of runs by running back Chris Poullard that netted eight yards, Hinojosa threw a beautiful fade to the right corner of the end zone that transfer wideout Jason Madkins reeled in for a 16-yard score.
“(Hinajosa) walked on a year ago and we were going to play him at wideout because he is a good athlete,” Whitten said. “He had some knee surgery right after he got here which was unfortunate, but he started some games at Hardin-Simmons University as a quarterback.
“During the offseason, we knew we were going to need to find some backups, so we thought it would be smart to add another guy to the mix and he has done well.”
Welch and Weidman, both redshirt freshmen, also led a couple of scoring drives, while Williams struggled with a pair of interceptions on back-to-back drives.
On his second series of the morning, Welch got a 53-yard drive started with a 9-yard pass to Darrell Armstead. Running back James Aston then picked up 11 yards on two carries before Welch hit Madkins for a 17-yard gain. Two plays later, Welch took the snap, rolled out to the left and found tight end Paul Mansfield for a 14-yard scoring pass.
Weidman's touchdown drive came on the second-to-last series of the day. On first and 10 from the defense's 42, he hooked up with Houston for a solid 41-yard reception down to the goal line. Running back TyMagic Robinson punched it in thanks to a nice surge by the offensive line on the next play.
“They are young and haven't played a lot, but I think they did some good things today,” Whitten said about the quarterbacks. “I thought the protection had a little bit to be desired there. They were having to move around a little more than we would like.
“I thought they made some plays, but it is going to take them a while before they are comfortable. The more they play, the more things will slow down for them.”
Houston had arguably the best day on the offensive side of the ball. The senior transfer from Texas Tech made some fantastic catches and had several solid kick returns. Houston finished the morning with five catches for 112 yards, with three of the grabs helping set up touchdowns.
Having only practiced four times this spring, the Bearkats did a decent job Saturday, but there were too many penalties on both sides of the ball. The referees threw 14 flags and some were drive killers while others moved the chains.
There were quite a few holding calls, some false starts and late hits, something the SHSU coaches weren't too pleased with. The sloppy outing led to some extra running once the scrimmage ended.
“I thought it was very frustrating with the number of penalties we had. We didn't play with much discipline,” Whitten added. “I was proud of the effort, but I was very, very disappointed with the number of penalties.
“I understand it was our first day with the officials out here, but we made way too many mistakes. We are not going to win many football games with that many penalties. We have to get that cleaned up.”
Senior wide receiver Catron Houston, the Bearkats' leading receiver on a 7-4 team in 2007, was the offensive star of the scrimmage, catching three long passes.
“Catron is in his third year with us now. He has grown up and is providing us great leadership at wide receiver, just as a senior should,” Whitten said.
The defensive secondary, another area of concern during the spring, had several bright spots including an interception by D. J. Emerson, a transfer from SMU.
Sam Houston State spring drills continue through Saturday, April 19, when drills will conclude with the annual Orange-White spring game.
